Rolling the Dice on Ripeness

When to pick is either the last step in grape growing or the first step in winemaking. As a winemaker I view it as the latter. It also is unquestionably one of the really important choices that can have a profound impact on the wine.

For people who grow fruits and vegetables this seems like such an easy question. The answer, obviously, is to pick when ripe and get it to the table as quickly as possible.

Sometimes it is that easy with wine grapes too, but not often. More frequently, it turns into a high wire act. The sugars race ahead of acid development, or we have good factors on the chemistry analysis (ie pH, brix, TA, etc.) indicating analytical ripeness of the fruit but we still have thicker skins, greenish seeds and stems and the like indicating lack of physiological ripeness and a risk of making a bitter, astringent, tannic wine.

Come September, the growers and winemakers all nervously watch the weather forecast each day and take regular samples for tasting and testing. A late season heat wave will cause the brix (ie sugar) to shoot up and shrivel the grapes, essentially a condition of dehydration that is manageable for a short while but will require a decision to pick right away if the heat drags on.

Conversely, although not much of a problem in California, in Oregon Pinot country (the Willamette Valley) fall means the rainy season. The roots take up the rain water which gets pumped into the berries and dilutes flavor and all of the other good stuff. Imagine pouring 2 ounces of water into your 5 ounces of wine. That's what they do for the little tykes in Europe, but no self respecting adult would want to drink that.

While winemakers have a number of tools in the kit to deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at us, most everyone agrees that the ideal is picking when all is ripe and in the best balance, so we don't have to make adjustments in the winery. If only Mother Nature would consistently get on board with this plan!

Many California winemakers, including Calicaro, like longer hang time for the fruit on the vine, producing a richer, riper style of wine. We opt for this approach and strive to peak at peak ripeness, believing our tastebuds and our customers' tastebuds will enjoy that extra concentration and full mouthfeel. Our general preference is rich, round, ripe wine over something tasting bitter, astringent or tannic. So, we will generally roll the dice in favor of longer hang time, trying to squeeze in a few more days on the vine to get that extra flavor that will then show up in the glass.

Cheers,

Dave