| The growing of
the vine
The harvesting is, with no doubt,
the culminating moment in the cycle which all
vine-growers live every year. It usually starts
between the latests days of August and the first
days of September, and it can last until October,
depending on the variety.
|
|
|
Automated Harvesting
|
This so awaited moment arrives
when the grape is at the adequate ripening point.
During this process, which begins when the grape
leaves the initial green color behind, a series
of indispensable chemical transformations are
produced, necessary for a good wine production:
the amount of sugars and aromatic substances
increases, the level of organic acids decreases,
amongst other changes.
|
|
|
Automated Harvesting
|
The harvesting is mostly made
by hand, by picking the grapes one by one. Despite
of this, in Subirats it is every time more frequent
to use machines for harvesting, specialy black
grapes. The development of technology is allowing
to automate this job. It is though necessary
for vineyards to be planted in an adequate way,
that’s why nowadays the trees are usually
planted trained on long wire structures. Thanks
to these structures, vineyards grow following
a vertical plane, which is necessary for machines
to go through and harvest correctly. With the
traditional disposal of trees, it would not be
possible to automate the harvesting.
|
|
|
The Prunning
|
| |
Winter
The yards must be ploughed to air the earth and
cut off the vine shoots
Spring
The small branches and the useless leaves must
be cut off, too (poda en verd), as well as
to beat the earth. Thanks to this action, the
vine will receive all the necessary nutrients
Summer
Chemical treatment must be applied, which guarantees
the health and weeds must be eliminated.
Autumn
It is the time to harvest the ripe grape and
start the wine and cava production process
|
