The grapes are ripe for the picking, and big decisions are about to be made.

March is an important time of year for Aussie wineries. Like, very important. Throw a dart at the map, and unless you’ve hit the Nullabor, you’re bound to land somewhere near a winery that’s either just picked its grapes or is right about to. Broadly speaking, it’s the month when vintage begins for the majority of producers. With the grapes ripe for the picking, it’s all hands on deck as everyone works to get the fruit off the vines and into the winery in the best possible condition.

Timing is everything

Depending on the climate and grape variety, the timing can vary from region to region. The Hunter Valley can start as early as January, while other growers around the country might still be picking as late as May. But you can bet your bottom dollar that March is crunch time for most. Making the call to pick is one of the most crucial decisions a winery team deals with. It’s the culmination of a year’s worth of arduous vineyard work, so getting it right is paramount. But before we get to that bit, let’s explore everything that comes prior to that.

Starting in winter, with the vines bare from the previous vintage, pruning begins. Laying the foundations for their next crop, this process allows winemakers to maximise the nutrients available for their future fruits. By spring, big bushy leaves begin to sprout from the vines; grapes follow around the start of summer. With one eye on the weather, attention then turns to canopy management, irrigation and more pruning to ensure the grapes soak up optimal amounts of sun, shade and water.

It’s a lot to think about. But ask any good winemaker, and they’ll tell you that great wine is made in the vineyard. Of course, the stuff that happens inside the winery matters, but as the old adage goes, you can’t put lipstick on a pig. That’s why choosing the right time to pick is so crucial. Jumping the gun means overly-acidic, grassy wine. But leave it too late, and the wine could be overly boozy and flat, making all that hard work in vain. No pressure.

So, how do they know when to pick?

Making the call to commence harvest comes down to a variety of factors. From skin to seed, colour is a key indicator for both red and white grapes, with winemakers looking for deep warm hues and glossy sheens on the skins. For the seeds, dark brown means they’re good to go. Texture and flavour also come into play, with ripe grapes coming away easily from the vine and bursting with all the right flavours, having shed that underripe astringency. Also under close watch is the sugar level of the grapes – otherwise known as baumé (boh-may). The amount of sugar gives a rough idea of what the resulting wine’s alcohol content will be – after all, it’s the sugar that gets converted into ethanol – so it’s another key indicator of when to hit go.

It’s all too easy to forget that wine is an agricultural product. After all, it’s not like we buy the stuff from the fruit and veggie section, with crumbs of farmyard soil still clinging to its nooks and crannies. But hidden within the pretty packaging is one of the purest expressions of earth and environment known to humankind.

So, as you sip your reds, whites and rosés this month, spare a thought for the legends out between the vines making it all possible.