Vintage

The grape harvest or vintage referred to in the wine harvesting the grapes. The activity is also known as autumn, reflecting the original meaning of the word autumn ( " Harvest " ) is due.

For manual reading ( traditional) the grapes are hand cut off. There is also the possibility to increase the quality select only the very ripe grapes ( this selection is eponymous with the same predicate in the quality wines with special attributes ).

Are harvested only the ripe grapes. The grapes should be doing, with the exception of the noble rot grapes, be healthy.

The reading is done by a mechanical harvester, which is moved over the aligned in rows vines. The grapes are harvested here by knocking and shaking. The falling grape berries are picked up by a slat system that surrounds the trunks of the vines and the grapes passes on a conveyor belt into a collection container. In this method, together with leaves and small branches fall into the grapes. These are removed by a fan to a large extent.

The reading takes place in Central Europe from late summer to autumn, depending on the location and grape variety different. Since the reading of the grapes for the production of ice wine, the temperature must not be higher than -7 ° C, it can often be done in December or January.

Grape Harvest in Burgundy

Grape harvest at the Cotes de Beaune in Burgundy

Self-propelled grape harvester in action

Grape harvesting shake off only the berries. It remains the stem structure of the grapes on the shoots

Grape harvesting

Transport in grape cars for further processing in Rhodt