This
is the month of the most rapid increase in sugar production.
The sun is still high in the sky, air is warm and fruit maturation
reaches its peak. As a precaution, no more pesticides are applied
within a month of the expected harvest. The whole month is marked
by preparing for harvest, or crush. The Niagara variety of juice
grape is the first to be harvested, usually around mid-September.
Concord juice grapes follow about 7-10 days later. On the wine
side, Baco Noir is one of the earliest French hybrids to be
picked, usually by mid-September. Harvest continues by variety,
and the viniferas will be picked throughout the fall and into
early November.
October
Throughout
September and October, the fields are monitored for sugar
and acid levels to ensure optimum fruit maturity and quality,
establishing the optimum time for picking. From September
to October, harvest is in full swing. Most of the juice grapes
have been picked by October and wine grapes continue to be
harvested. Once everything is picked, post-harvest spraying
is done to protect against mildew, which would injure the
wood and affect the vines’ ability to over-winter. By
the end of the month, there is usually only a small amount
of late harvest varieties, such as Cabernet Franc and Cabernet
Sauvignon, still on the vine. Grapes for Icewine are also
left on the vine, and Icewine nets are applied to protect
the berries from hungry birds.
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November
Once
the harvest is complete, the fields are prepared for winter.
Young and more sensitive vines are hilled up with soil. This
is an actual physical covering on the crown of the grapevine
with soil. This creates a ridge that keeps water from accumulating
in the vines and protects the crown (located at ground level)
from extreme drops in temperature. In the vineyards, the grower
digs furrows to assist in surface run-off of excess water.
Too much water in the fields will kill the vines. Repairs
to the trellis systems that may have been caused by the harvester
are done at this time. By late November, growers prune more
hardy juice and wine varieties.
