- So Tom, tell us a bit about harvesting in natural wine. How are they different? What are their specificities?
- When you take care of your vines all year round, manual harvesting in organic farming is most often required. Even if it is not yet compulsory, it is widely favoured. It is important to understand that it is above all the quality of the grapes that "makes" the wine.
- But what else? What are the advantages of manual harvesting?
- Harvesting by hand allows the grapes to be sorted directly from the vine. Healthy grapes are transported in small containers (like crates) to avoid them being crushed and bursting.
A machine takes with it insects, broken and rotten grapes, bird nests, dead wood, leaves... which must then be sorted. By hand, the grapes arrive at the sorting table and/or the press in the best possible condition.
Harvesting by hand also means that you are not dependent on the schedule of the service provider who hires the harvester and you can therefore choose to harvest a piece here, a vine here, a micro-parcel downstairs, etc... In short, to pick everything at the best time!
- And for the soil, would hand harvesting have an impact as well?
- Absolutely! Here again, all year round, the winemaker (or the organic winegrower) works his soils, ploughs mechanically, passes each vine 8 to 10 times during the year... In short, he goes to great lengths to vitalise the soil, strengthen the vine's natural defences and balance biodiversity. It's not about squeezing out this subterranean life and wiping out a year's work in a few days! The grapes are therefore transported in hoods on the back of a man or in crates, or even on a quad or with a horse.
- When do we know if we should harvest?
The winemaker organic wine grower sniffs, looks, touches, tastes... (sweetness/acidity ratio) to know when to harvest this or that plot of vines. He is always looking for balance, which is also a function of the wine he wants to produce. He is the only one to determine the date of the harvest.
According to the winemakers, this is a time of extreme solitude and uncertainty every year. There is only one harvest per year. One try, not two... ONLY ONE!
A bunch picked too late and the grapes can stick together with the risk of fungus. It also means a higher sugar content and therefore higher alcohol levels*, a drop in acidity and an imbalance in taste.
*Fermentation of wine: this is the transformation of sugar by yeast to form the alcohol in wine. It is considered that 16.83g of sugar are needed to obtain 1° of alcohol.
IT'S THE LAW
Hand harvesting is mandatory for: AOC Beaujolais and Champagne, Sauternes, Jurançon, Limoux, Muscadet and for all late harvest wines. As well as for Demeter certification.
