Definition: Grape harvesting machine

Developed in the United States in 1971, the first grape harvesting machine was introduced in the Bordeaux region in 1975. Resembling a large straddle tractor, the machine violently shakes the grape bunches to knock the grapes into a harvesting bin. The pros and cons of mechanised grape harvesting are not entirely positive. Among the divided opinions, here are some views on the grape harvesting machine. In the Bordeaux region, at least three-quarters of the vineyards are harvested by this mechanical means, even in the prestigious appellations. It must be said that the size of the vineyards, the length of the rows and the gentle slopes are factors that favour the use of machines, which, compared to manual harvesting, result in savings of around 35 to 40% in harvesting costs.

However, opposition comes from steeply sloping wine-growing regions with fragmented vineyards where it is difficult for machines to operate. The use of harvesting machines is prohibited in Champagne, even though the size and layout of the vineyards would lend themselves to their use. The reason is quite different. The majority of grapes harvested in Champagne are black varieties, which are used to produce blanc de noirs. The machine damages the berries to such an extent that it colours the must, which rules out the production of white wine from black grapes. Machine harvesting is also not used in Beaujolais, as here too the grapes must be picked with the bunch intact so that carbonic maceration can take place with the grapes whole. The same applies to late harvest and sweet wine vineyards, where successive sorting requires manual harvesting.

In Burgundy and Alsace, opinions on the grape harvesting machine are negative. They are criticised for not being able to sort out rotten grapes finely enough, which will contaminate the entire harvest. Other disadvantages include the plant debris that the machine's beaters carry into the harvest, as well as bruising of the grapes, which, when harvested in the sun, can start to ferment and oxidise prematurely.

Among the advantages are speed of operation, the possibility of harvesting during the coolest hours of the day, and the elimination of the need to manage a team of grape pickers. Finally, the constantly improving technical capabilities of the equipment increase its performance. The new machines are equipped with blowers that dry the grapes in case of rain, and the sorting options have become very efficient. It is not without reason that sales of grape harvesting machines increased by 20% in 1996.

2006: New "three-in-one" grape harvesting machine. It harvests, presses and destems directly in the vineyard. Here is the new grape harvester that can do everything. Researchers at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Wädenswil and the German companies ERO (Rhineland-Palatinate) and Westfalia Food Tech (North Rhine-Westphalia) have developed a machine capable of performing some of the work usually done in the winery directly in the vineyard. A prototype was successfully tested during the 2005 harvest. "This is a huge step forward for viticulture," says Günter Eymael, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economics and Viticulture of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate.

The state wants to support the continuation of this "supra-regional project" as part of its technological development aid until the grape harvester is ready for commercialisation. This is a revolutionary technique: winegrowers would save time and money because the grapes would be processed immediately after harvesting, improving the quality of the must.

Jérôme Galli, from the Wädenswil Institute, comments on the current state of research with greater modesty: "We don't want to raise expectations too high. What we can confirm, following tests carried out last autumn, is that the quality of the grapes harvested in this way is at least consistent."

The technological evolution of machine harvesting has, of course, eliminated the most convivial phase of viticulture. The tradition of manual harvesting and joyful harvest festivals is being lost to powerful machines and their operators, who end their charmless mechanical workday alone in a vast shed.