Why winemakers get stressed at harvest-time

Although I’ve been in many wine regions when harvest is in full swing I can’t remember being in one when harvest was about to start as it is in the Northern Rhône this week.

It’s a nervewracking time for winemakers particularly given the extreme weather events that now characterise practically every vintage - in the case of the Rhône unseasonably cold weather in July and early August, followed by normal summer weather then an unexpected blast of heat in the first week of September.

Despite the fact that most winemakers have done it before the palpable tension is reminiscent of a first night because no vintage is quite like another. Tanks and barrels have to be emptied to make way for the the new wine, pumps in place, everything immaculately clean. New bits of kit (winemakers love their toys) may still be arriving and have to be mastered.

Unless the harvesting date is laid down in the regulations for the appellation (wine region) it’s up to each producer to decide when to harvest. If the guy down the road is already picking should you? It’ll depend on the height of the vineyard, what direction it faces, how much sun it gets and how old the vines are - and, of course, the weather.

There’s huge relief in the Rhône that the next few days at least look like being hot and sunny. Rain just before picking can swell and dilute or worse still rot the grapes. It’s a gamble to hang on particularly if you’ve suffered a small harvest the previous year.

Winemakers pace around, tired, distracted, anxiously talking on their mobile phones or scurrying off to the vineyards tasting grapes or taking them back to the laboratory to analyse sugar levels. The alcohol level may be creeping up but if the pips and stems (if you plan to use them) are not fully mature you get green, unripe flavours in the wine rather than the soft fruity ones modern consumers prefer. The ideal is warm days and cool nights to help to slow down the pace of ripening.

Things can suddenly get out of hand if everything ripens at once or if the weather suddenly looks like turning. Then it’s all hands on deck to get the fruit in. Beds were already made up in one of the domaines we visited so the winemakers could snatch a few precious hours' sleep.

To my untrained eye the grapes are looking great. The vines are laden with heavy black clusters of syrah but apart from Cornas which some are starting to harvest tomorrow, they’re apparently not ready yet. I’m crossing my fingers . . .

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