Grape harvest
The grape harvest is that period when grapes are harvested from the plant to reach our tables or to be addressed to the industrial sector.
The growth of the grapes
The grapevine starts again its lifecycle at the end of the winter when, thanks to the increasing of the temperature, it ends its hibernation to face a new production cycle. The sprouts start to grow producing new branches and new leaves.
On the branches, bunches of sprouts start growing, producing real bunches of small flowers between May and June. The flowering lasts about 15 days, at the end the grapes begin to take shape.
At the beginning the grapes are pretty small, but, time after time they increase their size until they reach a complete ripening in September. Some grapes varieties are ready to be harvested in July, as for instance the seedless grapes.
Hand and mechanical grape harvest
The traditional period to harvest the grapes, above all for the vinification, is between September and October. In this period the grapes reached their full ripening and contain the right quantity of sugar and all the other organoleptic characteristics suitable for the human consumption or the industrial production. In general, the perfect period for the grape harvest is given by the most suitable ripening status. Clearly it is influenced by the climatic conditions and the production locations.
During grape harvest, thus, the grapes are harvested by hand or mechanically. The first method is slower and more precise; moreover it is expensive both in terms of time and money. It is used for the production of high quality wines and traditional Spumante wines that requires a careful grapes selection. The mechanical method, instead, is much more used because it is quicker and cheaper. It is made with machines that shake the plants horizontally or vertically to provoke the separation of the ripened grapes. The grapes harvested are carefully collected in boxes in order to avoid the squeezing of the bunches.
There is also a late grape harvest: here the grapes reach high sugary contents suitable for the production of Passito wines.
General rules to harvest the grapes
It is necessary to respect some basic rules to have a good grape harvest, both mechanical or by hand. It is a kind of small guide for the grape harvest: first of all the grape harvest haven’t to take place in the hottest hours of the day, to avoid that the heat develop an unwanted fermentation that could ruin the grapes. Another rule is to not harvest the grapes wet of rain, dew or fog in fact the water could dilute the must with unexpected final results. It is important to follow this last rule above all if you want to produce wine.
Another good rule is to not place the grapes in wide boxes because the weight of the grapes could squeeze and ruin them. Finally, for a good vinification, it is necessary a quick transfer towards the production rooms to avoid to cause a fermentation that could damage the organoleptic characteristics of the grapes.
