# harvest hour



## berrycrush (Sep 10, 2017)

What hour is best for harvest wine grapes, morning?


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## Smok1 (Sep 10, 2017)

At night from what ive got out of this article


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## Johny99 (Sep 10, 2017)

berrycrush said:


> What hour is best for harvest wine grapes, morning?



Whatever time you can get folks to show up

Seriously, it has to do with temperature. You want to keep them as cool as you can until crush. Usually we are around 40-45 at 6:00am here when I start to pick. Picking takes about 4 hours, then we crush. So, if it goes well, the must is under cover and in the cold room before it gets much above 60 on the crush pad. 

The big question is can you sort and crush before it gets hot and nasties get started in your grapes. That is why big California vineyards harvest at night. That way, they can get the grapes trucked and crushed before the heat of the day. Of course I love the stories of grapes picked at night that sit till the drivers show up


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## balatonwine (Sep 11, 2017)

Johny99 said:


> Whatever time you can get folks to show up





Really laughing here. Best answer, because it is so true. Especially when getting family and fiends to help. No way has anyone volunteered to get up at 5:00 AM with me to start harvesting.


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## NorCal (Sep 11, 2017)

We start as soon as it is light enough to see the grapes.


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## berrycrush (Sep 11, 2017)

My question about early morning is the dew, does it dilute the juice a bit?


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## balatonwine (Sep 11, 2017)

If there is morning dew on the grapes, I don't harvest until the grapes are dry.


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## BigH (Sep 14, 2017)

I harvest after the dew dries. My vineyard is small, so I have the luxury of harvesting a single vine, and then taking those berries into the fridge before moving on to the next. I continue until all my cooling space is exhausted. Then I either crush, or go to work and earn a living so I can pay for this hobby. By chance, each variety generally fills my cooling space (except for frontenac and frontenac blanc, they yield too much for me to handle in one pass). 

Since I don't let grapes sit out in the heat, I don't worry too much about picking in the afternoon if that is the only time I can get to them. But, I am only in my second harvest, so I don't have a lot of experience.

H


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## GEM (Sep 28, 2017)

Morning when it is cool is best. Whenever you can harvest is fine.


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## grapeman (Sep 28, 2017)

I finally was able to get serious about beginning harvest here. It has been in the 80's to near 90 for two weeks now. We had a cool wet summer so the sugar levels were low and acid high. The heat ripened the fruit up to near ideal levels and it was only a high of 60 today so I picked all day. 

I really laughed when BigH said he harvest one vine at a time and brings it to the fridge. I just can't do that. I would never be able to make over 6000 trips to the fridge and it would never hold the grapes.

Seriously we try to pick when it is cool but around here by the time we harvest it is usually in the 50's and 60's most days for highs anyways. Picking will be disrupted again next week as my wife is having more biopsies and tests to try and give a name and stage to her newly diagnosed cancer. Then treatments will begin. She comes first even though over 6 months has been put into getting the grapes ready to harvest. I only have one wife and there will be another harvest next year.


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## ibglowin (Sep 28, 2017)

Beautiful looking fruit Rich. Prayers for you and your family. Stay strong.



grapeman said:


> I finally was able to get serious about beginning harvest here. It has been in the 80's to near 90 for two weeks now. We had a cool wet summer so the sugar levels were low and acid high. The heat ripened the fruit up to near ideal levels and it was only a high of 60 today so I picked all day.
> 
> I really laughed when BigH said he harvest one vine at a time and brings it to the fridge. I just can't do that. I would never be able to make over 6000 trips to the fridge and it would never hold the grapes.
> 
> Seriously we try to pick when it is cool but around here by the time we harvest it is usually in the 50's and 60's most days for highs anyways. Picking will be disrupted again next week as my wife is having more biopsies and tests to try and give a name and stage to her newly diagnosed cancer. Then treatments will begin. She comes first even though over 6 months has been put into getting the grapes ready to harvest. I only have one wife and there will be another harvest next year.


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## Boatboy24 (Sep 28, 2017)

Really nice looking grapes, Rich. Sending good vibes to you and your wife.


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## Johny99 (Sep 28, 2017)

grapeman said:


> I finally was able to get serious about beginning harvest here. It has been in the 80's to near 90 for two weeks now. We had a cool wet summer so the sugar levels were low and acid high. The heat ripened the fruit up to near ideal levels and it was only a high of 60 today so I picked all day.
> 
> I really laughed when BigH said he harvest one vine at a time and brings it to the fridge. I just can't do that. I would never be able to make over 6000 trips to the fridge and it would never hold the grapes.
> 
> Seriously we try to pick when it is cool but around here by the time we harvest it is usually in the 50's and 60's most days for highs anyways. Picking will be disrupted again next week as my wife is having more biopsies and tests to try and give a name and stage to her newly diagnosed cancer. Then treatments will begin. She comes first even though over 6 months has been put into getting the grapes ready to harvest. I only have one wife and there will be another harvest next year.



Nice grapes, but you are right, your wife comes first. Mine has been battling stage IV for almost two years. Everything to help her comes first, although she does love the grapes and is the reason I’m into wine and we have a vineyard. 

Our hopes and prayers to you and your wife. Hopefully they will have treatments that give her a cure. Keep holding her hand.


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## pgentile (Sep 28, 2017)

Nice harvest....wishing you the best with family


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## sour_grapes (Sep 28, 2017)

I can't say it better than the others, Rich. You two have had your share and then some. Best of luck and health to both of you.


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## ColemanM (Oct 1, 2017)

Best wishes to you both.


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## CTDrew (Oct 4, 2017)

Rich, sending thoughts and prayers your way for you and your wife.


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