Harvest

      Harvest takes place from the end of August till mid October at Domaine Kikones. The choice of the day on which each variety will be picked is extremely crucial, because the grapes should be at their optimum ripening stage as far as sugar, flavor, color and tannins are concerned.

      The harvest starts the earliest possible (6:00 a.m.) in the morning and usually ends around 12:00 p.m., as after noon the heat of the sun could deteriorate the aromas and the grape's quality. The grapes are picked by hand and placed in clean crates holding approximately eighteen kilos each. These grapes are repeatedly transported from the vineyard to the winery in small bunches, so as not to lose their unique flavors and their high quality due to the searing temperatures at harvest time.

       When the grapes arrive at the winery, they are carefully checked for leaves or over ripe fruit on a special sorting table by ten to fifteen women. This procedure ensures first class quality of the basic wine ingredient, the grape. The quality control takes place in a fully equipped quality control laboratory onsite. After the sorting table, as the winemaking procedure starts with perfect grapes, only sulfites and strictly no other preservatives are used in the lowest quantity possible. A careful sorting procedure at both the vineyard and the winery is vital to establish the most natural winemaking with the least amount of any technological intervention.