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| Take a Fall Wine Tasting Tour with The Wine Wrangler |
If you’re lucky enough to be out wine tasting in Paso
Robles during fall season, it’s hard not to notice the vineyards are awash
in color as the leaves turn those magnificent colors of fall—deep burgundy,
burnished gold and rust. Eventually, as the season wanes, the stark vines will
announce the arrival of winter.
It may be pretty evident that the seasons are changing, but
if you’ve ever wondered what really goes on in the
vineyard during fall, then read on:
The Ripening:
Depending on the climate, the direction the vineyard and the vines face and the
varietal, grapes can ripen anywhere from August through September, but when
they’re picked depends on many things, including the type of wine that’s being
made.
As the grapes ripen, their skins change in color, (a process
known as verasion) with hues varying from greenish yellow to red, purple and
even black. The grapes also soften and their sugar content increases while
their acidity levels decrease. The increased sweetness imparts the grapes with
more fruit flavors while lessening any vegetable characteristics.
The Picking: There’s
no one way to pick grapes. Some vineyards use machines to pick, starting at one
end of the vineyard and moving lot by lot unit all the fruit is picked, while
others utilize the skill of human grape pickers—these pickers are usually
people who are so adept at picking that they can assess the ripeness of the grapes
with the tips of their fingers without ever losing speed.
The picking method affects the final product since the machines
pull everything—leaves and stems—along with the fruit. The leaves and the stems
can impart a harshness to the finished product.
The Crush: Once
the grapes have been picked, the speed and intensity of Harvest kicks into full
gear. Behind the scenes is a cadre of individuals who do everything from
sorting and processing the grapes to crushing them and getting them into tanks.
Finally, it’s important to remember that behind every label,
wine is an agricultural product and the wine making process is all about
controlled fermentation. Without the necessary speed and intensity, the grapes
would spoil—and that would be a waste of money and time.
So, why not see it for yourself and spend a weekend wine tasting with The Wine Wrangler and enjoy the beautiful scenery and wines for yourself.
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