The Vintage

As Grapes ripen the sugar content increases as the acidity decreases. Thus, the grower can pick early to maintain the acidity in hot years, or delay picking to optimise sugar levels, but with reduced acidity.

The Vintage will take place when the grapes reach a desirable level of maturity, though impending unfavourable weather conditions may have to be taken into consideration.

Harvesting can be either by hand or machine, the choice being decided by the type of wine to be made, financial considerations and topography. Machine harvesting requires considerable investment, which can be a problem for smaller producers, unless a group of growers share the harvester, but has the benefit of speed and flexibility, including night harvesting when necessary. Machine harvesters work by shaking the vine and collecting the ripe berries which fall off, leaving the stalks behind. It is, therefore, not selective, taking all the ripe berries from the vine, whether healthy or not, and is only feasible on flat or gently sloping dry land. Manual harvesting is slower, labour intensive and inflexible. It does however , allow a great deal of selection of the grapes, unripe or rotten grapes can be left on the vine, or conversely, only botryized fruit selected for dessert wines. Less damage occurs to the grapes as bunches are harvested whole, complete with stalks, so it is essential for wines like Lambrusco bianco and Champagne where colour from the skins is unwanted. Hand picking can be done in all terrains; indeed, steep vineyards, such as the Northern Rhone, the Mosel and the Douro, can only be harvested by hand