Caffeine & Chianti

It’s fall in North America, which means it’s wine harvest season! This is arguably one of the most critical seasons for grape growers and wine makers across the world. I myself am preparing to work a wine harvest this fall for the first time in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and I can’t wait to get started. But what exactly is a wine harvest and why is it so important?

In this article, I’m going to share general information about wine harvests, including what they are, where they happen, and why they are so important to the wine industry. I’ll also share why I chose to work a wine harvest and what I am hoping to gain from the experience at the end. Let’s get into it!

what is a wine harvest?

Wine harvest in the Northern Hemisphere typically takes place in the fall, beginning in August and wrapping up in November, though the exact timing varies by region. Harvest begins when the grapes reach peak ripeness, a decision made by the winemaker based on the desired style of the wine. Factors such as sugar content, acidity, color, and tannins all play a role, as does the weather–rain before or during harvest can dilute the grapes or cause rot. Once the grapes are ready, picking and processing must happen quickly before fermentation begins. Most wineries bring on seasonal workers or volunteers to help with the harvest due to the intense workload in a short timeframe.

The weeks leading up to harvest involve a lot of preparation in the winery–mostly cleaning everything, including hoses, tanks, and bins that store the fruit. Once it is time to pick, fruit is harvested either by hand or with machinery and brought to the winery. The grapes are then pressed and the juice is moved to tanks (pictured above) to start the fermentation process.

Where do they happen?

This map displays the world’s major wine regions (image from Wine Folly, an excellent resource for learning more about wine). Traditionally, Europe is referred to as the Old World, while regions outside of it are called the New World. The term Ancient World is a newer term, describing the areas where winemaking grapes originated. Most of these regions sit at specific latitudes which are ideal for grape growing. Although these regions sit at the same latitudes, climates can differ dramatically, which leads to significant variations in wine styles. Elements such as acidity, alcohol content, and tannin structure are all influenced by climate differences.

In the Northern Hemisphere, grapes ripen in the fall, so harvest typically runs from August through November across North America, Europe, and Asia. In the Southern Hemisphere, the cycle is reversed–grapes ripen in spring, with harvest taking place from February through April in South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

vintages

The year printed on a bottle of wine is the vintage, which refers to the year the grapes were harvested. The weather conditions throughout the growing season and the quality of the grapes at the time of harvest heavily influence the outcome of the wine. Vintages are highly significant in the wine world because some years produce better wines than others, and exceptional vintages often command much higher prices. Harvest is such an exciting time because it represents the culmination of an entire year’s work in the vineyard. All the care and effort put into growing the grapes finally come together in the winery to begin the transformation into wine!

why i chose to work one

I chose to work a wine harvest because I am just beginning my journey in the wine world and want to gain a strong foundation in the industry. There are many different career paths in wine–including hospitality, sales, distribution, and production to name a few–but I believe it’s important to first experience the production side. Seeing first-hand how wine is made and how much effort goes into one bottle of wine provides a unique perspective. During harvest, I hope to deepen my understanding of the winemaking process and learn the logistics of working in a cellar. Harvest is famous for being an extremely busy time of year for wineries, with long days, hard work, and lots of cleaning, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

I hope this gave you a better sense of what a wine harvest is and why it matters! As a seasonal worker, I will be helping with everything from sorting fruit to monitoring fermentations (and yes, plenty of scrubbing and hosing down). Stay tuned for updates on the harvest and things I learn along the way!

Thanks for reading 🙂