Santa Margherita

This is the most important event of the year: the payoff after twelve months of hard work. It is not easy to choose the right moment for the harvest. This depends, firstly, on the grape variety, the zone and the type of wine that is to be made from it. As far as the varieties are concerned, the “marker” is the Chasselas table grape, which is taken as a reference and usually harvested between the end of August and the beginning of September. This starts what is known as the first stage of the harvest, involving the various Pinots from which white wines are made, Traminer and Chardonnay. Around two weeks later the second stage begins. This is for other white grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Riesling and Sylvaner, as well as the first reds, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Dolcetto. A fortnight after that the third stage of the harvest starts, bringing in Barbera, Lambrusco, Grignolino, Trebbiano and Sangiovese grapes. These are obviously only rough indications as there are differences between individual areas and from year to year. The vine-grower's decision as to the right moment to pick is even more variable because it depends on the style of wine that he wishes to produce.
As grapes ripen there is a gradual increase in sugars (which will be transformed into alcohol) and a consequential decrease in acidity. The vine-grower's decisions will depend on this evolution within the grapes. For example, whoever wants to produce a white (perhaps even semi-sparkling) wine to be drunk young, which calls for a certain amount of acidity in order to enhance its fragrance and aromatic freshness, will pick the grapes early.
Those, on the other hand, who wish to produce a big red wine that is suitable for aging will focus on obtaining full maturation of the polyphenols and on concentrating the sugars, factors that guarantee good structure and complexity over the course of time. A separate issue is the production of wines made from overripe grapes or dessert wines: in this case the harvest is postponed in order to allow the grapes to dry out, thus concentrating the sugars.
In order to ascertain the right moment for the harvest, sample bunches are picked and their sugar and acidity levels are analysed. It is extremely important during this phase to pay attention to the weather conditions, because rain or excessive humidity can have adverse effects on the grapes’ state of health. Indeed, mold (botrytis) and rot are the two fundamental elements that can have a major influence on the quality of the fruit.
Recent research, as we have already mentioned, has identified another element that it is important to take into account in deciding when to harvest the grapes, especially when these are to be used for red wine. This is the phonological maturity of the grapes: in other words, the “state of health” of the polyphenols, substances which are essential to the colour and structure of red wine. The balance of a wine is the result of the combination of a number of factors; it may, therefore, be counterproductive to pick the grapes late in order to raise the sugar levels if this delay has a negative influence on the stability of the polyphenols.
The most quality-conscious vine-growers pick the grapes by hand, using small containers, so as to select just the best bunches and make sure that the grapes are not broken before they arrive at the winery. Mechanical harvesters can only be used on certain types of terrain and with certain vine training systems. Even though they are continually improving, especially in term of bunch selection, they do not guarantee the ability to choose only the best quality grapes - something which only a careful human eye can ensure.