From August through November across the Northern Hemisphere, vineyard workers are busy with their annual grape harvests. The “grape crush” begins as grapes start to change color, from their bright green hues to greenish yellow for some white varieties or to red, purple or almost black for red varieties.
Winemakers check their grapes frequently during the ripening period known as veraison. During this time, the sugar pumped into grapes from their vines helps them grow quickly. Vineyard workers need to carefully watch their grapes during veraison, as some grapes need to be picked sooner (for higher acidity wines such as Chablis or Riesling) than others. Grapes that are left to ripen longer are higher in sugar. Cabernet Sauvignon and Port are examples of wines with higher sugar content. The amount of natural sugar in the grape is responsible for the final alcohol level as well as how dry or sweet the wine will be.
Visiting a vineyard during harvest time is a wonderful experience. Many vineyards celebrate their harvests with outdoor music, terrific food, and of course, the best part – tastings!!
The UIG collection features thousands of stunning images of vineyards as well as informative photography documenting the winemaking process from planting to harvest and wine production. Sit back, pour a glass of your favorite wine and enjoy our wine-enthused gallery…
Grape harvest. De Vescovi Ulzbach farm. Mezzocorona. Piana Rotaliana. Trentino Alto Adige. Italy. (Photo by: Marco Simonini/REDA&CO) 
Wine barrels in Cantine Mastrodomenico. Barile. Lucania. Basilicata. South Italy. (Photo by: Laura Portinaro/REDA&CO) 
The cellar. Bellavista winery. Erbusco. Lombardia. Italy. (Photo by: Paolo Reda/REDA&CO) 
Bottles of wine. Lecco Acquate. Italy. (Photo by: Bluered/REDA&CO) 
Contratto cellar wine cathedral in Canelli. Asti. Piemonte. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: Renato Valterza/REDACO) 
The Grape Harvest. 1884. Leon-Augustin Lhermitte, 1844–1925. (Photo by: Sepia Times) 
Capofaro resort, vineyards, Salina island, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy. (Photo by: Giovanni Tagini/REDA&CO) 
Autumn vineyards at the Lucangeli Winery in Macerata. Marche. Italy. Europe. (Photo by: Mauro Flamini/REDA&CO) 
Italy. Piemonte. Vineyards in autumn near Tagliolo Monferrato. (Photo by: Caterina Bruzzone/REDA&CO) 
Vineyards. Rivoli Veronese. Italy. (Photo by: Bluered/REDA&CO) 
The Langa. A beautiful land characterized by precious vineyards. Cuneo. Piedmont. Italy. UNESCO. World Heritage Site. (Photo by: Paolo Picciotto/REDA&CO) 
Pinot gris. Vallagarina. Vines. Trentino Alto Adige. Italy. (Photo by: Marco Simonini/REDA&CO) 
Allegory of Autumn’, 15th century. Artist: Francesco del Cossa, 1430-1477. (Photo by: World History Archive) 
Italy, Lombardy, Valtellina, Chiuro, Casa vinicola Nino Negri, Nino Negri vinery, bottling. (Photo by: Giovanni Mereghetti) 
Italy, Lombardy, Valtellina, Chiuro, harvest time. (Photo by: Giovanni Mereghetti) 
Italy, Lombardy, Valtellina, Chiuro, harvest time. (Photo by: Giovanni Mereghetti) 
Italy, Lombardy, Valtellina, landscape, vineyards. (Photo by: Giovanni Mereghetti) 
Italy. Umbria. Monte Vibiano Vecchio. Grape Harvester. (Photo by: Zirilli/AGF) 
Grape harvest. Salina Island. Messina. Sicily. Italy. (Photo by: Riccardo Lombardo/REDA&CO) 
Rose wine in old fashion glasses with bunches of grapes. Blue cheese on ceramic board and bread on grey linen table cloth. Dark still life. Copy space. (Photo by: Anjelika Gretskaia/REDA&CO) 
Italy, Lombardy, Valtellina, Chiuro, harvest time. (Photo by: Giovanni Mereghetti) 
Italy. Grape harvest. Circa 1940-1950. (Photo by: Touring Club Italiano/Marka)
Source:
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/wine-harvest-101-basics-of-crush by Ben O’Donnell, Robert Taylor