Harvest is here, and getting a representative vineyard sample is one of the first steps toward making informed harvest decisions.

Every winemaker has a favorite way to sample a vineyard—and most of us are convinced ours is the best.

Some prefer to collect individual berries from clusters throughout the block. Others cut whole clusters from multiple vines.

Both approaches have advantages and challenges. Berry sampling takes more time and may not always capture a representative sample, particularly in tightly packed clusters. Whole-cluster sampling provides a broader picture but requires more fruit and can be more labor-intensive to process because of the stems.

Regardless of your method, one thing is critical: your sample needs to represent the vineyard.

Once you've collected your grapes, make sure they are thoroughly crushed and mixed so juice is released from both the riper and harder, less-ripe berries. The goal is to make sure the juice you send for analysis represents the fruit across the vineyard—not just the best berries in your bucket.

Once you've prepared your sample, you can pour the juice into our 50 mL centrifuge tubes for analysis.

We may not do the squishing for you, but we do have space at both of our locations where you can process your vineyard samples in a friendly, air-conditioned environment.

And when you're ready to analyze your fruit, bring your samples to myEnologist and we'll help you get the information you need to make informed harvest decisions.

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