Wine Instruction

I thought this was s fun article that talks about vineyard grapes. Wine grapes are not the kind of grapes you would expect to find in a store as table grapes. Wine grapes are tiny but full of flavor. They have specifically been bread to be optimum for producing wine Read on for more on how to pick these grapes and when is the best time for vineyard grape harvest.

Vineyard grapes are normally harvested or picked during the fall. Because unlike many other types of fruit, grapes do not ripen or get any sweeter after they have been picked, it is essential to make sure they are ripe for harvesting.

How to tell whether grapes are ripe

Grapes generally change color when they ripen. But sometimes they change color before they ripen completely. You can squeeze the berries to see how soft they are, but the best way really is to taste them. Usually if one grape in a bunch is ripe, the rest will be too.

Remember that the sugar content of ripe grapes is as high as it will ever be (usually around 20%) and the acid levels will be low. The aroma and flavor should be at its best when the grapes are ripe. This is why timing is so important.

If grapes are picked too early, the wine is very likely to lack body and substance. The alcohol content will also be lower unless extra sugar is added to the fermenting mix. If grapes are picked too late, the potential alcohol content of the grapes will be higher (so the resultant wines are more likely to have a high alcohol content) but they will have a very low acid content and so extra acid will often need to be added to the mix.

How to harvest ripe grapes

Wine farmers often use machine harvesters which are quick and take very little effort to pick the grapes quickly. But they can't judge whether all bunches of grapes on the vine are ripe and they also tend to pull off stalks and leaves. Apart from which, unless you have a substantial vineyard, the expense of this type of machinery isn't viable.

So there's no doubt that you will be harvesting your grapes by hand. To do this you will need sharp secateurs. You will also need a large basket to put the picked grapes into.

Then you can try your hand at making your own wine at home.

Al Barker is a grape growing expert. Al has spent the past 16 years mastering how to grow vineyard grapes.

In Al's many years he has not only grown world class grapes himself, but has also taught hundreds of people how to grow and harvest vineyard grapes in their own backyard.

More on Vineyard Grapes:

Grow Grapes, Make Wine.

This Book Is A Comprehensive Guide To Grape Varieties, Vineyard Management, And Grape Growing. It Also Goes Into Great Detail On How To Make Wine. Grow Grapes,

Publish Date: 06/02/2010