Can La crescent be green yet ripe?

[rlthmsn]

Totally new here! This the first year my La Crescent grapes can be harvested. Right now the brix is between 22 and 25 but they still look pretty green. I started harvesting them and then stopped halfway through realizing they should be more yellow than green. I panicked because my tiny sample pH tested read 4.3...but I'm open to the possibility the test sample was too small and it didn't get a good read. We are extremely hot this summer and I picked my marquette grapes this week. Was surprised they where ready this early. This is really my first semi- good year for both. My PH test on the Marquette was 3.3 so I figured they where good. So basically I'm wondering can La Crescent be ripe but pretty green still? Poor sun light? Or are they just not ready and I pulled a trigger too soon?

 

[VinesnBines]

Pick a large sample/berries from each vine, alternating top and low clusters. Pick from both sides of the vine. Crush in a gallon bag, test the brix and ph and taste. If ready, save your sample in the frige to add back to the crush. If it is not ready, pop the sample in the freezer and add it to the crush when you do harvest.

 

[ibglowin]

That brix sounds perfect but that pH sounds off (way high).

 

[Rice_Guy]

LaCrescent is a Minnesota hybrid, this means that it has some Vinifera and some American (Labrusca? Ripaira?) genetics. If this variety is extremely ripe it will have a foxy flavor and possibly bitter flavor notes (due to flavor oils). In the Midwest some growers deal with this by picking as early as 17 brix. At low brix the grape can produce a crisp fruity wine similar to Riesling.

? can you already taste foxy notes? Your high pH suggests that the fruit has already developed this flavor. OK, what kind of finished wine are you targeting? For a fruity low acid I like to add an astringent tannin (astringent tannin magnifies the acid flavor as well as improving shelf life) as soaking crab apples with the white juice to wash out tannin (or try a chestnut tannin/ other tannin from Scott Labs). ,,, I also like low bitter notes so have started picking my hybrids early and giving up the foxy notes. Recheck pH 4 is not stable against infection.

If I wanted more yellow on the clusters I would increase sun exposure as by thinning leaves. I am too lazy (or old farty) to bother with color. I will pick based on taste samples on a few plants/ don’t measure brix.

Choices

 

[wood1954]

The only time I picked La crescent they were golden not green.

 

[cmason1957]

The one time I made La Crescent, we picked at a Brix of about 17. The growth indicated that if we waited much longer, it would end up with the foxy tastes. We also, pressed then poured about a gallon of two of water into the press (small press, about 50 lbs at a time), let that sit for a bit, them pressed again. We added some sugar (and acid) to compensate for those factors. It made a lovely citrus flavored wine.

Unfortunately, the grape grower I got them from has removed all his vines, except for a few Norton and that isn't my favorite thing to drink.