Wine in short | Why is manual harvesting better?

Do you know why manual harvesting is better? We’re here to explain all!

Manual or mechanical?

Despite the surge in mechanical harvesting, you cannot replace the grape picker’s expertise and touch or the winemaker’s knowledge.
In addition to being a moment of conviviality (which, we grant you, does require some elbow grease and a good strong back), manual harvest is also the gentlest on the grape.
This method is fastidious and long, but there is nothing like the deft hand of a human to collect the bunches of grapes, given how fragile certain varieties can be. Also, it allows us to only collect the ripe grapes and leave on the vine those which are not ready (the wine feeds off of the juice from the remaining grapes!). Manual harvesting also allows us to sort the bunches while they are being collected. So the grape quality is optimised!

But?

Even though there are debates, for us it is settled: manual harvesting is good if the workforce is good. If it is not, it can be worse than mechanical harvesting.
For us, manual harvesting is essential for producing high quality wines. However, mechanical harvesting can definitely be adapted for harvesting grapes for simple wines, sometimes even for very good wines. In addition, this enables economies of scale, which creates more affordable wines for the consumers. The machines have been improved so much that they give good results.

In conclusion, there are positive consequences for the wines produced and their image following manual harvesting (for example, certain designations like Champagne and Châteauneuf-du-Pape impose it in their specifications). At Caaaaaaat, we offer you hand-harvested wines for your enjoyment all year round!

And if you want to know more about our methods, you can read about them here.