In
the world of winemaking, there is a universal truth about the quality of the
vintage: it is directly correlated with optimal grape maturity. Site selection
and grape growing practices have a tremendous influence on achieving this aim.
Figuring out when to harvest grapes is one of the most important – if not
the most important – decisions a wine grape grower can make each year, since
harvest time is irreversible.
Growing
grapes entails learning to recognize when they are ready to pick. You need to
be very careful in judging whether your grapes have reached maturity or not,
because unlike other fruit, grapes will not continue to ripen once they are
removed from their vines. Grapes must be harvested at the right stage of
maturity to ensure high quality.
There
are several indicators of grape maturity. The colour, size, sweetness and
flavour of the berry are the most useful indicators. Experience is an important
asset, but there are some objective measurements for ripeness as well. The
three most commonly used indicators to ascertain the approaching of ripeness
are: sugar, acid and pH.
As
harvest approaches, growers and winemakers walk their vineyards weekly –
even daily – to check on the progress of the grapes. In addition to
inspecting and tasting the fruit, they randomly pick grape berries from
different clusters, vines, vine rows and even blocks to make sure they’re
getting a good cross section, then measure sugar content (Brix or Baumé) using
a refractometer.
The
latter is a portable device that can measure the grapes’ sugar content
right there in the vineyard. Most refractometers are calibrated to give the
concentration of total soluble solids in ºBrix. Each degree in the Brix scale is
equivalent to 1% of sugar in the juice. For example, grape juice which measures
15.5º on the Brix scale contains about 15.5% sugar.
The
Baumé system measures the sugar content of grape juice by its density and
indicates potential alcohol that may be achieved. Each degree Baume is equal to
approximately 1.8% sugar in the juice, e.g. Brix 22.0º is equal to (Brix/1.8)
12.2º Baumé. The Baumé scale is convenient because it gives an estimate of
finished alcohol levels, since 1° Baumé is roughly equivalent to 1% alcohol
when the wine is fully fermented. Consequently, the sugar level in grapes indicates
the potential alcohol, meaning the alcohol level if the wine is fermented to
dryness, whereby all the grape sugars are converted to alcohol.
Of
course, alcohol levels can be managed and/or manipulated during the winemaking
process. You may be of the opinion that we should just let Mother Nature take
its course. However, winemakers feel that when the grapes are not ripe enough,
they need a little help, and chaptalization is how they enhance the wine.
Chaptalization, sometimes referred to as enrichment, is the process of adding sugar to
unfermented grape
must when grapes do
not fully ripen. This process is not intended to make the wine sweeter,
but rather to provide more sugar for the yeast to ferment
into alcohol, a practice which has generated a lot of controversy. Low-alcohol
wines are prone to wine disorders and to infections by organisms that would
otherwise be discouraged by adequate alcohol content. That said, there are
still many wines that are naturally lower in alcohol, with no manipulation
involved.
Chaptalization
most commonly happens in cool weather regions or because of poor growing seasons
where the year has had an insufficient number of sunny days to achieve mature
grape ripening. It is common in northern Europe, where grapes have to struggle
to fully ripen, however it is illegal in some countries, particularly in
Mediterranean regions.
As
already stated, the time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of
the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels as well as the colour
and flavour of the fruit. Consequently, samples of grapes are taken to the
laboratory where further testing will be done, including measuring acid and pH
levels.
The
level of acidity is dependant on where the grapes are grown. For instance,
grapes grown in warmer climates tend to have lower acidity than grapes grown in
cooler climates. The sugar content however is the opposite. Warmer climates produce
sweeter grapes. Acidity provides the crisp, slightly tart taste of wine on your
palate. Too little acid, and your wine tastes flabby and non-committal. Too
much acid, and your taste buds scream for relief. Excessive acidity has been
shown to accentuate astringency in red wines. Since there are several factors
including acidity that affect astringency (e.g. tannin concentration and
alcohol concentration), it important to keep these factors in mind when creating
a balanced wine.
The
development of acid begins in the vineyard. Acidity in grapes changes over the
course of berry maturity, and its presence is loosely associated with the
acidity in the final product. Winemaking, specifically alcoholic fermentation,
changes the content and concentration of acidity in wine. When acids are
properly countered by the other ingredients in wine (such as alcohol, sugars,
trace minerals, etc.), the wine is said to be “in balance”, which
is the desired end result of all winemakers.
Acidity
in wine is measured using a pH meter. Briefly, the pH relates to the free
hydrogen ions in a solution indicating its alkaline/acidity balance, It is
commonly used as the basic quality specification related to maturity of grapes
and therefore suitability for harvest. Acidity is important for flavour balance,
since a low pH leads to more stable colour and inhibits microbial spoilage.
