This past weekend I had the good fortune to teach our From Vine to Wine class in the great outdoors, next to a beautiful vineyard at Vineyard 48. At the end of the class presentation, we were able to bring the participants into the vineyard to witness veraison.

Veraison is the point in the grape’s development when it begins to ripen and take on color. Prior to veraison, all of the grapes in the vineyard are green. Once veraison starts, the red varieties take on their various shades of red, while the white varieties turn more golden in color. This photo perfectly captures this process in action as the grapes shift from green to red and both colors are visible on the vine and, as shown here, even within the same bunch.

As the summer eeks out its last days and we move into fall, the ripening will continue. The sugar levels within the grapes will continue to increase as the acid levels fall. Moreover, the phenolic compounds — tannins and anthocyanins — will develop during this period. Both sugar level and phenolic ripeness are important in determining when the grapes will be ready to harvest.

When these two qualities are in proper alignment, as determined by the winemaker and vineyard manager, harvest will commence with the grapes brought in from the vineyard and into the winery where art and science combine to craft a wonderful wine. I can hardly wait.