The Harvest: The Art of Crafting Our Wines
Harvest is where our commitment to quality truly begins. See the meticulous process of hand-picking and sorting that transforms grapes from our Nandi Hills and Nashik vines into our signature bottles.
A member of our harvest team proudly presents a handful of freshly picked Shiraz grapes. The dedication of our team, who nurture the vines and harvest at the perfect moment, is at the heart of our flagship wines.
A close-up view of a mature bunch of Shiraz grapes, moments before being harvested. We cultivate the highest quality of these vines to produce our exceptionally crafted, full-bodied red wines.
Here, our team is carefully hand-sorting white wine grapes under the bright sun. This step ensures that only the best fruit, free of any imperfections, proceeds to the next stage of the winemaking journey.
With practiced hands, our team transfers crates of freshly picked white grapes for sorting. This dynamic shot captures the energy and teamwork that defines our harvest season.
A winemaker inspects a cluster of Sauvignon Blanc grapes, feeling their texture and firmness. This hands-on evaluation is crucial for creating the refreshingly crisp and vibrant character of our Art Collection white wines.
Meticulous hands and sharp eyes are essential during the sorting process. The women on our team play an integral role, their expertise ensuring that only the highest quality grapes make the cut for our premium wines.
A viticulturist uses a refractometer in the vineyard to measure the sugar content of a grape. This scientific check, known as a brix reading, helps us determine the precise moment of perfect ripeness for harvesting.
The harvest is carefully timed. Grapes intended for sparkling wine, which require higher acidity, are typically the first to be picked, usually from mid-February to March.
We pick our grapes during the cooler temperatures of the early morning, late evening, or even at night. This careful timing is crucial as the weather greatly affects the quality and stability of the fruit.
One of the key signs of ripeness is the transformation of color. Grapes change from green to translucent gold for white varieties and deep purple-ruby tones for red varieties, signaling they are ready for harvest.
About The Harvest: A Labour of Passion
We don't just harvest; we wait for the exact moment of biological balance. Our viticulture team monitors Brix levels—the sugar content—constantly to time the pick perfectly. Because we hand-pick during the cooler hours of the early morning or even at night, we preserve the delicate acidity of our white varieties and the complex, deep tannins of our Shiraz. This is not automated; it is intentional, physical work that ensures only the healthiest clusters reach our sorting tables.
Harvest season is the heartbeat of our winery. It begins long before the first crate is filled, as our team walks the rows of our estates, refractometer in hand, checking for that precise moment where sugar and acid reach equilibrium. For sparkling wines, we pick early to maintain a crisp, high-acidity backbone. For our reds like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, we wait for those deep purple-ruby hues that signal full phenolic ripeness.
Everything is hand-picked. It is labour-intensive, but it is the only way to ensure the fruit arrives at the winery pristine. We prioritize cooler temperatures—often picking at dawn or dusk—to keep the fruit stable. Once at the winery, the work continues with rigorous hand-sorting. Our team scrutinizes every bunch, removing anything that does not meet our exacting standards. This is where the wine's quality is truly forged. When you join our vineyard tours, you are not just seeing vines; you are witnessing this crucial, transformative window that defines our year and everything that ends up in your glass.
Grover Zampa
At Grover Zampa, we have spent over 30 years under the sun at Nandi Hills, turning tradition into something you can pour. We are not just making wine; we are bottling the story of our land, from the first grape picked to the final aged vintage.
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