Nova Cadamatre

The 2012 Master of Wine Napa Seminar: Year 4 of my pursuit of the MW.

In just two days time close to 70 MW students will converge on Yountville, CA all with the same goal of one day becoming a Master of Wine.  This will be my fourth seminar and my last as a full program student.  As this is my 3rd shot at the exam this year there are only three outcomes for me.

I sit the exam for the 3rd time and…

1)  following the “third time is the charm” saying will pass both the theory and the practical.  Thus, come September, I will be heard celebrating all up and down the west coast and then promptly get my nose back to the grindstone working on my dissertation that I’ve been looking forward to starting for the past 4 years.  This means that this year’s seminar will be my last as a student.

2) I pass either the practical or the theory but not both.  This will put me in a partial seminar focusing on the one that I didn’t pass next year.  I’ll still be attending but not the full seminar.

3) I fail both parts AGAIN and because it’s the third time I don’t get to come back.  This means that it will still be my last seminar.

It is an odd sense of freedom when you break it down like that.  Logic would dictate that I would be nervous given the options.  Instead I find myself with a feeling of excitement much like the same feeling I had my first and second years.  Either way I have nothing to lose at this point and regardless of the outcome I am proud of what I’ve accomplished so far.  Last year at this time I felt like I was in a bit of no man’s land, in the middle of a marathon without mile markers.  It’s so different this year.  Almost a serene feeling of peace about whatever the next few months will bring.  Perhaps I’ve finally gone crazy?

Or… perhaps I KNOW I can do this and have finally reached that zen state that all the MWs talk about reaching.  Only time will truly tell.

I know that the sense of comfort comes from the knowledge that I’ve gathered through out the years of study so far.  Regardless of what happens I’ll always have that and it brings me joy to see how much I’ve learned and stored away from my studies.  Maybe it comes with age, as I’m still fairly young but definitely not as young as I was when I first decided to embark on this journey 6 years ago.  I have spent the past 6 years with the single minded determination to finish this program regardless of the odds.  Regardless of all the well meaning friends that would smile and say “you’ll make it next time”.  Regardless of all the maybe not so well meaning acquaintances that say “I’ll be thinking of you in September” with the slightly sympathetic and pitying smiles on their faces as if they want to be the first to hear you’ve actually failed what you set out to do.

I never knew my maternal Grandfather but my Mom used to quote him frequently when I was growing up.  ”If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”  I live by that.  I throw myself into whatever comes my way with passion and purpose until the time comes that the goal is achieved or it is time to let it go.

So this week, with the sense of anticipation that comes from truly enjoying the process of learning, I’m going to my last full MW seminar as a student because I’m going to pass this year.  I’m going to greet my friends who have traveled this road with me like solders in the trenches and the MWs who have provided so much knowledge and time unselfishly.  I’m going to take full advantage of the learning that is available this week and then when the time comes in June I’m going to show the examiners what I think about the chosen topics and let the chips fall where they will, walking away head held high, regardless of the outcome, knowing I’ve done my best and that’s all I could have done.

The Quirks of Quercus: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Oak but were Afraid to Ask!

This is one of those posts that I put out there not only to educate but to get some discussion going around one of the most interesting but often misunderstood aspects of winemaking.  I think when most people in vision a winery oak barrels almost always show up in their mind’s eye.

First off there are two main types of oak that are used in winemaking; French and American.  The species of French oak can be from Quercus robur or Quercus petraea and American oak is typically Quercus alba.  Both have pros and cons and typically the choice comes down to winemaker preference and desired style.

The French Oak species grow more slowly than their American cousin which makes the rings in the trunk appear more closely together.  This gives the staves made from this species a tighter grain.  Why does this matter? The tighter grain gives the oak different flavors from it’s wider grained cousin.  It also encourages the addition of extra oak tannins.     The flavors given off by the wood depends on the toast level.

American Oak Toast Profiles:

Light Toast/Medium Toasts = Coconut, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon

Medium +/ Heavy Toasts = Toasted Marshmallow, Caramel, and Cloves bordering on coffee

French Oak Toast Profiles:

Light Toast/Medium Toasts = Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg (all manner of brown spices really), and Cedar

Medium +/ Heavy Toasts = Roasted Coffee, Tobacco, Smoke, and Charcoal

Once a winemaker has decided  what oak to use and what toast level all that is left is to decide what form the oak will take.

