Harvest Sampling Method

Harvest Sampling Method

Cacciatore Fine Wines & Olive Oil Corp (CWO) starts monitoring the ripening of grapes approximately two weeks after the color of the berries sets.

Each vineyard/block has been divided into sites where homogeneous variations have been observed. We randomly collect portions of clusters positioned inside and outside the canopy at each site to obtain a sample considered consistent. Portions of clusters are identified as wings (top), mid (center), and tip (bottom).

Sampling is scheduled one to two times a week as the ripening progresses.
Samples are taken to the winery’s quality control lab to be counted and weighed to determine the weight per berry. Berries are then crushed and separated into three components (see picture 1) for analysis:

  1. Juice or mesocarp (chemistry data): sugar content and acidity level
  2. Skins and exocarp (physical and sensory data): color extraction and sensory evaluation of the skin for texture and the exocarp for aromatics
  3. Seeds or pips (visual and sensory data): color and astringency

Chemistry data is then plotted in a Cartesian graph (picture 2) to better follow the evolution of the parameters.

Harvest starts only when the parameters match the winemaker-targeted value to produce that specific wine or wine style.

 

 

 

vinyards_berry_components

 

Comments are closed.