Fall is the most rewarding time for vineyard owners because this is the time of year when the fruits of their labor are harvested.
When to Harvest
The three most important factors that determine when it’s time to harvest are sugar levels, tannin development and acidity. Other considerations include ripeness, flavor, and pH. Of course it’s also important to take into account weather forecasts.
People choose to pick by machine or pick by hand for different reasons. Machine harvests are quicker, yet machine harvesters do not discriminate on what they pick from the vine, so the harvest will also include branches, leaves, mold, and maybe even bird nests. Hand-picking can be more time consuming and costly, but garners a more carefully selected product (Calwineries).
How to Machine-Pick
Most juice grapes, which aren’t as delicate as wine grapes, are harvested with a grape picker. While different makes of picker function differently, most machines hover between the grape rows shaking the row they are riding directly over. Shaking the vines causes the grape bunches to drop over a conveyor belt that carries them through a chute to a ton crate being pulled by a tractor on a nearby row.
Large grape farms usually own a grape picker, and will harvest smaller farmers' grapes for them for a fee. Often, the cost of hiring someone to harvest your grapes for you will be worth it compared to the price of buying your own machinery, especially if you have limited experience.
When operating a grape picker, you want to be careful of making sharp turns and driving up steep inclines. If a slope is to steep to drive up, it’s best to handpick the grapes.
How to Hand-Pick
Hand-picking is almost always preferred for wine grapes, or for smaller vineyards that can’t risk losing any product. For handpicking, you’ll need a pair of clippers and grape crates (you can usually borrow or buy these from the place where you are planning to sell the grapes) spread throughout the rows below the vines. Quite simply, you clip the bunches off each long vine and place them in the crates. Take care not to damage the larger vines. Then, you transport the grapes to larger ton containers.
Where to Sell
Large juice co-operatives, such as the National Grape Cooperative (which owns Welch’s) have grape processing centers throughout North American regions where grapes are grown. They have strict sweetness standards and will reject semi-trucks full of grapes if the grapes don’t meet their standards, so it is always important to test a sample before harvest. Typically, the grapes should measure approximately 15% sweetness. Joining a co-operative has advantages including discounts on products and participating in a graduated payment system, but a disadvantage is that you can only sell to the co-operative.
Smaller juice or wine makers will buy grapes in varying quantities. Also, if you choose not to sell your harvest, you can always make your own juice or wine at home.
To read more about Spring, Summer and Winter chores view the other articles in this series.
“The Role of Harvest in Wine Production and Grape Growing.” Calwineries. Accessed July 18, 2008. Annual Life Cycle of the Vine.
Christy Mroczek - Christy Mroczek is a Professor of English, specializing in business communication, design publication, and technical editing. She earned ...