Oak Barrels:

Barrels are the traditional choice.  They can be formed several ways including through fire, steam, or water then toasted using heat, usually from an open flame. They allow the wood to integrate into the wine consistently while softening the wine through the occasional introduction of oxygen throughout the topping process.  The wood itself does not transmit very much oxygen once it becomes saturated with wine and tartrate crystals.  They are convenient fermentation vessels for white wines as the small amount of volume per barrel does not heat up rapidly and can be easily controlled by placing the barrel in a temperature controlled room or cave.  Barrels are also ideal for small lots of wine if a tank is not an ideal size.  There are some downsides however including the fact that once a lot is split up into barrels there are numerous 59 gallon lots that all begin to react and age differently.  It also takes a large amount of time to maintain empty barrels and wine lots stored in barrels including frequent analysis and topping to prevent oxidation and spoilage.  Personally, there is nothing better than the fresh smell of new oak barrels and the excitement of tasting through barrel lots to blend wines.

Oak Staves:

Similar in shape to the staves that will eventually become barrels, oak staves are long segments of oak that are individually toasted without the bending process.  The staves I’ve seen are usually thinner than the barrel staves but depending on the producer they are toasted in much the same way as barrels or they can roasted in a convection oven.  Again, like barrels, the toasting method very much depends on winemaker preference and each way does tend to produce different flavors.  The flavors and quality of staves varies widely from stave producer to producer.  Poor quality staves tend to have the flavors sit very intensely on the nose of the finished wine but lack follow through on the palate.  Good quality staves, when applied properly, can integrate very well and can be difficult to tell apart from barrels.

Oak Segments:

This section of oak runs by many names.  They are smaller than staves but usually larger than dust.  They can be cut up staves, beans, cubes, chips or spirals and they usually come packaged in an infusion bag similar to that of tea (only larger of course).  These are great for quick infusions of oak but when used too liberally can have the same problem as staves where the oak sits on the wine but never integrates.  They can be useful for reviving older barrels but can be difficult to work around if lees stirring is part of your winemaking style.  Like most things, a little bit goes a long way!

Oak Dust:

Before you get the idea that winemakers are throwing hamster shavings into wine know this; Oak dust can be your friend!  It’s super helpful in covering up herbal flavors in red fermentations as well as adding some quick tannins to attach to color molecules in the new wine. It is not normally used for adding oak flavor but gently supports the fruit’s already developed attributes.  Don’t worry, most of it gets pressed off with the skins and the rest disappears by the first rack.  It’s only present a very small amount of time but it can make a huge difference in structure for younger wines.

That’s it for the quick Quercus 101.  Its the most interesting exercise to taste through wines trying to determine French or American, Barrels or Staves, Light or Heavy toast?  I highly recommend it.  The results might surprise you!

My Musings on Wine Scores

Hello all! First of all let me apologize for going AWOL the last two months.  Work, Home, and MW studies have all been crazy busy as it is for anyone during the holidays.  I hope in this new year I will be able to put up more weekly posts.

As always if you have any suggestions as to what to write about I’d love to hear them!

For my first post of the new year I’d like to make a comment on a subject that is equally loved and hated by most winemakers… Wine Scores.

I’m not going to be one of those people that says the scores don’t matter.  They absolutely do.  They matter because consumers place so much emphasis on them.  I think the conversation becomes confusing when people begin to blame the critics (most of all Robert Parker) rather than the consumers themselves for their importance.  Scores don’t have power because Parker or Laube or some other critic says they do.  Scores have power because the consumers purchasing wine have given them power.

Let’s face it, we all know how grades worked in school.  The higher the grade, the better you were doing.  It was something that we’ve all grown up with here in the US and I’d be willing to assume that other countries have the same or similar structures as well.  It’s a simple system because we all knew that 100 is the best and anything below that was flawed at some level.  All Parker did when he developed the 100 pt scale was to capitalize on this already ingrained scale that exists in all of our minds.

