When is Harvest Season For (Wine) Grapes and When Are New Vines Planted?

Question

In Northern California. Considering the climate does not throw you any curveballs...If the climate was as normal as it could be would it start in Aug?Oct?....After the Harvest when will the new vines be planted?

Answer 1

Grape Harvest is Generally the last of 2 weeks September to the beginning of October.

Here is a link to planing and pruning Instructions:
http://www.bookcliffgardens.com/answercenter/pg-grapes.htm

New vines should be plantedin spring when at the beinging of growing season.

Answer 2

harvest is usually late july through october depending on the growing season. 2006 was unusually long. Sparkling wine grapes were harvested in mid july and some cab didn't happen until almost thanskgiving.

There is no set time period for planting new vines. Unless vines are old, they do not replant every year. Grape vines grow like roses and are pruned in the late winter, usually February or March.

the only real curve ball with weather is that it can really effect the crop size depending on how hot or cold it is and if there is any amount of frost. Rain is probably the worst culprit with the weather. When it rained for nearly 30 days straight in 2006, it really delayed the growing season by 3 - 4 weeks.

The climate in northern california is actually quite ideal for grapes.Nearly the same as France's burgundy region.

Answer 3

Grape harvest in the Northern hemisphere is usually between August and October.

Exactly when depends on the variety being grown and the actual location in the vineyards. A winery may pick some varieties weeks before others, ones lower down sooner than those planted higher up a hill.

For wine grapes a certain ripeness* is required, not ripe enough and the wine will taste green, over ripe and the wines will beover-alcohol and blowsy. Day to day decisions are made, with maybe part of a vineyard being harvested one day and the rest later.

New vines are planted already rooted, normally bought from nurseries, and spring is the usual time to plant. It will take at least three years before they bear grapes used for wine.


*there is two kinds of ripeness, sugar ripeness when ther eis enough sugar to make a certain level of alcohol. This is easily tested. The other ripeness is phenological ripeness which means when the grape itself is ripe, which is usually judged by tasting and examining the grape for color of seed and stalk attachment. The second ripeness is preferred now and this is one reason why wines are more acoholic than they used to be.