Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
→ Picking knives
These are hook-shaped knives that you can get from a farm supply store. Use these
knives carefully. They are sharp, and they can be dangerous.
→ Pruners
Regular garden pruners are safer and easier to use than a picking knife.
→ Picking bins
These may be 30 to 50 lb. wood, plastic, or metal bins, into which you drop the fruit
after you have cut it from the vines. I like the 30 lb. plastic bin because it is light
and sturdy. The bins are stackable and made of food-grade plastic, so they are easy
to clean and store.
Picking the Grapes
Work your way along the rows. Use one hand to support each grape cluster and snip the
stem with pruners in your other hand, leaving enough to make handling the grapes easier.
The stems are quite tough, especially in some varieties like Petit Sirah, so be sure to keep
your tools clean and sharp. If you are using a picking knife, the technique is to hold the
cluster from underneath and quickly pull the knife through the stem toward you. Again,
this is a sharp tool: be careful if you use it to harvest your grapes.
Place the cluster in the bin rather than throw it—you want to leave the grapes intact
if possible. You may find it easier not to wear gloves, but be careful, especially if using a
picking knife. Watch for wasps, which love ripe grapes, and protect yourself from the sun.
As the picking bins become full, transfer the grapes to your larger ½ or ¾ ton macro
bins where you will get them ready for transport to the winemaker, to the wine press, or
for crushing/destemming. If you cannot do this immediately, or if your winemaking is on
a smaller scale, keep the grapes in a cool, dry location, out of direct sun or, better yet, in a
refrigerated room.
Post-Harvest Care
After harvest, you will let the vines gradually enter dormancy in the winter. You will
ease up on watering; one generous watering four to six hours after harvest is usually suffi-
cient, unless you have already had rainfall. Fall is also a good time to plant a cover crop.
