After fertilisation at flowering, the berries start to grow very quickly. The acid concentration in the unripe berries rises to a peak, then the acid concentration is reduced and the sugar content increases rapidly. At this point, the ripening phase, known as véraison within the vine's annual vegetative cycle, begins, at which point the berries soften and begin to change colour. The end of the ripening phase or peak of maturation is characterised by an optimal ratio of sugar to acid (see also under physiological ripeness). The length of time between flowering and ripening varies greatly from grape variety to grape variety, which is why we speak of early to late ripening grape varieties. Soil type, climate, weather and the work of the winemaker also have an influence. The time of ripening also depends on the microclimate in the vineyard and can also differ between individual clones of the same grape variety. So even in smaller vineyards, the same grape variety can give different results.
The terms early to late ripening used to be understood very differently. The ampelographer Victor Pulliat (1827-1896) therefore worked out a uniform classification towards the end of the 19th century, which is still used today. He defined the early-ripening Chasselas (Gutedel) as the reference grape variety and the must weight as the measurement or comparison criterion. The scale consists of five categories, which are again divided into early, medium and late. Often, however, grape varieties are only roughly and inaccurately divided into the three categories early, medium and late. The five pulliat ripening periods cover a period of about six weeks:
These ripen before Chasselas. These include the varieties Bacchus, Bouvier, Madeleine Angevine, Madeleine Royale and Précoce de Malingre.
These ripen almost at the same time as Chasselas, but no later than 10 to 12 days after. These include the varieties Admirable de Courtiller, Chardonnay, Foster's White Seedling, Chasselas, Gamay, Dornfelder, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Tempranillo.
These ripen at least two, but no later than three weeks after Chasselas. These are, among others, the varieties Alphonse Lavallée, Bicane, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Ignea, Queen Elisabeth, Leopold III., Merlot, Muscat d'Hamburg, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Sultana and Syrah.
These ripen at least three weeks, but no later than 30 to 35 days after Chasselas. These are, among others, the varieties Angelo Pirovano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha Tinta (Grenache Noir), Monastrell (Mourvèdre), Regina and Grüner Veltliner.
These ripen at least four weeks after Chasselas. These include the Clairette, Luglienga Bianca and Mazuelo (Carignan Noir) varieties.
Albert Julius Winkler (1894-1989) and Maynard A. Amerine (1911-1998) from the University of California (Davis) divided the Californian wine-growing regions into five climatic zones with the optimal grape varieties for these zones in terms of ripening time on the basis of the temperature sum system (degree days).
Since the middle of the last century, the ripening point has shifted considerably in connection with climate change. Compared to the 1960s, today (2020s) it occurs one to two weeks earlier. In 1964, the French ampelographer Pierre Galet (1921-2019) drew up a list of the ripening dates of the most important grape varieties grown in France, which can be used to substantiate this fact.
The criteria for the suitability of a region for viticulture are called viticultural suitability. For the ageing, development, maturation and climax of a wine, see ageing, bottle age ing, shelf life and drinking maturity. For a complete list of grapevine-specific keywords, see Grapevine.
Grape: © DWI (German Wine Institute)
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Thorsten Rahn
Restaurantleiter, Sommelier, Weindozent und Autor; Dresden