Harvesting grapes for wine: the ins and outs of crush season

Winemaking is both a science and an art, with many factors influencing each vintage that gets produced. While advances in technology have impacted the practices used by some modern vintners, the principles of winemaking have largely remained unchanged.

The harvest
How a particular wine tastes is hugely influenced by when the fruit gets picked. On many vineyards, grapes are tested for the appropriate balance of acidity and sweetness with devices that measure sugar levels. However, some growers still use a simple taste-test. When the grapes are determined to be ready, the harvest begins.

Grapes can be picked either by hand or with mechanical harvesters. While faster, the machines tend to be harder on the fruit, and many winemakers prefer to collect their harvest manually. In order to pick the fruit in its prime, a number of vineyards rely on volunteers.

Crushing and pressing
Once the grapes have been sorted to remove any rotten or under-ripe fruit, they’re crushed and pressed. This is no longer done with the winemaker’s feet, however. Nowadays, it’s almost always completed with mechanical crushers that press the grapes into must (juice from the grapes that includes the skin and pulp).

When making white wine, the must gets filtered prior to fermentation. But to make red wine, the must is left unfiltered so that it can acquire the ideal flavoring and coloring from the skin and pulp. Once the must is prepared, the winemakers leave it to ferment for up to a month. It’s then “racked” or filtered and transferred to another vessel to age.

Volunteering and visiting
Are you interested in experiencing crush season firsthand? If so, many small wineries need help picking grapes during the harvest. In return for a day’s efforts, they often provide a hearty meal and a glass of wine.

Even if you’re not interested in volunteering, you can still visit a vineyard during the crush. In fact, it’s such an important event that many wine-growing areas host festivals to celebrate.