Picking Grapes



Cabernet Franc Cluster Ripening

Grapes ripen at different rates depending on the climate & their physiology.  Pinot Noir in Monterey County may begin to ripen in August due to its warm Mediterranean influenced climate.  Pinot Noir from Burgundy may not ripen till the end of September where there is a cool continental climate.  Pinot noir’s physiology is such that it has a thin skin and is very sensitive to sunlight, humidity, rain, wind, and temperature.  The grapes do not always ripen in cooler terriors.  For instance, the Willamette Valley had an ideal growing season in 2008 with a good balance of rain, sun, and wind. The grapes ripened all at once and the entire valley was picked in about 4 days.
 

Vignerons will pick grapes at different times depending on the style of wine they are trying to create.  Some use mechanized methods involving tractors where vine rows are set a certain distance apart to allow for the tractors to move through the vineyards.   Other traditional methods are done by hand, especially those vineyards that are planted on a steep hill or at the top of a mountain.  To pick riesling in the Mosel in Germany, they have to repel attached to a rope because it is really steep!

Row Spacing on a Gentle Slope

Some vintners use modern technology to pick.  They measure sugar levels and assess the PH of the grapes to determine when the grapes are ready to be picked.  The traditional method involves tasting the grapes while in the vineyard.   Different rows ripen at different rates within the same vineyard and, therefore, are picked at different times.  This just scratches the surface of the grape picker's art.