Image: private
You can still see them, the reading helpers! Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer people doing this backbreaking job, especially on steep terraces. But: Reading just means that the harvest assistant can “read” from the condition of the grape whether it can be cut from the vine when it is fully ripe or whether it is still in a state that is too unripe. But that alone is far from everything. The careful reader will take another look at the entire grape and check carefully whether all the berries are worthy of ending up in the bucket. During so-called cleaning out, you skillfully pluck out berries that may have a vinegary tinge due to an insect bite or that should not necessarily be put into the press due to dry damage or even rot. On the other hand, shrunken berries (just before they become raisins) are welcome in the bucket; they are known to contain a lot of sugar and are in great demand.
Opposite this is the high-tech machine – the harvester! What reading assistants spend days working on arduously by hand, the four-wheeled monster does in just a few hours. Optimally adjusted, the grapes are plucked from the vines, lightly pre-squashed, protected from oxidation with a little sulfur, and the grapes are quickly sent to the winery for further processing. Sure, in flat areas this type of harvest is economically optimal and understandable for large farms, but it is always polarizing. Because none of these devices can pluck the berries described above, which are not really intended for the press. The compromised juice of these berries can cause off-tones and the like in the wine, which can then be eliminated using various cellar technical “tricks” and helpers.
However, organic winemakers, biodynamic winemakers and everyone who works sustainably and close to nature view this industrial method with very critical eyes. For these winemakers, not a single berry goes into the press unseen. And if you recently see an increasing number of grape harvesters wearing T-shirts that have the “Rage against the machine” logo with integrated grape scissors, you can be certain that they are harvesting by hand at a high quality and that’s a good thing!
Image: private
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