🍇 Veraison: The Vineyard’s Summer Rainbow 🌈

The Veraison period has arrived. The vineyard is alive with a summer rainbow, and the grapes are putting on their most dazzling show. 🎨🍇

Veraison (ver-RAY-zon) is the turning point in the grape's life cycle—the moment when berries stop growing and start ripening. It's when vineyards become patchworks of color: green grapes soften and blush into deep purples, reds, or golden hues. Nature’s way of saying, “We’re getting close…”

Northern Hemisphere: July–August (now!)
Southern Hemisphere: January–February
Mid to late summer in each case.

🔬 What Happens During Veraison

Let’s break it down nice and easy:

🎨 Color shift: 
Chlorophyll fades.
Red grapes develop anthocyanins (hello, purple).
White grapes glow with carotenoids (think honeyed gold).

🍭 Sugar goes up, acid comes down:
Sugars build (glucose + fructose),
Acidity drops (malic acid fades),
pH rises = sweeter, rounder grapes.

💧 The berries soften:
Grapes plump up and lose their crunch.
They’re getting juicy, not just pretty.

🌿 Flavors and tannins evolve:
Aromatic precursors and phenolics develop.
Tannins begin to soften, laying the groundwork for flavor, structure, and texture.

🗓️ From Veraison to Harvest

On average, harvest begins 30 to 70 days after veraison, depending on the grape variety, climate, and vineyard decisions. Early ripeners (like Merlot) move fast. Late bloomers (like Cabernet Sauvignon) take their time.

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📹 Gabriele’s video about Veraison

📅 Coming Up Next…

Our Sangiovese Series:
A deep dive into the grape that built Tuscany — history, terroir, styles, and the legendary wines it creates. Plus, winemaker stories, recipes, and tasting notes you won’t want to miss.

Keep your glass full and your days colorful.
Sip, savor, and celebrate the little things. ✨

🥂 Ryan