What's Happening in the Vineyards?

Turn, turn, turn

Guess what is happening in the vineyards right now... 

A) Veracity

B) Veraison

C) Harvest

D) Heatstroke

The correct answers are B and C. Yes, harvest has already started for some grapes in our region, mostly those used for sparkling wines (more on sparkling wines in another post). But before harvest happens for other grapes, there is an important shift in the growth cycle called veraison. 

About 6-8 weeks before harvest, the grapes start to change. Veraison is the word for this onset of a color change to red grapes and when white grapes start to become more translucent. After that, the grapes start to ripen quickly, and then mature into fat, ripe berries (yes, grapes are referred to as "berries" in the wine world). After veraison, the grapes will increase in sugar levels and other compounds found in the skin called "phenolics." Things like tannins and molecules that make up color, flavor and aromas of the wines we end up with are found in the skins, and those elements start to change during veraison.

Veraison is a short but very important part of the lifecycle of a grapevine. About six to eight weeks after veraison is when harvest usually takes place. Grapes like those for sparkling wines can be slightly underripe at harvest because lower sugar and higher acid are needed for making sparkling wine in the traditional way (like in France and Oregon).

Seasonal shifts

Like any plant, grapevines have a growing cycle that follows a similar pattern each year. Right now, the vineyards are the most active with rapid changes in the vines and harvest starting. But the work is not done when harvest is over for the people or the vines. The vines will start to go into a dormant state for the winter when the autumn nights start getting cooler. They drop leaves and move sap from the branches into the trunk and roots. Once they are dormant, there is some pruning that the vineyard workers will do to make sure that the vines are a manageable size when it's time for them to grow again in the spring.

Harvest

Harvest is a great time to visit vineyards! They are showing off their fall colors, and there is a lot of activity happening for the vineyard workers and winemakers. There are also some fun things for 
visitors to see and do. Though the tradition of stomping grapes in barrels with bare feet to crush them for juice has fallen out of favor (for sanitary reasons and for the inefficiency of it), many wineries will have demonstrations of this method or you can try it yourself. 

There might be barrel tastings or food pairing events to celebrate harvest. Check out websites like the Oregon Wine Board, the Willamette Valley Visitors Association, and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association for calendars of events and directions to get out there!

If you don't have time to get to the vineyards, you can always stop by Studio Vino to taste from a few and hear about all that's going on for local winemakers right now. We are moving, so stay tuned for another "grand" opening in the next few weeks.

Until next time, salut!