For wine, the scale was an easy to understand way to simplify quality for the consumer.  ”Quality” is open to debate as it tends to be the highest quality in the mind of that particular critic.  It seems for the most part that scores below 92 or 93 are relatively objective.  Most people can probably tell the quality difference between an 85 and a 91 point wine.  However, once the score goes above 93 or 94 it becomes more subjective to the environment, wines surrounding it, and the whims of the reviewer.  The feelings of the moment if you will.

This is where the debate enters.  It seems that this subjectivity is the biggest objection to the wine score system.  The problem is that the score is an opinion.  This is precisely what the consumers are asking the critic to give; their opinion.  Movie reviewers, food writers, and art critics are all asked for the same thing however it seems that the opinions of wine critics for some reason are more hotly debated. Maybe I’m just not privy to the other industries’s debates but I know I’ve gone to see movies that the critics were less than kind to and I’ve been thoroughly entertained.  I didn’t think less of the critic but just assumed that the movie was not to their taste.  Therefore, the question must be asked, why are wine industry folks so hard on wine critics just because the critic’s opinion may differ from their own?

As to the 100 point scale, wine consumers have chosen how they prefer to have these opinions delivered and like it or not that vehicle is currently the 100 point scale.   As I said before, it’s easy to understand.  With a product like wine, which has been shrouded in mystery and elitism for so long, easy was probably extremely refreshing for people who just wanted to find some good wine.  Robert Parker is successful not only because he had an opinion but because he delivered that opinion in such a way that wine consumers could understand it.  Thus, the 100 point scale is here to stay.  Debating it’s merits may prove entertaining for writers and avid wine lovers alike adding fuel to fires and burning up blogs. However, since the average wine drinker likes it, the debate is ultimately futile because the masses have spoken.

Like most winemakers I know, I am alternately elated and dismayed at wine scores.  It’s the most fantastic feeling to have one’s hard work recognized by a good or even great score.  I am still struggling with the fact that I can toil tirelessly, through harvest, aging, blending, and endless hours of worry over what will make the best wines only to have all that work distilled down to a two digit number at the end.  It’s a love/hate relationship. I’m willing to go along with it because the consumers want it and because there is a delicious sense of anticipation from the moment you know your wine has been sent off to the moment that you receive your score.  It’s the possibilities that are exciting.  The chance to possibly, one day turn that two digit number into the coveted three.

Harvest 2011: How California became Italy

This year has had it all.  We started with heavy frost on the Central Coast, rain during bloom and spring hail.  The craziness continued with a long temperate summer which was punctuated by few heat spikes (if you can call mid 90s a heat spike out here).  Growers fought Powdery Mildew and numerous invasive insect species all summer including the European Grapevine Moth, Light Brown Apple Moth, and the Oriental Fruitfly.  For those growers who were able to get through the gauntlet of summer, everything was looking perfect until early October when the rain came back and brought with it watered down flavors, muted colors, and botrytis.  As I woke to the sound of frost fans in northern Napa Valley today I felt that we had come full circle. 

Today is the last day of harvest for Asti Winery.  We’ve survived although the last three weeks have been crazy and stressful.  It’s also a time of reflection over the wines that are fermenting away from this vintage.  The floral whites are beautiful.  Marked by crisp acid and intense white flower and spice notes, the Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer have really stood out this harvest.  The Chardonnays that were harvested before the first October rain, while lower in alcohol, are displaying elegant fruit flavors and balanced acids.  The alcohol conversions on whites this year were insanely high.  Sugars that were picked at 23 Brix are topping out in the 13.5% range showing extremely efficient yeast conversion.  Chardonnays picked after the rains look to be less concentrated than the pre-rain picks plus they are showing Botrytized characters that lean towards a bit earthy in most cases.  Luckily most of our lots are pre-rain thanks to the hustle of our vineyard crews and growers. 