Just like Brix, keeping an eye on these measurements is critical to the outcome
of the wine. Too much acid (and inversely, too little pH) and the wine can turn
out to be tart and astringent. If the acid level is too low (and pH too high)
however, the wine can be flabby and unstructured, seeming more like grape juice
than wine.
Now,
the longer grapes hang on the vine, the more sugar there is in the fruit. The
colour of the grapes and their seeds, the firmness of the fruit, the sweet,
ripe aromas – all of these come into play. The main source of ripening is
light. Away from the light, fruit does not take on colour, so bunches of grapes
shaded by leaves or even berries on the inside of a bunch are less ripe than
those exposed to more sunlight. During “veraison” (the transition
from berry growth to berry ripening), the colour of the berry skin changes from
green to red-black or yellow-green, depending on the grape variety. Colour
alone, however, should not be the sole basis for harvesting grapes. The berries
of many varieties change colour long before the grapes are fully ripe. At
maturity, individual berries are full size and slightly less firm to the touch.
Seed colour changing from green to brown is also a major consideration taken
into account as a sign of maturity.
To
the winemaker, maturity is determined not only by “sugar ripeness”,
but also by “flavour ripeness” of the berries. But of course, the
greatest arbiter of ripeness is taste, and since every grape variety has a
unique taste and flavour profile that relates directly to the wine, learning
when different types of grapes taste ripe takes experience. Consequently, as a
final test, most growers taste a few grapes for sweetness when the berry size
and colour indicate they are approaching maturity. Furthermore, depending on
the variety, grapes ripen early, mid-season or late in the growing season.
The
weather can also shape the timetable of harvesting with the threat of heat,
rain, hail and frost which can damage the grapes and bring about various vine
diseases. Cloudy, wet weather can adversely affect sugar levels, keeping them
low. Some years, the fruit will be fully ripe, bursting with flavour while
other years, the fruit seems like it takes forever to ripen, and the harvestable
quantity diminishes. It has become common in the past few years to speak about “physiological
ripeness” as the critical point at which to harvest.
Another
factor upon which winemakers base their decision to pick is related to the
style of wine they wish to produce. The desired style must be determined at the
time of harvest. On some occasions, picking grapes before they are fully ripe
and have reached their optimum sugar content is necessary, particularly with
white wines which require fresh fruit flavours and aromas from grapes. These
aromas are localized in the skin and underlying cells and appear very early,
long before complete maturity, so early picking can result in finer wines than
late picking. The objective is to pick when there’s enough – but
not too much – sugar. How much is enough depends on the style of wine the
winery is looking to make. Grapes for sparkling wines are harvested at
relatively low sugar levels, while those used for red and white table wines are
harvested at higher levels; grapes that go into late harvest dessert wines are
harvested at the very highest levels of all.
While
it is certainly true that sugar alone is an imperfect indicator of balanced
ripeness, and the notion of “physiological ripeness” has moved the
industry away from unripe grapes, the typical result of this concept is a
highly alcoholic wine. It all, of course, depends on one’s definition of
ideal ripeness. A red wine at 13%-14% alcohol is the preferred level of dry
table wines. More and more, grapes are picked at “physiological ripeness”
which results to relatively over-alcoholic, full bodied wines. But is this the
result of a poor interpretation of the state of physiological ripeness on the
part of the winemaker, or a problem with the very concept of physiological
ripeness? Is it the very notion that is leading us astray? The precise point of
physiological ripeness is a chimera, an interpretation and not an absolute.
What matters is flavour ripeness – the point at which the winemaker
decides that the flavours are stylistically in tune to what is desired.
Let’s
remind ourselves that ripeness is not an absolute, but rather a continuum. It
is an assessment and interpretation of a number of indicators, including the
years of experience and practical knowledge that leads a winemaker to pick at
one or another point on this ripening curve for that particular site of vines.
Once
you are sure your grapes are mature, it is time to harvest them. In addition to
determining the time of the harvest, winemakers and vineyard owners must also
determine whether to utilize hand pickers or mechanical harvesters. The
question of using mechanical harvesting versus traditional hand picking is a
source of contention in the wine industry. Mechanical harvesting of grapes has
been one of the major changes in many vineyards in the last third of last
century.
First
introduced commercially in the 1960s, it has been adopted in different wine
regions, mainly in the new world for various economic, labour and winemaking
reasons. A mechanical vine harvester works by beating the vine with rubber
sticks to get the vine to drop its fruit onto a conveyor belt that brings the
fruit to a holding bin. As technology improves, mechanical harvesters have
become more sophisticated in distinguishing grape clusters from mud, leaves and
other particles.
Despite
the improvement, many harvesters still have difficulties in distinguishing
between ripe, healthy grapes and unripe or rotted bunches which must then be
sorted out at the winemaking facility. Another disadvantage is the potential of
damaging the grape skins which can cause maceration and colouring of the juice
that is undesirable in the production of white and sparkling wine. The broken
skins also bring the risk of oxidation and a loss of some of the aromatic
qualities in the wine.
