Harvest season is an important time for a winemaker.

It may seem that there must be a few harvests a year given the number of bottles of wine that gets produced in France.

Indeed there’s a big output of wine from France each year, but all this is done through just one harvest for the whole year.

In France, the precise harvest time for a vineyard depends on the region it’s in. This is because climate differences across France cause the wine grapes to ripen at different times. In general, harvest starts around September and lasts for a few weeks. The exact date to start is set by the winemakers.

This harvest start date is a very important decision for winemakers. Once the grapes are picked, its taste profile is locked in. Winemakers decide when the grapes are ready for picking based on a few characteristics. The biggest signs are the sugar and acid levels in the grapes. The tannin level is also used to assess grapes ripeness.

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