Maturation Cycle of Grapes

Let’s take a journey through the amazing process grapes go through before transforming into that delicious glass of wine you enjoy! Here’s a glimpse straight from the winemaker:

The maturation cycle of grapes begins with dormancy after harvest is completed during the Fall, and it ends with the harvest of the grapes in late Summer or early Fall of the subsequent year.

Dormancy is a period of time which occurs when the grapes have been harvested and the vine senesces or begins to go dormant for the Winter as it prepares itself for the upcoming growing season. It is also that period of time wherein the pruning of the grapevine occurs which will trim much of the previous year’s growth and help to set the amount of crop the vine will bear during the upcoming harvest.

Following dormancy and the Winter, and the beginning of Spring, the temperatures begin to warm and the vine shows its first signs of growth. As the buds of the vine begin to swell and break open, initiating the new growth of the season, this is a process known as Bud Break.

Bud Break is followed by Leafing in mid Spring. It is that period of time when leaves start develop from the buds and young shoots emerge with leaves attached.

Next in the cycle is Flowering, a very short stage of about 10 days, which arrives about a month after Bud Break. As the weather warms more and more with each passing day, it creates conditions that allow the vine to bloom its flowers which will eventually become grapes.

Fruit set follows Flowering as the flowers fade away and, if pollination has been successful, those former flowers become small green, hard grapes. As these little grapes grow, their bunches begin to take shape. Once the fruit sets, then the fruit will begin to ripen in the late Spring and early Summer.

Roughly two months after the start of Fruit Set, Veraison begins. It is during this time that the berries swell and start to soften as they accumulate water and sugar, lose sharp acidity, and begin to change color. White grapes change from dark green to light green and eventually become more golden. Red grapes change from dark green to light pink to colors of Burgundy, red, or purple depending upon the varietal.

After about six weeks from the onset of Veraison, when lab analyses determine that sugar and acid levels are in an acceptable range and there is satisfactory phenolic and flavor development, then it is time to harvest the grapes at what is hopefully their optimal level.