History of our Wine - Harvest

History of our Wine - Harvest

The grape harvest represents the picking of the grapes and is one of the first stages to start producing our wonderful wine. After the pruning in January and the flowering in spring, it is in summer that the grapes gain colour, aroma, and taste. The harvest is then typically carried out between September and October when the grapes are ripe and their weight, colour, and acidity are ideal. However, the variety of the grape, stage of ripeness, and weather conditions can influence the speed at which some speeds ripen.

Despite the various techniques created by winemakers, the primordial formula of checking when the grape stalks are withered and the berry skins start to contract is still the most used by the various winemakers in our country.

Grapes harvested early tend to produce wines with more acidity and less alcohol. On the other hand, grapes harvested late tend to produce wines with lower acidity and more alcohol.

To avoid possible oxidation of the fruit, the harvest should be done at a time when temperatures are milder. This process may be done manually (the traditional slower and more expensive way) or mechanically (the quicker and cheaper way).

For those who have never participated in a manual harvest, the process is simply the gathering of several people one morning with the intention of picking the bunches with the help of scissors.

Once the grapes arrive at the picking, the ideal is for vinification to take place as soon as possible, in order to take advantage of the freshness of the fruit and avoid unwanted fermentation.

Despite the various technological evolutions within the area, in most rural areas, harvesting is still an activity that is carried out in the family almost as an annual tradition that links the family to its roots.

 

 

 

Source: https://vidaevinho.com/processo-de-producao-do-vinho-2/

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