READ · COMPARE · EXPLAIN
Gantenbein: Three grape varieties—vineyards and a gravity-flow winery
Along the Rhine in eastern Switzerland, Martha and Daniel Gantenbein have been making wine since 1982. This producer mainly grows Pinot Noir, as well as Chardonnay and Riesling.
Read Gantenbein's three varieties based on the vineyard sizes and gravity-flow winery. Even within information from a single producer, the significance of the numbers changes between land allocation and the blend of a particular wine.
Questions for this course
Does the wide area of Pinot Noir vineyards reveal the blend in the bottle?
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Switzerland / Graubünden / Fresh
Update date: 2026-09-24
Three fresh varieties
The official introduction states Pinot Noir covers 12.5 acres, Chardonnay 2.5 acres, Riesling 0.5 acres. These values are the vineyard areas, not the blending proportions in the wine.
Vineyard size and yield
The three varieties occupy different areas, but yield per area and selection rates are not given in this overview. You cannot simply use the surface area proportions as the ratio for the number of bottles.
Work adapted to gravity
The producer describes moving grapes and juice by gravity, eliminating the need for pumps or filtration. A producer's judgment covers not just how to grow grapes, but also how to handle them after harvest.
Building and wine information
Winery layouts are designed according to gravity, temperature control, and workflow. However, this introduction does not verify the annual new barrel rate or aging months. Record shared vineyard and facility strategies separately from the specifications of individual wines.
What to align and what to compare.
Vineyard
- Conditions to standardize
- The same producer.
- Conditions for comparison.
- Variety and area under cultivation.
- Additional points to confirm
- Distinguish between area and blending
Process
- Conditions to standardize
- Gravity-driven approach
- Conditions for comparison.
- The roles of racking and filtration
- Additional points to confirm
- Check container specifications separately
Comparisons
- Conditions to standardize
- General introduction to the producer
- Conditions for comparison.
- Winemaking conditions by vintage
- Additional points to confirm
- Do not supplement numbers that are not stated.
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
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- 1↗
Switzerland
German-speaking region: Pinot Noir as the axis from east to west
Read the location and producing region of Graubünden.
- 2↗
Switzerland
Main varieties and their names in multiple languages
Organize Switzerland’s main grape varieties.
- 3↗
Switzerland
Swiss Appellations & winemaking: Federal classifications and canton regulations
Check the display of regional indicators.
READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Gantenbein Document Analysis: Three grape varieties, vineyards, and a gravity-flow winery
Verify the subjects of the ingredients, processes, and sources, and confirm the conditions for comparison.
Documents with a specified vintage are read as examples for that year. Explanations with no specified vintage are not generalized to represent all years or all shipments.
| Comparison items | Pinot Noir | Chardonnay | Riesling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineyard area | 12.5 acres | 2.5 acres | 0.5 acre |
| What the numbers indicate | Vineyard size | Vineyard size | Vineyard size |
| Some things can’t be understood by surface area alone. | Bottle numbers / blends. | Bottle numbers / blends. | Bottle numbers / blends. |
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Read the explanation for each question
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What does 12.5 acres indicate?
An acre is a unit of area. Blend refers to the proportions of each base wine, which is separate information from this figure.
How do you calculate the number of bottles for the three varieties?
Even if vineyard area is the same, the juice obtained or the amount bottled is not necessarily constant. Production quantity cannot be determined from area tables alone.
What system is used to move fruit and juice?
The official information describes processes that use gravity. The methods of transferring wine are distinct from fermentation and aging techniques.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
Match up the raw materials, vineyard, and process from the documentation, and explain which conditions are constant in the comparison and which ones vary.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Pinot Noir | Chardonnay | Riesling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineyard area | 12.5 acres | 2.5 acres | |
| What the numbers indicate | Vineyard size | Vineyard size | |
| Some things can’t be understood by surface area alone. | Bottle numbers / blends. | Bottle numbers / blends. |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Based on the cultivated areas of the three varieties, state what can be inferred. Additionally, describe any further information needed to compare the number of bottles and taste.
Check after writing
- Did you distinguish between area and blending?
- Did you also consider yield and other factors in the number of bottles?
- Did you explain the process using gravity?
Save response to explanation task
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