Harvest Flashcards
What factors are considered during harvest?
Timing of picking
Number of vineyard passes
Method of harvest
What is considered when deciding when to harvest?
Grape maturity:
Sugar Ripeness
Physiological Ripeness
Tannin Ripeness
Weather
Style of wine being made
Producer goals
Number of vineyard passes
What is sugar ripeness?
The amount of measurable sugar in the grapes, known as Brix level. Measured with a refractometer.
What is physiological ripeness?
Ripeness of the bunches in their totality, including stems and seeds. I.e. is the whole bunch ripe and ready to be pressed?
What is tannin ripeness?
Ripeness associated with tannins in the skins and seeds? How is this measured?
How are the number of passes through a vineyard determined?
Number of passes is determined by only picking ripe grapes and leaving behind underripe grapes until they’re ready. The more passes that are completed, the greater the cost in the final wine
What are the factors in Method of Harvest?
Hand harvesting vs mechanical harvesting
Small vs large bin sizes
What are the advantages/drawbacks of hand harvesting?
Pros: Allows for greater selectivity in the choice of grape bunches
Cons: Labor intensive ($$) and slower. Slowness may be bad if weather is a threat to grapes (rain or intense heat)
What are the advantages/drawbacks of mechanical harvesting?
Pros: Very economical, good if weather is going to be a factor.
Cons: Cannot be descriminate with grape selection, MOTG (material other than grapes) is common and must be sorted
How does difference in bin size matter?
Small bin size protects the grapes more, preventing too much weight from crushing grapes on the bottom of the bin. However, smalls bins means more bins are required and thus more labor and time.
Large bins allow for rapid movement of fruit but the weight can crush grapes at the bottom, potentially beginning fermentation and oxidation too early
What is an example of a region where hand harvesting is required?
Champagne
How does aspect/topography affect Harvest decisions?
Depending on the slope of the hillside on which the grapes are planted, mechanized harvesting may be impractical or impossible
