WHEN TO PICK GRAPES: An Opolo Primer
The 2024 harvest season is upon us, and so is the task of deciding when to pick dozens upon dozens of vineyard blocks across a variety of districts in Paso Robles.
In a perfect world, Mother Nature wouldn’t throw curveballs; tank space would be infinite; and the grapes would just yell “Pick me!” when they reached optimal ripeness. But the world is not perfect, which means that winemakers James Schreiner and Skye Bruce have their hands full right now.
On that note, here are the three main factors that they are juggling when deciding to pull the trigger on any given pick:
1 – The French Test
The number one factor in deciding when to pick is flavor. And analyzing flavor is an art that can only come from experience.
“We’re constantly walking the vineyards, popping berries into our mouths, and crunching on the skins and seeds,” James says. “We can tell a lot just by tasting the fruit—it’s known as the ‘French test.’ It’s a skill you acquire as a winemaker.”
He adds, “You can run numbers in the lab, but nothing compares to getting out in the field, seeing where the flavors are at, and verifying the maturity of the skins and seeds.”
2 – Check & Balances
That said, there are hard measurables to consider, including Brix (the reading of sugar ripeness) as well as fruit pH and acidity. We routinely sample grapes from the field to test these measurables, providing a scientific ballast to the more artistic French Test.
“The lab numbers help us measure progress and plan our next steps,” James says. “We test the fruit twice per week. Flavor is still the driver, but if any of these numbers start to get away from us, then we need to know and be ready to act.”
3 – Logistics, Baby!
This is the unsexy secret that no one will talk about (except us): Sometimes the fermenters are chock full at the winery, which can delay a pick by a day or two. There are also limits to what the harvest and production crews can handle in a day.
“There’s usually some wiggle room on when to pick, especially if the weather is mild,” James says. “We may elect to sit tight on a pick until we free up space or resources at the winery. Of course, if the fruit needs to come off right now, then we’ll find the space. It can become a bit of a chess match.”
So there you have it—a window into the art, science and logistics of harvesting fruit at Opolo!