Luna Modus Operandi

As a fully functioning winery, work is never in short demand. Everyone at Via Vecchia is encouraged to participate. When they are not trying to figure out if the camera is recording, they are usually involved with vino vocation in one form or another. This short video was captured in the Barrel Room of Via Vecchia Winery during a process known as Bottling.

The winery will usually do Bottling according to the cycle of the Moon. This is because sediment will usually sink towards the bottom of the barrel during a Full Moon, making the process easier in terms of filtration. A pump is inserted into the barrel and wine is transferred through a machine into brand-new empty bottles. To maintain an all natural approach, Via Vecchia Winery does not use nitrogen in their Bottling process. Winemakers are very careful not to disturb the wine by avoiding sediment kick-up and only using what remains clear. When the wine becomes cloudy, this signals the end of the barrel and the rest is not used for retail. 

When bottles have been filled with wine, they move down the table to be corked. This tool is hand-operated by simply placing a cork into position and pulling a lever down (as seen in the video) After the bottle is corked, it is sealed using a foil spinner that literately wraps a tin foil around the top. Lastly, the bottle receives one of four possible labels and is marked in numerical order of production. Cases are organized by wine type and stored in a secure location until distributed.

This week Via Vecchia bottled Trovato, the lightest red wine they create. A fun fact is that this particular barrel had been from one of the first Community CRUSH events held after the winery moved from Powell to Columbus in 2010.