Find out when and how the grapes are harvested from the team Loredo, market leader on the small and medium segment of winemaking equipment, winemaking products and agricultural equipment.

The long-awaited time of harvest has arrived, the moment when, we all hope, the work in the vineyard for over a year is rewarded with a healthy production that will ensure the best quality wine.

A long time picking grapes it was seen as an occasion for family reunion and therefore established by empirical methods.

Religious holidays, the phases of the moon, the color of the seeds in the grape, the fall of the beef leaves or the position of the strings were in the past considered criteria according to which the viticulturists chose the favorable moment for the harvest.

Today, fortunately, research and technology offer us the correct answers and the advantage of modern tools, with which we can determine precisely when is the right time to harvest the grapes.

More than representing a date in the calendar, it is given by the physiological maturity of the grains and the amount of sugar contained, directly reflected in the quality of the wine.

Why is it important to pick grapes at the right time?

In the process of ripening, the grape accumulates sugars, loses acidity and accumulates a series of substances that will give it its distinctive imprint.

There are 3 stages in this journey: parga, maturation and overripeness.

Parga begins with changing the appearance and composition of the bean and lasts between 10-20 days. Depending on the variety, the grapes can enter the vineyard from mid-July to mid-August.
maturation it is marked by the increase of the grain, with the accelerated accumulation of sugar and the decrease of acidity.
After sedimentation of the maximum value of sugar in the grape (full maturity), the curve is descending; we are talking now about supramaturare.

Thus, a harvest harvested in Parga will give a wine with high acidity and a low alcohol content, while one harvested at overripeness will be marked by quantitative losses and will result in a more alcoholic wine.
There are, indeed, situations in which grapes are deliberately left on the stalk longer to be harvested late - varieties grown in large vineyards, which are certainly exceptions. For ordinary wines, the key to quality is to establish precisely the interval in which the grapes are in the stage of maturation.

How to choose the right time to harvest grapes

The specialized literature has specific recommendations for the quantity of grape sugar necessary to obtain the desired alcoholic strength and for establishing the opportune harvesting moment:

• for a table wine with an alcoholic strength of approx. 8.5%, a sugar content of at least 145 g / l
• for high quality wines, with a recognized geographical indication (DOC-iG) with an alcoholic strength of at least 10.5% and a sugar content of 179 g / l
• for wines with a controlled designation of origin from grapes harvested at full maturity (DOC-CMD) with an alcoholic strength of at least 11% and a sugar content of 187 g / l
• for wines with a controlled designation of origin from grapes harvested late (DOC-Ct), a sugar content of at least 213 g / l for dry red wines and at least 220 g / l for other varieties
• if wines with a controlled designation of origin harvested to ennoble the grains - with attack of noble mold or from raisins (DOC-CiB), a sugar content of at least 240 g / l

A very important aspect: if you have a large area of vines and estimate that the harvest will take longer, it is necessary to start harvesting before the grapes reach full maturity.

We offer you a illustrative example:

Do you want to get a wine with alcohol 12% vol. For this, the grapes must contain approx. 205 g sugar / liter. Estimated that you will harvest via for 24 days.

To obtain a good wine, you will start harvesting 12 days before the grapes reach maturity (at about 170 g sugar / liter) and you will extend it 12 days after the peak of maturation.

By correlating the wines from these stages, you will get the right final product.

How we prepare for harvesting grapes - what tools we need

If earlier we found out when the grapes should be harvested, now we are going to discuss how to harvest the grapes correctly.

We saw what are the recommended values of sugar depending on the type of wine. How can we measure correctly to anticipate the harvest period?

We will correlate the evolution of carbohydrate accumulation with the mass of 1000 grapes, following the moment when the sugar accumulation curve reaches the maximum level, specific to each variety.

We will need specialized measuring instruments: a mustimeter, (densimeter) and / or a refractometer.

