GRAPE HARVEST IN TUSCANY
The annual grape harvest in Tuscany usually occurs between September and October and since ancient times has been one of the most exciting events of country life.
In Tuscany, the harvest is one of the most appealing moments to visit a winery and its vineyards because you’ll obtain from the farmer and his family an appreciation of this fascinating event, which begins the process of obtaining good wine.
Our customers often ask us when we harvest, but it’s not something we can establish beforehand because every year we must wait for the time when the grapes reach the perfect degree of ripeness. But if you are lucky enough to be with us during the harvest of the grapes, it will be the most remarkable experience of your holiday in Tuscany!
The time of ripening of the grapes depends on many factors such as geographical location and exposure of the vineyards. For example, vineyards with a higher altitude means cooler temperatures and slower ripening notwithstanding that they are closer to the sun, or a vineyard facing south favors more maturation of the grapes than one facing north. Once we’ve established the right time of ripening of the grapes, we let all of our relatives know so that the whole family can participate in this event. The harvest is done manually in order to choose each cluster and to lay the grapes gently in baskets that will be brought immediately to the cellar. Here the grapes are passed through the de-stemming machine that separates the berries from the stems. The grapes then flow into fermentation tanks and the process of wine making that has been followed for generations begins.
There are many factors influencing the hard work of people who dedicate their lives to obtaining the best quality from their agricultural products, and only experience can help prevent difficulties that could undermine the health of our wine. Time is a factor that we cannot control, so depending on the climate each year we will have a unique vintage that is the result of long and careful work, even in adverse weather conditions.
