Harvest

Harvest is the moment when the grapes are picked and brought in from the vineyard. It marks the end of the vine's growing year, which begins with winter dormancy and moves through budbreak, flowering and ripening towards the picking. As the grape ripens, it builds up sugar and aroma compounds while the acidity falls, and the harvest is about catching exactly the balance the winemaker wants. That is why there is no single correct moment: it depends on the grape variety, the place and the wine style you are aiming for.

The timing means a great deal for what you taste in the glass. Grapes picked early keep more acidity and give fresh, crisp wines, which often suits white wine and mousserende vin. If the grapes are picked later, the acidity falls and the colour and tannin become more powerful, which is well suited to fuller-bodied red wine. The weather in a given year (the vintage) also plays a part, since rain, frost or heat in the run-up to harvest can shift both ripeness and quality.

The picking itself can be done by hand or by machine. Hand-picking makes it possible to select healthy, ripe bunches and to handle the grapes gently, while machines are faster but less able to make those distinctions. A widespread misunderstanding is that a late harvest always means better wine. It is rather about the right ripeness for the wine you want to make.