These laboratory utensils are precise and allow a scientific approach, with results that leave no room for ambiguity, unlike traditional methods of assessing the degree of ripening of grapes.

• Mustimetrul is a special densimeter for determining the sugar content of one liter of must or the potential alcohol content of the wine to be obtained. It is used together with a tall cylindrical glass made of transparent glass, in which the mustimeter can float freely, without touching the bottom or the walls of the vessel and to allow a clear reading of the result. The instrument is inserted into the clarified wort and after it is in equilibrium, the gradation at the liquid level is read.
• refractometer it also determines the percentage of sugar in the must, but uses another method: the refractive index of the liquid. In order to obtain correct measurements and prevent errors, use only clear must, kept in a cool place and avoid the must that has already entered fermentation. Careful! The wort enters fermentation shortly after crushing - if you want to use the refractometer, make sure the wort is cold clarified.

To obtain the must intended for measurement, collect grains of the same variety from different bushes (located at least 20 stubs away / hectare).

It is advisable to choose more ripe grains, both healthy and damaged (if applicable). Avoid picking whole grapes, take better portions from as many different bunches as possible.

These details are meant to make sure you pick a representative sample for your cultureand that the measurement results will be correct. Harvest approximately 1.5 - 2 kg of grapes to get 1 liter of must and crush them with a smashing.

These analyzes must be repeated every 2-3 days during the ripening stage of the grapes, until you find that the sugar values are those recommended above.

What is the correct technique for harvesting grapes and how will we transport the harvest

It is important to remember that no matter how high the grape production is, once the grapes have reached maturity, their harvesting will be done in stages, according to:

• variety (we will not mix different varieties; harvest red and white grapes on different days / shifts);
• wine assortment which we produce;
• the health of the grapes (we will use for vinification only healthy grapes, which do not show traces of diseases or pesticide residues);
• Weather Forecast (cold and humid weather accelerates the depreciation of already affected grapes and can drastically affect production)

The grapes depreciate quickly; therefore, they will be processed immediately. Keep this in mind when planning your transport from the vineyard to the winery!

To collect as quickly and efficiently as possible, it is recommended to organize teams of two collectors in each row. Start harvesting in the morning, after sunrise.

They will cut the stalk with a sharp knife or knife, so that they do not need to pluck or bruise the bunches and lose the berries. It is advisable to harvest the grapes from the bottom to the top of the bush.

The grapes will be carefully placed in plastic buckets, baskets or crates placed in a place away from the sun, which will then be unloaded in larger vessels at the end of the row.

Avoid maneuvers that can lead to crushing of the stubble in the storage vessels, so as not to trigger the irreversible oxidation process.

Pont: start harvesting in the middle of the row and you will waste less time unloading the grapes at the end of the row.

Transport and crushing of grapes it will be done on the same day. If the harvest is depreciated (moldy grapes), we recommend that you administer a solution of sO2 (approx. 15-20% of the total amount used for vinification) in the transport vessels in which the grapes are located.

Before starting the harvest, don't forget to prepare the barrels for vinification! The new wooden vessels will go through the detangling process, and the used ones will be evaluated. If it is in good condition, it will be washed in two or three waters, drained and then disinfected with smoked wicks or sulfur rings. If they have defects (bad smell, deposits), special detergents will be used. Rinsing with water is sufficient for polyethylene or stainless steel barrels.

Therefore, in order to enjoy a good glass of wine from our own production, we cannot speak of optimal periods from the calendar point of view, but only of the moment when the grapes reach full maturity and acquire the right amount of sugar.

Loredo recommendation for a wine with an alcoholic strength of 11-12%, to measure with the help of the right instruments the amount of sugar and to initiate the harvest at 190-220 g / liter of must.

For more information on when and how to harvest grapes, we can also visit our online store Fermier.ro.
This way you will vinify correctly and it will not be necessary to intervene later for correction or stabilization.

Rich harvest!