However,
machine harvesting has one major quality advantage over hand harvesting, and
that is that the harvesting is nearly always done at night. As a result, the
fruit will arrive at the winery 10º-20ºC cooler than hand harvested fruit which
was picked during the day. The rate of juice browning and oxidation in general
are temperature-dependent. The higher the temperature, the faster it happens.
Mechanical
harvesters allow for a more efficient, often cost-effective process and are
well-suited for large vineyards that lay on a flat patch of land. A harvester
is able to run 24 hours a day and pick 80-200 tons of grapes, compared to the one
to two tons that an experienced human picker could manage. In hot climates,
where picking quickly or in the cool of night is a priority, mechanical
harvesting can accomplish these goals very well.
Hand-picking
can be more time consuming and costly, but allows for a more carefully selected
product. Hand-picking is almost always preferred for wine grapes, or for
smaller vineyards that can’t risk losing any produce. The trained eye is
the surest method of taking only the right, ripe fruit. Hand harvesting is also
cleaner, with fewer leaves, twigs, dirt, rotting or diseased fruit. A clean
wine requires fewer additives and is simply going to taste better.
The
terrain conditions of the grape growing regions make machine harvest impractical
for most Cyprus vineyards. The steep vineyard slopes of the Troodos hillsides
have always been harvested by hand. The harvest season typically falls between
August and October in Cyprus, although vineyards close to the coast begin
harvesting as early as July and in the highest slopes as late as November.
However, every year presents a unique situation for wineries. From one year to
the next, you will see harvests taking place at different times.
The
Cypriot vineyards are divided into four communes eligible to produce wines with
a protected geographical indication (regional wines). The four regions are
Lemesos, Pafos, Larnaca and Lefkosia. One third of the total wine production
concerns regional wines. The five areas eligible for the production of wines
with a protected designation of origin are “Laona Akama”, “Commandaria”,
“Vouni-Panayia-Ampelitis”, “Pitslia” and “Krasohoria
Lemesou”.
Harvesting
is by far the busiest time of year for the grape growers in the (Krasohoria)
wine villages of Cyprus. Families get together to collect the year’s
grapes before taking them to the local wineries for processing. Cyprus has been
making wine for about 6,000 years (from 4,500-3,900 BC), so Cypriots have had
considerable practice with the harvest celebrations. One of the most commanding
spectacles of this annual event is to witness the traditional pressing of the
grapes that signals the beginning of the festivities.
Pachna
– the biggest wine village of Limassol – is nestled in the
foothills of the Troodos Mountains, 750 meters in altitude. It enjoys an ideal
climate for vine cultivation and has long been the heartland of the Cypriot
Krasohoria wine villages. Pachna is a picturesque village with traditional
stone houses and narrow streets. The village is surrounded by thousands of small
vineyards separated by dry stone walls. The time of the grape harvest from the
vineyards covering the rolling slopes around the village of Pachna is September
when entire families, from grandparents to the youngest toddlers, work together
in their vineyards to bring in the crop. There is always excitement, laughter
and good humour at harvest time.
In
most countries, unfortunately, harvesting is a tradition that is gradually disappearing,
as more and more people are using mechanical harvesting to replace
hand-picking. The scarcity of resources to help with the harvest and the lower
costs of mechanical picking are converting many traditionalists to using this
technology. However in Cyprus, vineyard tasks are mostly carried out by hand
since tradition and terrain conditions render alternative mechanical methods
impractical, apart from the fact that it is crucial for the production of
premium wines.
Wine News and Information
* According to a
number of recent studies, climate change has the potential to greatly impact
nearly every form of agriculture. History has shown that the narrow climatic
zones for growing grapes used in producing high quality wines are especially
prone to variations in climate and long-term climate change. While the observed
warming of the last 50 years appears to have mostly benefited the quality of
wine grown worldwide, the average predicted regional warming of 2°C in the next
50 years (2000-2049) has numerous potential impacts, including the disruption
of a balanced composition in grapes and wine, alterations in varieties grown,
alterations in regional wine styles and spatial changes in viable grape growing
regions. The impacts of climate change are probably not uniform across all
varieties and regions, but are more likely to be related to a climatic
threshold whereby any continued warming would push a region outside the ability
to ripen varieties that are already established. Global warming and climate
change in the world have had an impact on the wine industry, and in the coming
years, other effects are to be added, changing the conditions for grape growing
and affecting the quality and styles of the wines.
What we are now
working on is adapting the wine industry to new climate conditions. In theory,
winemakers can defuse the threat by simply shifting production to more
congenial locations. There are tricks grape growers and winemakers can use to
lower alcohol levels. The leaves surrounding the grapes can be allowed to grow
bushier, providing more shade. Vines can be replaced with different clones or
rootstocks. Growing grapes at higher altitudes, where the air is cooler, is
another option. One thing is certain – winegrowers have always learned to
adapt and will certainly do so in the future – experimenting with novel
varieties; defining new terroir and developing unique wine styles.
