How are grapes harvested, and why is it good to do it by hand?
State-of-the-art winemaking begins in the vineyard. Why is the grape harvest the most important stage in producing wine? And what are all the aspects that have to be taken into account to ensure its success? Read about it in today’s article.
A successful harvest depends on many factors, or how mature is mature enough?
When is the best time to plan the grape harvest? Weather plays a significant role in the decision, because it has a large role in the ripening of the grapes. However, it also depends on the variety of vines, the conditions they’re grown in, and the specific terroir.
The correct degree of ripeness is the most important factor of all in respect to the quality of the wine. At the same time, winemakers distinguish three types of ripeness: industrial, technological, and physiological.
The grapes’ sugar content is the crucial criterion for establishing industrial ripeness, while their yield should also be as high as possible. Currently, this category of evaluation is mainly used by the largest wine producers. You’ll correctly intuit that this kind of harvest is primarily oriented toward the quantity of the harvest rather than its quality.
Ideal technological ripeness is established on the basis of the content of sugars, acids, pH, and aromatic properties. It’s therefore easy to see that the specific type of wine the grapes are being harvested for must be taken into account. A different degree of technological ripeness is required for a light, refreshing wine than for one that’s full and heavy.
The winemaker can best determine physiological ripeness by the color of the grapes’ skins. The grapes’ content of tartaric acid content should predominate over malic acid. The characteristic aroma of the given variety should also be given some weight.
How do you measure the ideal sugar content for a grape harvest? Physics helps
Grapes’ sugar content can be measured right in the vineyard. A device called a refractometer is ideal for this task. The principle of its operation is based in fluids refracting light at different angles depending on their relative densities. The winemaker evenly spreads juice from the grapes on the slanted glass prism. The prism is then held up against a source of light. The denser (with higher sugar content) a liquid is, the more the light refracts. The grapes’ sugar content is then also used to determine the categorization of wine into quality classifications. Learn about all of them in our article on classifying wine by its sugar content.
The grape harvest is also determined by acid content
Tartaric acid and malic acid are the main acids contained in grapes. Their amounts depend in the specific varieties. Especially in types with a low acid content it’s necessary to abide by their optimal values. Measuring pH is done easily using a pH meter.
What methods are there for harvesting grapes? Great wines are made from the hand-picked ones
The actual grape harvest usually starts early in the morning – as soon as the dew dries so that water isn’t harvested along with the grapes. For the same reason, grapes aren’t harvested in the rain. Grapes can either be harvested by hand, or with the help of harvesting machines.
Both have their pros and cons. Machines allow for the harvest of a greater volume of grapes, even in very expansive vineyards quickly and effectively. However, the individual bushes have to be spaced at a particular distance from one another and grow to a certain height. The machines also cannot be used on steep hillsides. The machine shakes the grapes off their vines, which can cause them to be ruined. Additionally, the vines themselves may be damaged.
In harvesting done by hand the grapes are cut using special scissors. This method is as gentle as possible both to the berries and to the vines. Additionally, it’s possible to inspect the quality of the grapes, separate them, and remove the unhealthy or unripe ones. In other words: manual harvesting is used when the highest quality wines are produced. For example, one of them is the famous Brunello di Montalcino.
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