We are just about 2 weeks off our Baco Noir and Seyval Blanc Harvest for the 2012 growing season. The weather is looking promising and so are the grapes hanging on the vine. As harvest approaches we look for certain aspects in the grapes before we pick them.
1 Sugar levels- The sugar levels that you pick your grapes will determine the final alcohol content of the finished wine. Depending on the grape variety, we will look for between 19 and 24% sugar. This will put us into the 10 -13% alcohol by volume range. In years when we don’t get the desired sugar levels, we can chaptalize (add sugar) to bring the alcohol level up.
2 Ph – The ph of a wine is very important in both the structure of the wines taste/texture as well as the chemical and micro bilstability of the wine. Our white wines are usually picked between 2.9 and 3.4 and our reds between 3.4 and 3.7ph. Although it is possible to alter the ph, we prefer to let nature do it when the weather cooperates.
3 Flavor and tannin structure- we taste the grapes on a daily basis to watch the flavors colors and tannins mature. We look for varietal characteristics as well as diminishing vegetal flavors and softening tannins.
4 the last major factor that we look at is the weather. We always want to harvest with perfect conditions, but it is not always the case. So, if there is a storm brewing we might pick early, or if we know that it will be dry, we might let the fruit hang a bit longer to develop longer.
In the end, it is a combination of these things that ultimately determine when we pick and how the grapes will begin their transformation into wine. If you are interested in joining the picking crew this year please contact us for further details and harvest updates.
Matt
