Brix and when do we pick the grapes
08/15/2018
Harvest time is on the way. Deciding when to harvest is part measuring and part sensory interpretation. When the grapes are all purple, we begin tasting them looking for a sweetness in the grape and a dark, nutty flavored seed. We start measuring the Brix or sugar levels in the grapes on a weekly basis. This is done by taking a cross sample of grapes from many clusters and squeezing the juice onto a refractometer. We hold the refractometer up to the light and can see a numbered line representing the amount of soluble sugar solids in the grape juice. For our red wines, we are looking for a Brix measurement of 24-25. During the weeks prior to harvest, the Brix can be affected by heat and rain. Heat will cause the berries to begin to dehydrate which increases the Brix levels. Rain will plump up the berries causing the Brix levels to go down. Thankfully in central Washington, we don’t get much rain and we get lots of sun. This allows us to wait for the grapes to reach the perfect sugar levels for harvest. The other major deciding factor for grape harvest is acid levels. More on acids next week. Cheers!
Post By:
Allison VanArnam