If we buy table grapes to eat, we most certainly rinse the bunch under running water before we eat the grapes. But have you ever seen a winemaker rinse his grapes with water after harvest? No, neither have we. But maybe that’s about to change.
Some French oenologists believe this is the future, according to La Vigne. You can connect a machine to a vibrating sorting table that washes the hand-harvested grape clusters with low pressure water and dries them with hot air at the end of the table.
Treatment spray residues and dust are washed away, it is claimed. There is no risk of dilution according to the inventors. Whether the wild yeast flora also disappears is unclear at present. (But honestly, we don’t see this as catching on very much. The need to do it is not evident.) (And also, I would think that table grapes are more heavily sprayed, considering how they are handled.)
One Response
I was interested in this because I just watched an episode of Rachel Ray.The guest was Cameron Diaz, who is now making her own wine.Cameron shared the grapes are not washed for harvest and no gov.agency requires this.My first concern as a consumer is how can a wine be organic if the grapes are not cleaned?I always try to by organic as a whole.I then use veggie wash.I retired from VONS and my daughter ran a Dept. called fresh cut.The mini watermelons were first refrigerated then washed then they would cut off the top and bottom and peel cut them.This was to keep any pesticide residue ,from getting on the knife when cutting into melon.I would much rather not have to worry about what might be in my wine.