Grape Harvest Parameters 2016

So here is the sugar concentrations for the various grape varieties that we harvested from the vineyard this year. A good year for sugars and ripeness in all the varieties relative to our location and after 8 years of data it really shows which are the standouts over time, especially the past 6 years.

The sugar readings are take in the field on harvest day and are a sampling of a few grapes from various clusters at different trellis heights and positions along the row. The sugar reading are measured in Brix and each brix will give approximately 0.56% alcohol to the wine when fermented. So for example a sugar reading of 20 brix would result in wine with alcohol concentration of about 11.2%.

We usually find that what ever reading we get in the field is often 1 brix higher once the grapes have been crushed and pressed and measured by specific gravity in the tank. So for the readings below, add 1 brix.

The table below also records, the bud break in the spring, the approximate time of flowering, the harvest date, and degree days growing (heat accumulation). Here is the table;