Grape harvest time in India

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Wine grapes in India are harvested during February-April, versus September-October elsewhere in the northern hemisphere (Europe and the US) — in this sense we are like the industry “down under” (the southern Hemisphere — Australia, South Africa, South America) where, too, the 2013 harvest is currently going on.

In India we have to prune the grape vines twice annually: once after the harvest, and again in September to prepare for the harvest 120/150 days later — this is as the vine continues to grow all year round here, unlike in the colder climates of the classical wine-producing countries (where grape vines become dormant during their winters). Of course, in actual practice some vineyards here may prune early and so harvest as early as January, while others may postpone this till even May.

In any case, wine grapes have to be harvested at peak phenolic ripeness to maximise the quality of the wine produced — this is particularly important for red wine grapes which, if harvested too early, will impart a ‘green’ vegetal character to the wine produced.

Few people understand that in India all grapes are still harvested by hand. This is because no vineyard I know is geared for machine-harvesting, and nobody has (as yet) invested in mechanical harvesters — in any case the scale of vineyards here is still too tiny, and manual wages still low enough to justify the high cost of mechanical harvesting. This is in sharp contrast to the practice overseas, where only the most expensive wines (think Grand Cru Bordeaux, Barolos, or the top Rieslings) are made from hand-harvested grapes.

Interestingly, in India the start of the grape harvest has, of late, been marked by consumer-oriented events: the ‘Sula Fest’, the ‘Grover-Zampa Stomp’, the ‘York Wine Festival’, and so on — all being scheduled in end-January/ early February. Good thing, as later the weather would just be too hot. In contrast, in almost all wine-producing countries elsewhere, the celebrations are held at the end of the harvest (autumn) — and again when the wines are ready for tasting (in spring).

Harvest time is almost the only time when there is any discernible activity at a winery, and probably the best time to visit (from the point of view of a consumer) and the worst time to visit (from the point of view of the busy winemakers). A winery is a pretty boring place the rest of the year: the vineyards have no grapes to show, and the only thing of interest for visitors would be a tutored wine tasting — and the wines always taste their best at the winery!

More on the 2013 grape harvest in India next month once its done.

Wines I’ve been drinking:
A delectable Rioja (the famous wine from Spain): Sela, Bodegas Roda, 2008, imported by Wine Park (Mumbai). The wine had a very expressive aroma of cherries and almonds, and its medium body and soft tannins accentuated the impression of freshness and drinkability. The bottle was gone before we knew it! A bit of research revealed its 88-point rating from Wine Spectator. While a tad expensive at Rs 3,100, this wine is sure to delight the discerning.

Salud, as they say in Espania

Alok Chandra is a Bangalore-based wine consultant