Week 2: To pick or not to pick... that is the Winemaker's question!

A very sensitive issue for each winemaker- when to pick the grapes. There are so many important areas to consider! "Picking the grapes" is also known as harvest. Harvest is one of the most crucial steps in winemaking.

These factors differ depending on one's winery and which style of wine one is producing. But with those specifications in mind, the winemaker must also take into consideration the level of sugar in the grapes (Brix), the level of acidity (titratable acidity), and tannin level. Right now we are playing the waiting game. Everyday we do the lab analysis, and the winemaker checks the results, determining when we will begin picking.

We have primarily focused on sanitation, which prepares the winery and all of the equipment for harvest. If the whole wine thing doesn't work out, I may have a future in pressure cleaning.
Hanzell Vineyards truly puts safety and sanitation first.

Have you ever heard of a wine that is "corked"? Well, Hanzell goes the extra mile to ensure that this does not happen to any of their wines. What is meant by a corked wine? This is just a simple way of saying that the wine has TCA (Tricloroanisole). 3-5% of wines are ruined by corks, and Hanzell will not be one of them. Thus, we have to conduct many experiments and take many measures to ensure this. (This is a major reason why we should not discriminate against screw tops, as they are only here to help eliminate this problem).

This week I did my first "green drop". If you think a green drop is when you take bundles of green cash and throw it on the ground, you're incorrect. A green drop is when you go down rows of red wine grapes, in Hanzell's case it would be Pinot Noir, and cut off any grapes which have not undergone veraison. Veraison is the process in which the grape transitions into the ripening stage of its development. Not all of the grapes in the cluster will develop at the same time. All grapes begin their development the same color- green. However, red wine grapes like Pinot Noir will begin to change color as they ripen and mature.

Pinot Noir undergoing perfect ripening

Pinot Noir that did not complete veraison

 It is important to cut off, or "green drop" those grapes which are not developing at the same rate so we get a balanced wine made with equally ripe and mature fruit and not with half underdeveloped grapes. Although I must admit, it was very painful for me at first to chop away at so many clusters of big, beautiful grapes just because a few little guys were underdeveloped. ..Sorry grapes, maybe you'll make the vintage next year! Also it is important that you note not all wineries do this. This is truly what you would consider hand selected grapes! Most wineries are concerned with quantity, thus they keep all of their fruit so they can make more wine, but Hanzell is all about quality.