* The managing
director of a company selling non-existent Bordeaux wine has been found guilty
of fraud. Paul Craven has been sentenced to six years and Oseghale Hayble to
five years for their part in the fraud. The verdict was returned on Paul Craven
of the Bordeaux Wine Trading Ltd at St Albans Crown Court. The three companies
involved were the Bordeaux Wine Trading Company, International Wine Commodities
Ltd and Templar Vintners Ltd. The gang took advantage of the market in wine
sold “en primeur” (this is where wine is bought while still in the
barrel at the vineyard). It is then bottled and shipped to the UK where it is
kept in bonded warehouses and does not attract VAT or Capital Gains Tax. The gang
tricked wealthy investors into paying tens of thousands of pounds for fine
wines that didn’t exist. The investors received no wine – only
cheaply printed certificates detailing their allocation that was supposedly
sitting in a bonded warehouse. The client is simply issued with a Certificate
of Purchase. The beauty of this scam was that the investors were not expecting
to see the goods they had purchased for some time. Although the victims paid a
total of £2.5m, it is alleged that the fraudulent companies only ever had one
£10,350 case of wine in stock. No other orders were placed with suppliers.
Instead, the defendants spent the money on luxury goods, including cars and
designer watches.
Monolithos Monthly News
*
The creation of Monolithos fine wines really does start with the work in the
vineyard. The management of the vineyard throughout the season determines the
quality of the wine, but harvesting is one of the most important tasks. If the harvest
is not handled correctly, much of the hard work during the season can be wasted
effort. This is why we are so thankful for the wonderful people that we have
helping us during harvest. Without them, it would be impossible to create wines
of the quality that we want to bring to you.
Harvesting
work is relatively simple. For handpicking you only need a pair of clippers and
a plastic crate. Quite simply, you clip the grape bunches off each vine and
place them in the plastic crates which carry approximately 20 kilos. On
completion, the loaded crates are transported to the winery for immediate
processing. Harvest involves a lot of hard work, but it is also a fun time and
we enjoy working together to accomplish the job. At Monolithos, each vineyard
is harvested in one morning. We start early and finish before it gets too hot.
At lunchtime, we always enjoy some local dishes accompanied by last year’s
wines to celebrate the completion of the day’s work.
*
On another note, there’s a lot involved in the design process of a winery.
The new Monolithos Winery building is
no exception. Starting with a clear idea makes the entire process – from
building permission to construction – go more smoothly. Initially there
is the preliminary design, which is basically the first interaction between the
architect and the client, where fundamental aspects are discussed: How big is
it, how much do you want to spend, and what is it going to look like?
Based
on that information, the architect creates a basic design that can be used to
help the owner obtain a town planning permit. The next phase is where you
actually get into the details of what the building is going to be made out of
from a constructional standpoint – what the materials are. Before the
owner can apply for a building permit to the local authorities, the architect
must create detailed construction drawings – including structural
engineering calculations – for the local building department to review.
The final plans are aimed at satisfying the requirements of the local authority
which is responsible for issuing the actual building permit. Under the latest
regulations, they’ll review it for handicapped accessibility, for energy
saving, electrical mechanical, heating, cooling, structural and earthquake
requirements and safety issues. Owners frequently try to rush through the early
part of the design, however it is much more cost-effective to plan carefully in
the initial stage, so that once construction begins, the process goes as
smoothly as possible. Making design changes during construction can slow the
works, cause conflicts or even stop the process. Of course, any changes on the
project must match what the approval allows.
The
architect will typically remain involved with the project throughout the
construction process. Architects are wonderful, talented people, but no set of
drawings is perfect, and since there is legal responsibility for all drawings throughout
the whole process, if any changes occur during construction the architect has
to be involved. Though some owners try to save money by working directly with
the contractor during construction, it can end up costing them more in the long
run. When it is time to build, hiring a general contractor usually turns out to
be a good move, as compared to hiring individual contractors yourself. If
something goes wrong, it is the general contractor who is responsible for
making it right, not you.
Apart
from the building structure, there is landscaping and driveways, plumbing,
water supply and electricity to take into consideration. Our architects are
currently in contact with a number of general contractors to give us a price on
the project.
Currently,
all wines are available for tasting and purchasing. If at any time you are
passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any
of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig
Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or
99-165995.
We
thank you for your continued support and we welcome feedback, suggestions, and
ideas for future columns. And remember:
“When the water of a place is bad, it is safest to
drink none that has not been filtered through either the berry of a grape, or
else a tub of malt. These are the most reliable filters yet invented.”