It was yesterday as we tasted through pressed off Cabernets though when I came to the realization that my tasting notes were not that of a typical California Cabernet.  Aromas of raspberry leaves, black currants, and sous-bois shined through in the best examples with high acid and moderate alcohol on the palate paired with moderately high powdery tannins.  Granted these wines are pre-ML and have not seen oak for the most part but it struck me as very similar to my notes on Cabernet  from Tuscany.  As we’ve been saying all along, this vintage will be vastly different from what has become the norm in California.  There will be some bad wine out there, I’m sure, but I believe that there will also be a new style of California wine to be found this year.  All the proponents that have been wishing for lower alcohol, this is your year!  The reds had the opposite issue from the whites as the conversion rates were very low. Even the higher Brix reds (which were anything over 24 this year) are only showing in the high 13% range.  It’s going to be interesting to see how these wines develop and how each winery dealt with this challenging year.  Most of all I feel sorry for anyone who gets one of this vintage on a blind exam down the road because it’s going to be so different from what is accepted as a typical California style.

As for me, I’m looking forward to capturing the spirit of this vintage in my wines this year.  I think it will be fun!

Harvest 2011 – Week 11 – The Grape Landslide…

Right now, things are crazy! People are rushing to pick fruit.  We’re working 24/7 to get all the fruit in and we’re running out of tank space.  I haven’t really had time to put all my thoughts from this week into words because I’ve been frantically trying to make the best wine we possibly can this year.  Expectations are high while reality is only moderate right now.  Like I’ve been saying all along this will NOT be a big, ripe, high alcohol year regardless of the craziness that people throw at the fruit.  The vintage is what it is and what it is may surprise people in the long run.  In the meantime, I’m just trying to stay sane…

Only 1 more week of fruit (I hope!)

Back to the grind…

Harvest 2011 – Week 10 – It Rains… so I make Soup!

Well, we all knew it would get to this.  What we didn’t know is how much it would rain. Asti topped out at almost 2 1/2 inches of rain over last week.  We’re getting more today as well.  Rain during this time of year is challenging for several reasons. 

1) When it’s raining there is no sun. No sun = no photosynthesis and no photosynthesis means ripening stalls for the duration of the time that there is no sun.

2) The water absorbed by the vines dilutes the sugar and flavors that you have already accumulated meaning you’ll have to wait longer to get to the same sugar levels than you would have without the rain.

3) The water on the grapes can dilute the sugar and flavor if the grapes are picked or transported while they are still wet.

4) The moisture can cause berries to swell and burst, giving way to mold and rot.  The added moisture in the atmosphere will lead to mold and rot by itself if these conditions exist for an extended period of time. 

So it is worrisome all the way around!  We’re waiting patiently (well not really THAT patiently) to see what the weather will hold for the next week.  There is another threat of rain this coming Sunday so that means any dry day this week we’ll be harvesting our little hearts out!

On a happy note, we are now in the middle of my favorite season of the year! Fall is the time that I take to bake and cook hearty dishes like roasts and stews.  One of my favorite is my Fall Harvest Soup.  This is one of the first things I make every year because it really makes your home smell of baking spices and roasted fall flavors.  The puree is super versatile and can be used for soups, breads, and pies plus it can be frozen so if you make more than you need for one recipe you can freeze the rest for later.  This soup is very thick and hearty and is perfect for those chilly evenings or rainy days during the late fall and early winter.  I’ve used it as an appetizer to Thanksgiving dinner or as a quick lunch on a rainy weekend. It’s on the menu for this week at my house so I thought I’d share my recipe with you. 

This recipe should be considered guidelines not actual rules since each of the ingredients are approximations.  I normally look for texture, smell, and taste to guide me in my preparations.

Fall Harvest Soup

• 2 ½ cups of Fall Squash Puree
• 1 ½ cups of Chicken Stock (not broth)
• ½ cup of heavy cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Cinnamon and roasted squash seeds to garnish

 Place the Squash puree in a pan over medium heat.  Immediately begin to stir in the chicken stock until the mixture resembles a uniform, thick soup.  Continue stirring while adding the cream and salt and pepper to taste.  Once the soup is heated completely, pour it in your favorite fall bowls and garnish with cinnamon (and toasted seeds if desired). 

