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Caption: Véraison True Colours
Caption: The turning point in a vine's annual lifecycle is called 'véraison', from the french root 'ver', meaning 'truth'.
Cover: Malbec
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Caption: Merlot
Caption: The simplest definition of véraison is the time when grapes begin to change colour from their initial pale green. But it's also so much more than that.
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Caption: Gamay
Caption: Véraison is the time when the plant's energy moves from growing the vine into ripening the fruit.
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Caption: Previous and next page:
Gewürztraminer
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Caption: As the berries ripen in the grape clusters, they begin to soften and become translucent, while also taking on the skin colour that typifies their variety. Their 'true colours', so to speak.
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Caption: Riesling
Caption: The pace of véraison is affected by temperature, sun exposure and moisture availability, and also varies widely by grape variety.
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Caption: Chardonnay
Caption: Colour change is a result of green chlorophyll in the grape's skin being replaced by carotenoids (whites) or anthocyanins (reds). Sugars begin to climb and acids to fall.
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Caption: Pinot Noir
Caption: At véraison, we begin to see the characteristics that we are going to enjoy later when they manifest in the wine.
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Caption: Cabernet Franc
Caption: Bud break, flowering, fruit set, véraison, harvesting, leaf fall and dormancy. The vine handles all but one of these. We take care of the other.
Next page: Cabernet Sauvignon
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Caption: At this time of year, the beauty of véraison is only surmounted by the anticipation of harvest --when Nature's jewels are entrusted to Man's hands.
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Caption: Petit Verdot
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Caption: Véraison: True Colours Shot in August and September in the vineyards of Reif Estate Winery and Stratus Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Malivoire Wine Company in Beamsville, Ontario, Canada.
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Caption: #veraison #harvest #lifecycle
#harvest2017 #harvest17 #crush2017 #vintage2017 #betweenthevines #niagara #niagaraonthelake #beamsvillebench #grapes #vines #vineyard #vineyardlife #viticulture
All photos (c) Elena Galey-Pride, winestains.ca.
