The basics

There’s a basic process for making wine. Grapes are grown all summer and harvested in the fall. The exact harvest date is a last-minute decision by the winemaker. They have to manage four things: sweetness, flavour, weather and labour.

As summer turns to Fall, grapes begin ripening faster and faster. Every few days the winemaker will go out and test each variety of grape in their vineyard. They’re looking for a balance of sugar and flavour. It’s more complicated than that, because a single rainfall can dilute the grapes so much that a perfect berry turns into something bland. No one wants bland wine.

Now factor in labour. Picking grapes is hard work and takes time. A single picker can harvest 400 to 600 kilograms in a day. The ideal window to pick can be as narrow as four hours. A half day early or late can be the difference between okay wine and amazing wine.

The grapes are processed immediately after picking. When grapes arrive at the cellar door they look similar to the grapes you buy at Foodland. The bunches are put through a destemmer to liberate the berries. Then the berries are crushed between two rollers to break the skins. This mixture of juice, skin and seeds is called must.

For white wine, the must is put into a press to squeeze out the juice. That juice is then pumped into tanks or barrels for fermentation. Fermentation is when yeasts turn grape sugar into alcohol. The yeasts sometimes need a helping hand, so the winemaker checks on them two or three times a day.

For red wine, the must is put directly into a tank or bin for fermentation. The colour and texture of red wine comes from fermenting with the skins. The skins want to float—so it’s up to the winemaker to keep them submerged for seven to 10 days of fermentation. They do this by punching-down the skins with a paddle or pumping juice over the skins. After fermentation, the red must is sent to the press to liberate the wine.

Harvest begins with the first grape cut and finishes when the last red wine is pressed. We start in mid-September and go until late November.

My first winery job was working for a guy named Gavin. Gavin patiently taught me the basics of working in a cellar. I learned how to clean tanks and hook up hoses. Over time, he invited me into the more nuanced aspects; how to manage a ferment, how to press fruit, how to taste barrels.

One of Gavin’s lessons was this: August is for preparing. September through November is an onslaught of activity, worry and little sleep. August is for preparing. Clean everything. Fix everything. Order everything. Don’t forget the dentist and barber.

My plan for the next few months is to show you Harvest in real time. I hoped this help prepare you. Sometimes it will be rough. Often chaotic. I hope it will be interesting. If I’m successful I’ll pull you along the journey.