This past month the demand for mechanical harvesters has been significant: over 3,000 hectares were raised with this method. Mostly at night, oenological advantages of harvesting grapes at low temperatures.
It is becoming more common on farms mechanized mode and night harvesting. Only Barrere, one of two companies that rent equipment for the job this year recorded 3,000 hectares whose harvest was mechanized and almost in all cases, at night. This mode is used in Europe for 30 years ago, and is increasingly adopted by vineyard managers who have proven that night harvesting, with temperatures ranging between 10 and 20 degrees Celsius, has remarkable advantages winemaking. Diego Ortiz, agronomist signature Masi (Tupungato) decided to lift most of its 80 hectares cultivated with this modality. In the nocturnal mechanical harvesting is worth noting that you can also make manual with a tractor that will illuminate the rows the minimum temperature of the day is at dawn, therefore ideally start harvesting at 10 at night to take advantage of this reduction progressive temperature. With the progressive reduction we ensure that the clusters reach the fermentation tanks at a temperature of between 11 and 20 degrees Celsius, says the agronomist. What are the benefits of wearing oenological colder tanks grapes advantages in vineyards that are close to the processing plant, is given by the immediacy that has the machine (harvest one hectare in 2 hours); lower night temperatures can improve fermentation, or achieve a pre-fermentation maceration. From cold to hot The worst situation is to harvest the grapes at noon and end at 5 pm, point higher temperature. The truck loaded with grape goes to the cellar and wait an hour before depositing the grape. If it is a day of 30 degree heat, the temperature builds up. If we generate a fermentation based on that temperature, it almost automatically goes to 33 or 35 degrees. That’s the worst situation harvested by hand, exemplified the agronomist. This is prevented by night harvesting. If I want a red wine fermented at 28 degrees, and the grapes harvested at a maximum temperature of 20 degrees, I get to the parameter you want. Also, if I enter the grape wine to 11 degrees I get a pre-fermentation maceration wine until the temperature rises to start the fermentation. Maceration is a process during which the content of the solid into the liquid making best aromas, color and acidity. Some winemakers prefer to have this pre-fermentation maceration short, others prefer to do it any longer. Some, however, choose to avoid it altogether. Martin Reboredo Chandon vineyard manager, night harvesting used for several years, at least a portion of their grapes. Reboredo indicates that low temperatures keep the characteristics of the grapes, especially white grapes and Pinot Black to alter champagne. Through the night we avoid harvest has, the more cold maceration better. Chandon uses a machine to download on coupled with double bottom above the background can drain the juice without touching the skins. In fact this machine is used at night because at night the dangers of alteration, oxidation, maceration, are much lower. To harvest the day and achieve similar temperatures, the winery should have a great team of cold, something generally lacking. I particularly prefer harvesting at night, since the cooling equipment needs at least 7 hours, and that produces a reaction of indigenous yeasts. In our case, we have grapes on the farm, spend 45 minutes since the combine takes the cluster until it is within the fermentation tank, Diego Ortiz explains. More and more orders Frenchman Patrice Barrere rental equipment for mechanical harvesting of grapes for over 12 years. Each year there are more requests for mechanical harvesting. An important point is that the winery harvest when needed. The demand is growing because of a shortage of labor. We have incorporated two years ago with despalilladora machines, which allows an optimal quality of harvest. Last year 3,000 acres were harvested, this year we are on the same number sums. According to Barrere which explains the advantage of mechanical harvesting is allowed to harvest large volumes in a short time. The customer can be anyone, we have great wineries like Peñaflor, Chandon, La Celia, to wineries medium and small size. These are machines for espaliers, and clusters that are at a height of over 30 cm floor, with a height of two meters. Barrere is currently working with ten machines next year and is planning an investment for ten machines to meet growing customer demand. What I do and what not While harvest night has advantages, it is not convenient to harvest at low temperatures (below zero), because the freezing of water occurs. That kind of harvest minus rankings serve to make ice wine, but not for ordinary wines. Those in the know say it is not the same harvest a white with a red combine. Harvesting machine for white grapes is not hazardous, because oxidative processes are often not their enemies. For Masi, at his farm in Tupungato, the grapes used to make Amarone, and any other grape passing through the process apassimento (pass), you need to be harvested by hand. Another reason to discourage the use of the combine is the distance between the vineyard and the winery. If trucks have to walk over an hour to arrive at the tanks, night harvesting to preserve the cold does not make sense. No good harvest at night if the vineyard of the winery, this is useful for vineyards that are close to the winery, no more than an hour. Reboredo night indicates that hand harvesting is made complicated by the lighting systems. Once the harvester gets used, it’s even better, but if you have large-scale harvesting combine is better. As for costs, some suggest that it is desirable mechanical harvesting. We pay per hectare, whereas hand harvesting per quintal, and more or less the machine gives us the equivalent of 110 bushels harvested by manual workers in white. Chandon with mechanical harvesting began in 1992, but not working on more than 3% of the grapes, the bulk is still on hand. We could say that mechanical harvesting saves money only for those who have high hectare yields for, we have low yields, therefore we do as a matter of costs, clarifies Reboredo. We give priority to the time of harvest, and when the time comes, we are very focused on a place that has a lot of volume and we need to harvest at the same time, here we resort to mechanical harvesting. We are adapting to this form – adds Ortiz – we believe it is the future. Each time there will be fewer harvesters. Today people aspire to do more and better-paying skilled jobs.
Source: This article was published in the Supplement Farms, Journal of Los Andes.
