August
2003
August is a time of great
excitement and anticipation in the vineyard as we approach the culmination
of the viticultural season – harvest. By the middle of August,
all the vines have gone through veraison (see July report for more
information on veraison). Once veraison is complete, sugar accumulates
rapidly in the grapes. During this time, we sample grapes from individual
vineyard parcels to determine the optimal to pick. Samples are taken
daily and analyzed for sugar, acids, the pH and, most importantly,
the flavor profile. St. Supery does not pick grapes based on a certain
sugar or acid content, but instead focuses on targeting specific
flavors from the grapes. This philosophy calls for rigorous sampling
methods - our winemaker, Michael Beaulac, works closely with our
vineyard manager to ensure that the grapes are picked when the flavors
are just right.
Once a parcel is ready for picking, crews are assembled and the
action commences. The crop can be harvested by machine or by hand.
Machine harvesting involves specially outfitted tractors that straddle
each vine row while rods gently massage the fruit off the vine.
The fruit drops onto conveyer belts that move the fruit to 2-ton
bins. Machine harvesting at St. Supéry begins at 10:00 PM
and lasts until sunrise, ensuring the grapes arrive at the winery
at cool temperatures – crushing the grapes while they’re
cool minimizes oxidation and maximizes juice extraction while retaining
flavor.
Hand picking starts as early as possible (sometimes before sunrise,
with the help of light booms brought into the vineyard) and is finished
by midday. Workers masterfully move from vine to move, slicing away
individual clusters with a razor sharp blade and carefully placing
each cluster in their picking trays. Despite the fast paced work,
vines are methodically stripped of their fruit with utmost care.
The picking trays are dumped into larger bins called gondolas, which
are then loaded onto large trucks for the short journey to the winery
where the life of the grape ends and the life of a great wine begins.
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