            Fall Squash Puree

           One Fall squash (acorn (large sized), butternut (medium sized), or pumpkin (small sized)) 

If using small enough squash to roast in halves add the following ingredients to the hollow of the squash…

• 2 Tbs of unsalted Butter
• 1 Tbs ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves 

Pre heat oven to 375° F.  Prepare a cookie sheet with an aluminum foil covering to bake the squash.  Halve the squash carefully and remove seeds and loose pulp from the center (Seeds can be cleaned for toasting) and place the two halves on the cookie sheet, hollow side up.  Divide the butter and spices between the two halves of the squash placing the ingredients in the hollow left by the seeds.  Put the squash in the oven, again hollow side up, to bake for 1 hour.  After 45 minutes, test the flesh of the squash with a fork for tenderness.  The fork should easily slide in when the squash is fully cooked.  Remove the cookie sheet carefully from the oven and let the squash cool.  Once the flesh is cool, pour the melted butter and spices into a food processor.  Scoop out the flesh of the squash and put that in the food processor as well.  Puree until smooth with no clumps.

Toasted Squash Seeds

• Seeds from a cleaned Squash
• Drizzle of Olive Oil to coat
• Cinnamon to coat
• Salt to taste

Pre heat the oven on 200° F (Broil on low can be used for a quick toast).  Put the seeds in a bowl and make sure to remove most of the pulp.  Drizzle with olive oil until coated.  Dust with Cinnamon and salt and mix well.  Spread the seeds over a cookie sheet (cover the sheet with foil for easy clean up) and place in the oven checking and moving frequently until lightly golden.  Seeds should have a light crunchy texture when eaten.

Harvest 2011 – Week 9 – The Beginning of the End.

In case you haven’t heard we’re going to have a weather event this next week.  Now, being from the south, I love the way the western weathermen talk about precipitation.  I hear “weather event”, “Major trough”, and my personal favorite “heavy drizzle”.  In the south, weathermen would usually say “It’s going to rain!” and then go on to tell you when and how much.  Rain is a four letter word out here and I suppose that comes from the fact that it only rains during the wintertime thus has the same connotation that snow or ice does in other parts of the country accustomed to the normal condition of rain being a possibility year round. 

Anyway, it’s going to rain.  No doubt about it!

So this past week will be known for this harvest as the week before the rain, otherwise known as the panic week.  There are a few varieties that can handle a bit of wet weather such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  However, varieties with thinner skins like Chardonnay or Pinot Noir don’t hold up with really wet conditions.  Best case scenario the fruit is diluted a bit and the sugar drops however in the worst case the berries start to rot or fall apart.  In a year of already low tonnage because of the rain during flowering, there were few winemakers who wanted to take the chance on these more susceptible varieties.  This week we’ve seen a LOT of Chardonnay; Sonoma County, Solano, and Mendocino making the bulk of it.  Wine growers were rushing to get fruit to the wineries before the deluge comes. Much of this fruit is below what Californians would consider normal sugars however the majority is above 22 Brix.  Make no mistake; this will not be a normal winemaking vintage for California.  Like 2010, we’ve seen cooler weather than normal prevail over much of the state.  Many of the white varieties that we’ve already harvested have come in under what would be considered normal Brix and the quality is very nice.  I’ve only had to add Tartaric to one lot so far this year and that is next to nothing compared to what we normally add.  Acids are beautiful this year!  Sugars are not as dismal as everyone would like to believe and so far the flavors have been really nice.  Even the natural nitrogen in the fruit is higher than it has been for the past two vintages which make the yeast very happy! When the yeast are happy everyone is happy. 

Thus Week 9 brings us to the beginning of the end.  Now that rain is going to be starting its only a matter of time before the harvest comes to a close.  Generally Halloween is a good end date and whatever hasn’t been picked by then is in serious danger of not making whatever quality level it was intended for.  The next four weeks can make or break the vintage when it comes to red varieties.  We’ll see where we end up.

