HARVEST: THE CULMINATION OF VINEYARD WORK

Formerly called picking, the word “harvest” originated in the 18th century with the republican calendar. The term “Vendémiaire” corresponds to the months of September and October. Simply put, harvesting is the planned gathering of grapes to make wine. The term “harvest” is used when referring to table grapes.

What is Harvesting?

Until 2008, the start of the harvest was officially marked by the publication of the harvest ban by all appellations. This harvest ban is the administrative authorization to begin grape harvesting within each appellation by prefectural decree. This “lifting of the ban” is decided jointly by the appellation syndicate and the INAO. Nowadays, this lifting of the ban is no longer mandatory for vineyards that wish to deviate from the specific start date of the harvest.

Dating back to feudal times, this tradition is also an opportunity for winemakers to celebrate the beginning of the harvest.

How to Determine the Harvest Date?

In France, the harvest generally takes place between the end of August and mid-October, depending on the region. Beyond the start date of the harvest decided by prefectural decree, each winemaker decides on one or more specific days to carry out the harvest. Several tools are available to winemakers to determine the optimal harvest date.

• The 100-day marker: It takes about 100 days from the appearance of the first flower to have a ripe berry. This is an approximate marker and is not the only tool used by winemakers, especially with unpredictable weather that varies each year.
• Monitoring grape ripeness: There are several types of ripeness for grapes:
  • Physiological ripeness: Optimal berry weight and pulp/skin ratio.
  • Phenological ripeness: When the plant has completed its normal vegetative cycle.
  • Technological ripeness: Sugar/acid ratio.
  • Aromatic ripeness: Optimal concentration of varietal aromas.
  • Polyphenolic ripeness: Corresponds to the ripeness of the skin (anthocyanins, tannins) and the seeds (tannins): maximum concentration of “qualitative tannins”.
  • Oenological ripeness: The only ripeness for the winemaker – it must take into account and optimize all ripeness levels based on the type of wine desired.

To summarize, the winemaker must determine the optimal harvest date by considering the ripeness of the pulp containing sugars and acids, the skin ripeness containing anthocyanins (color pigments in the grape skin) and soft tannins, and finally the seed ripeness (harder tannins).

The winemaker can control these different ripeness levels using the means and tools at their disposal. Samples are taken from the berries to analyze the different ripeness levels in the laboratory. An ancestral method remains tasting the grapes in the different plots to determine the maturity level of the berry.

Finally, the sanitary condition of the vine and grapes, as well as the weather, are other very important factors in deciding the harvest date.

Mechanical vs. Manual Harvesting

Depuis les années 60-70, la mécanisation du vignobles s’est peu à peu généralisée. Pour l’étape des vendanges, de nombreuses innovations sont venues diminuer le coût de production des viticulteurs et la pénibilité du travail.

Since the 1960s-70s, vineyard mechanization has gradually become widespread. For the harvesting stage, numerous innovations have reduced production costs for winegrowers and the labor intensity of the work.

Historically, harvesting started by hand with different tools for cutting, carrying, and transferring the grapes. Today, manual harvesting is done using pruning shears to cut the grape bunches. The bunches are placed in buckets and then transferred to baskets on the backs of “carriers.”

Manual harvesting is preferred by some winegrowers for several reasons:

• To allow better sorting of healthy and ripe grapes.
• To keep the grape bunches intact.
• Terrain constraints preventing the use of harvesting machines.

The main constraints are the labor cost based on the number of hectares the property has and speed, a crucial issue during weather incidents. Over time, many winemakers have equipped themselves with harvesting machines by pooling their financial resources (purchase or rental).

These harvesting machines have become increasingly efficient and precise, producing good results in the final quality of the grapes. The harvester is a tall vehicle that straddles the vine row. It is equipped with rods that strike the vine. The intense vibration causes the grapes to fall, which are then transported into a tank on the machine. It is faster and less costly, but there is always the risk of damaging the grape berries (the stem, woody part of the bunch remains on the vine). Nevertheless, a fine wine can come from mechanical harvesting.

Some appellations aim to preserve their heritage and prohibit the use of harvesting machines, such as in AOP Champagne or AOP Châteauneuf du Pape.

Moon Harvest

In most vineyards, harvesting is done very early in the morning to keep the grapes cool. In some regions of southern France, “moon harvest” is sometimes practiced. In other words, the harvest is done at night so that the grapes are even cooler during periods of intense heat. In Languedoc-Roussillon, Corsica, or Provence, it is not uncommon to see harvesters working at night with their headlamps to pick the grapes. This practice helps to obtain fruitier wines and especially to prevent the start of fermentation during the hot daytime hours.

Each year, 300,000 seasonal contracts are created for the harvest. Beyond the labor intensity, the harvest is an opportunity for many to gain their first professional experience and make lovely encounters.

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