Harvest

In the UK, September and October are months spent preparing for the wine harvest. But what actually happens during this time and how does it impact our liquid gold? ​​​​​​​​
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One of the most critical decisions a winemaker makes is when exactly to harvest. Depending on the vineyard and quality this may not all be done at once and multiple passes are done through the vineyard to harvest the grapes at their absolute best. ​​​​​​​​
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To determine when, they must first assess the ripeness of their grapes - in particular the vineyard blocks average sugar content. A Brix meter is used to measure the juice of single grapes on the vine - every two degrees Brix equates to roughly 1 % of alcohol in the final product, so your favourite 14% wine needed an average Brix reading of 28°. ​​​​​​​​

The decision to harvest at this time will be dependent on the type of end product the winemaker is wanting. ​​​​​​​​
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After that, when it's go time, it's all about getting those grapes in their ripest form to the winery as quickly as possible so that they can be crushed and juiced, and the winemaking process can begin. ​​​​​​​​
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If you ever get the chance to help out your local vineyard at harvest time don't be surprised if you get called down with little notice and early in the morning - you are contributing to creating the very best version of that wine (and you often get to sample the latest wines as a reward for all your hard work) 🍇