Harvest 2011 – Week 8 – Harvest Halfway and MW preparations

At this point we’re halfway through the harvest season.  In another 8 weeks it will all be wrapped up.  Wine will be tucked away in barrels or tanks either going through ML, extended maceration, and sur lee aging.  Between now and then is the most complex time during the harvest.  This is when the bulk of our North coast fruit comes in. NorthCoast is made up of Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, and Lake Counties.  Next week we’ll be inundated with Sonoma County Chardonnay as well as seeing our first Cabernets come in from Lake County.  This week has seriously warmed up with temperatures between 95 and 100 degrees.  Hot but not hot enough to really do damage like we had last year.  Just hot enough to kick the harvest into gear.  A ton of the reds are sitting around 22 Brix and as I heard someone put it for this harvest “22 is the new 24”.  I’m very excited about that prospect!  Chardonnay on the Central Coast is also coming in steadily this week.  My vineyards for Emma Pearl have ripened nicely and are now being received to begin the process of primary fermentation.  The Viognier that I use as 10% of the blend (give or take depending on the year) is already almost finished and ready to be sulfured.  Acids have been amazing and the flavors are already showing very well.  One of my earliest lots, a Gewurztraminer, is finished with primary, has had SO2 added and was clarified.  At this point I’m just trying to figure out in what blend will the beautiful spicy aroma fit. 

I’m also trying to work on my MW studies during this crazy time although it does tend to get put to the back burner this time of year.  Since my disappointing results that I wrote about at the beginning of the month I’ve been able to rally through the support of many of my fellow students, colleagues, friends, and of course family. I feel like I have a much better plan than I did at this time last year (when I was still in shock and moping about). This week I cut up the last 11 years of theory exam reports and filed them in folders based on the theory paper the questions and commentary came from.  My goal for the weekend is to get them sorted in to question buckets to try to see if I can discern a common theme (outside of the obvious themes of the papers) among the similar questions.  In November, I will be traveling to Bordeaux and Burgundy thanks to a scholarship sponsored by AXA Millésimes with five of my fellow MW students from around the world.  I’m very excited and love the fact that I’ll be touring in Burgundy, the classic home of my favorite red variety, Pinot Noir!  I’ve resurrected my essay question basket and am seriously considering re writing all the essays that I’ve done running up to the exam this past year.  I also would like to finish my World Wine File, an excel file distilling all the pertinent information about regions and countries of the world including climate, soils, laws, varieties, and general descriptors.  Perhaps one day I’ll put it up on this site as a paid subscription information source.  Heck, maybe it will be a book eventually. Who knows, but right now I want to get that massive database finished! These are huge goals but I’m going to try.  After all achieving the MW is a huge goal as well and if one is going to dream why not dream big?

First, I have to get all the grapes put to bed… Bring on the 2^nd half!

Harvest 2011 – Week 7 – The Waiting Game

This past week brought cooler temperatures to the regions around Asti Winery.  We saw a noticeable slowdown in sugar accumulation and thus a drop in tons being delivered as growers waited to see movement again.  This week is forecasted to be warmer and hopefully this will kick ripening back into gear.  Chardonnay is coming in more rapidly now and the Pinot Gris is tapering off pointing to the second phase of the harvest during which we use oak during fermentations and the tank planning needs to be more long term rather than a few weeks as wines go through Malolactic conversion and stay on lees.

The crop is still short as estimates are falling short of what is actually on the vines.  I hesitate to throw out numbers but let’s just say we’re removing trucks more than we’re adding them. It seems to be a state-wide trend. 

So we’re waiting…

Waiting to see how the season will go.

Waiting to see how the remaining crop estimates will stack up.

Waiting to see what the quality will be on the high end reds. 

Waiting to see if the weather and tank space will hold out.

I haven’t been out in the North Coast vineyards very much for reds yet this year.  I’ve been busy with whites so far.  We’ve had a fewLodired varieties come in so I’m sure the North Coast reds varieties are working there way towards ripeness but this will not be one of those years where the Cabernet will reach 26 Brix. California may have to content itself with some lower alcohols for this vintage as it did last year. This is an exciting prospect for me but not everyone shares my sentiment.  Only time will tell for sure however.

Harvest 2011 – Week 6 – How One Decides When to Pick

We just finished Week 6 which saw the bulk of the Pinot Gris that we’re harvesting along with the first part of our Chardonnay.  We even brought in some Zinfandel last week at 26+ Brix! No joke!  Weather was a bit warmer last week with some days in the 90s but it has still remained fairly cool for this area.  Week 6 is essentially the half way point of the season however the bulk of the craziness is still yet to come as weeks 8-10 is when the North Coast fruit really kicks into gear.  Pinot Noir was harvested last week on the Central Coast last week from North Canyon and Chardonnay is beginning this week although acids remain very high.  We’re talking total acidities of 9 or higher (for those who don’t know how high that is, normal acids around harvest are between 6-7 for whites and lower for reds). 

