The most exciting time of the year for winegrowers began. That’s the time of the year when winegrowers are harvesting their past hard work. In the grape-growing areas of the Northern Hemisphere, the grape harvest is already in full swing. In the warmer regions, grapes were already picked, while in other areas (and late varieties), harvest will begin in the traditional grape harvest month – September.
Even though harvesting is super exciting, it’s also the busiest time of the year. Since several things need to be considered when organizing the harvest, we selected the top 5 tips for better organizing the harvest. But before we get into the business, let’s have a look (how to know) when the grapes are ready for the harvest.
When grapes are ripe?
Grapes need to be picked when they are fully ripe. Our senses can determine the first harbingers of grape maturity. The first indicator of ripeness is the colour of the grapes. Red grape varieties, in their full ripeness, develop a deep purple-blue colour, while white grape varieties lighten, and their skin colour turns almost yellow. When grapes get the proper colour, depending on the variety and the weather, it takes another 1 to 3 weeks to develop their full sweetness. The easiest way to determine the grape’s sweetness is by tasting them. Ripe grapes taste sweet, not tart; you also need to consider that each variety has its own unique flavour. On touch, the ripe grapes feel soft, plump and full of juice. Vineyards full of fully ripe grapes emit a pleasant, sweet smell, so you will know when to harvest. A very good sign of full ripeness is animals feeding themselves with grapes. Another indicator is the colour of the seed; ripe grapes have brown seeds, while green seeds tell you that grapes are not yet ready for harvest.
Winegrowers, in addition to the obvious signs and their “instinct”, also take into account measurements of sugar and the acid of the grapes, as well as the pH of the grapes. Since this measurement differs from the vineyard’s variety and micro-climate, each winegrower should know the optimal values of his ripe grapes. According to the literature, the optimal levels for red wines are Brix: 22, TA: 0,75, pH: 3,4, and for the white wines Brix: 20, TA: 0,7 and pH: 3,2.
Mechanical or hand pick harvest
Even though several winegrowers tend to use mechanics, there are still several doubts and questions about the best way to harvest grapes. Some prefer mechanical harvesting while others don’t want to hear about anything else but hand-picking. The advantage of mechanical harvesting is its low price. Harvester can pick up to 200 tons of grapes daily while one experienced picker only somewhere between 1 and 2 tons. Therefore, it’s hard to imagine hand-picking huge vineyards. Before hand-pickers would end their job, half of the grapes would already shrivel, not to mention high labour costs. However, some wineries prefer hand-picking since mechanical harvesters can not distinguish between ripe, unripe and rotten bunches. In addition, the harvester can damage the grape skin and, therefore, the risk of oxidation and a loss of the aromatic qualities in the wine.
Mainly, small, family-owned wineries hand-pick their grapes, as do wineries whose vineyards are located in terrain where mechanical harvesting is not feasible. Additionally, grapes used for premium wines are typically hand-picked to ensure quality and careful selection. Also berries from botrytized bunches, for sweet wines, can not be picked in any other way than by hand. We collected some tips that will come in handy for small, hand-picking wineries when preparing for the harvest.
Top 5 tips to better-organized harvest
1. Check the weather forecast
When grapes are already well ripe, regularly check the forecast for the exact location so there will be no surprises on the last critical days before the harvest. Let eVineyard help you with that! Pick a beautiful sunny day for your harvesting if you choose to harvest in the daytime. What’s nicer than harvesting on a sunny day?
2. Call your help
Make sure to notify your hand-pickers about your harvest plan in advance so you will not be left alone with all the work. A day or two before the harvest, confirm with your pickers so you will know how to organize the work in the vineyard on D-day.
3. Check the Brix and pH
A day before the harvest, make sure that grapes are well-ripe. Check for Brix and pH on several different locations in the vineyard for the last time before the harvest. We have already mentioned that each winegrower should know the optimal levels of Brix, TA, and pH of grapes and determine the general levels of sugar, pH, and acid for red and white wines.
4. Tidy vineyard
Tidy up vineyards before the harvest. So that pickers will be more efficient as they will not need to walk on the dewy weeds and search for the berries among them. Don’t forget to remove the bird nets the night before or very early in the morning, if you have them, to start harvesting on time.
5. Wash up and clean all of the equipment
Before the harvest, clean up your harvesting equipment such as buckets and clippers. Also don’t forget to clean and sanitize all of the winemaking equipment,
Before the harvest, clean up your harvesting equipment, such as buckets and clippers. Also, don’t forget to clean and sanitize all of the winemaking equipment so that grapes can go directly into the winemaking process. After the harvest, clean all of the equipment properly, as well!
Above all, don’t take too hard on yourself – that is supposed to be an exciting day (even though it’s going to be a long, long day).
Happy harvest!
Sources:
- Wes Hagen. 10 Tips for a Successful Harvest Day. WineMaker Magazine. Retrieved in September 2015 (online).
- Getty Stewart. How and When to Harvest Grapes – Signs Grapes are Ready. Retrieved in September 2015 (online).
- Featured image by Grape Things
