Wien-mond

What happens in October (besides Halloween of course!) is the most exciting time of the year at the vineyard - Grape Harvest!

October signals the end of Grape Harvest across Europe and historically, the Germans, in their great wisdom, celebrated wine for the entire month with Wien-mond (Wine Month).

Harvest is when all the grapes are picked from the vineyards. The duration and start/finish times of Harvest vary with region, country and hemisphere but no matter where the vineyard is, the levels of excitement are palpable and it is something that all wine regions have in common.

Harvest can start on October 1st but, in most instances, it finishes and reaches its peak in October. Whenever it does start it will usually last about three weeks. In most regions and in France in particular, Harvest has been underway since August and October tends to be the last month of the year for peak harvest. It is the most beautiful time of the year in the vineyards especially with the transition of colours from green to warming colours of yellows, reds and burnt oranges.

Typically, sparkling wine grapes are the first to be harvested, as early as August 1st, followed by white wine grapes, then grapes for rosé, and lastly grapes for red wines and dessert wines/Late Harvest wines.

Harvest can be mechanical (by a machine) or manual (by hand). The type of method will impact on duration and cost with manual obviously taking longer and being more costly. There are some grape types and particular vineyard sites (sides of mountains, very steep slopes or very narrow rows) that can only be harvested by hand. Also, despite mechanical advances and the efficiency of machines, there are some wineries that maintain traditional methods of harvesting by hand because that’s just how it has always been done. I guess, it adds that little bit more authenticity and care to the wine! Mechanical methods aren't necessarily better than manual or vice versa as both methods result in the fruit being picked in the end, but it’s the journey and story behind it that will make the wine more memorable, I guess.

However, to me, there’s something special about knowing that the human hand that was involved in growing the grapes is the same hand that harvested them and then made them into wine.

Today, in 2024, there are so many variables that can impact on Harvest - climate change, farming practices, more grape types - all of which influence the vintage and the wine in your glass. Vintage/the year that the grapes were harvested (usually printed on the label) is a description of the growing season hence why some wines can vary so much in taste and style from vintage to vintage depending on how the climate/weather was during that particular growing season. Vintages are very important pieces of information to research when collecting or investing in wine but also influence your taste profiles of the wines too.

So, if all of this information has got you thinking more about wine and thirsty to taste and explore more of what Cavavin Wine has to offer then October is the perfect time to start transitioning from white to red perhaps, or expand the boundaries of your ‘trusty’ Sauvignon or Malbec and begin to compile your own list of Wines that go with October. It’s an exciting time and month in the vineyards and it’s also just as exciting back at base here at Cavavin Ireland as we welcome lots of new wines and fully stocked shelves just in time to celebrate Harvest season and have a Harvest of our own!