Ch 9: Harvest Flashcards
Titration
A method that is used to calculate acid levels in grapes and help determine ripeness. Other factors in determining ripeness include sugar levels, aroma, and tannins.
Machine-harvesting
Machine harvesting is separating the grapes from the vine with a mechanical harvester. It is the default option for inexpensive to mid-priced wine and for larger-scale production because it is cheaper and more efficient for larger vineyards than hand-harvesting.
Advantages:
* the ability to pick grapes at night so that it’s cooler and the grapes have less of a chance of splitting or spoiling;
* the ability to pick grapes quickly so that there is a better chance of picking them in cool, dry conditions;
* not needing to rely on human labor, which can be expensive and less reliable.
Disadvantages:
* machine harvesting is less gentle than hand-harvesting
* Cannot be use for wine styles the require whole bunches for winemaking, like sparking and carbonic maceration wines, or that require specific grape characteristics, like Botryrtis or late harvest for sweet wines.
* Limited by topography and cannot be done in vineyards planted on uneven terrain, or steep slopes, or on un-trellised vines common in hot regions.
* If there are different varietals or styles that ripen at different times and require multiple passes to be made through the vineyard, machine harvesting will not work.
* The machinery is a major investment.
Hand-harvesting
Removing whole bunches of grapes from the vine by hand.
Advantages:
* Highly selective - sorting is done at the time of harvest
* Less limited by topography and trellising: works on steep slopes, untrellised vines, grapes that ripen at different times
* Gentler than machine harvested, so grapes are less likey to be crushed and exposed to oxitidation or spoilage.
Disadvantages:
* More expensive for med to large vineyards
* Requires a reliable work force, training, supervision
* Most easlily carried out during the day, when temperatures may be high, leading to increased oxidation and spoilage.
Required for:
* Premium sparking wines (whole bunch pressing)
* Carbonic/Semi-carbonic wines (Beaujolais)
* Botrytis affected wines
* Steep slopes (Cote Rotie)
* Bush vines
*