Then it comes down to when the winemaker decides to pick.  This is a tricky time of year. As with many of the decisions that winemakers make this time of year, picking time is critical in setting up wines for success later in their lives.  It is also one of those decisions that should be considered carefully but once decided one should not second guess themselves.  There are several factors that go into a picking decision; vine health, fruit analytics, flavor development, weather, and logistics. 

For vine health, it is important to make sure the vines have the ability to ripen the fruit further should you want to leave it hanging longer.  Vines that are shutting down do not want to continue to put energy into fruit that could be put into sugar storage for over the winter.  Once the fruit has reached physiological ripeness (see my earlier post “What is Ripeness?” for more info on ripeness) the vine wants to put its efforts into going into dormancy for the winter.  Some other reasons why you’d want to pick for vine health is a defoliated vine.  Frost, hail, wind, and drought can all wreck havoc on a canopy.  Frost fries the leaves causing them to dump Potassium into the fruit. This totally screws up the analysis of the fruit and can cause fermentation issues.  Hail, wind, and drought can defoliate the vine, leaving it no ability to ripen the fruit naturally.  The vine will then pull from its own sugar reserves in a last ditch effort to ripen the fruit.  Harvesting at this point is the only way to preserve the health of the vine for later seasons. Vine health also covers fruit that may be breaking down from diseases such as botrytis or powdery attacks.  If the fruit is going you know where in a hand basket, you might want to get it off sooner rather than later.

Assuming your vines are healthy and have no urgent issues the next piece of information you need is the fruit analytics.  Sugar accumulation (or Brix level in the US) and Acids including pH and TA can give you an idea as to where your wine will be headed as far as alcohol and balance.  If your acid is dropping rapidly but your sugar is not rising to match the wine runs the risk of being unbalanced. Likewise, if the sugar is going through the roof quickly then you may want to pick before the alcohol gets out of control.  There are also ways to measure anthocyanin (color) accumulation and tannin development but they usually need some sophisticated equipment to measure accurately. Analytics never tell the entire story but do offer supporting evidence for when to pick.

The most critical piece of information comes from one of the winemaker’s most important analytical tools; their mouth.  The analysis will get you a long way but there is no substitute for getting into the vineyard and tasting the fruit.  If the flavors are where you want them to be and for reds the tannins are ripe then pick!  Everything else can be adjusted but you can’t add flavor, weight and body where there is none. 

BUT….

   Say the vines are healthy, the analytics and flavors are almost there. You want to pick next Monday, not this week.  However, mother nature has decided to throw you a curve ball and it’s going to rain next Monday (it’s not really going to rain next Monday, I’m just throwing out a hypothetical situation here so don’t get all upset you NorCal folks!) or maybe have a massive heat spike on Friday (a la 2010 in Nor Cal).  What do you do?  Do you pick before or after the weather?  It’s a decision we’ve all had to make at some point.  You weigh the pros and cons and make a decision.  Remember, this is wine, not brain surgery.  The minute we winemakers start taking ourselves that seriously, we will need to step back and relax a bit.

Lastly, a winemaker has to consider the logistics of the whole picking operation.  How are you going to pick it?  Machine? Do you have one in the area that can accommodate you?  Hand?  Is there a crew you can call in?  What are you going to put the fruit in? How are you going to haul it to the winery?  Are there trucks available if the winery is far away? Is the winery even prepared for your fruit?  Do they have room?  I think there is this conception that all the winemaker does is says “Pick it!” and magically harvesters who were waiting for only that block descend upon it and in a few hours it is sitting at the winery being lovingly cared for by attentive staff.  Well the last part is true.  All the grapes should be and are lovingly cared for but it is a very fortunate winemaker that has the entirety of that scenario as their reality. 

There you have it.  Your decisions have been made, the logistics figured out, and the fruit is on its way.  Now the real work begins….