Verraison
As veraison [ veʀɛzɔ ] in is winegrowing of maturity onset of berries referred, in the course of which the berries brighten or change color, their sugar content increases and its acidity decreases. In the vegetation cycle of the grapevine, the veraison follows the development of flowers to berries, whereby the berries are still green and hard before the start of the veraison and have only reached half of their later size. Within the BBCH scale for grapevines , veraison corresponds to stage 83.
With the white wine varieties, the green berries turn green-white, white, yellow, yellow-green, gray, pink, red or purple, with the red wine varieties the color changes from green to blue, purple or black.
In the northern hemisphere, verraison usually begins at the end of July / beginning of August, depending on the grape variety and weather, and in the southern hemisphere in January. The veraison does not take place at the same time for all berries and depends on both vegetable and environmental influences. The first flowers develop the first berries and accordingly the veraison begins first with these. In addition, the veraison also sets in first with those berries that are exposed to a particularly warm microclimate or light drought stress .
In the French community of Châteauneuf-du-Pape , the start of ripening of the berries is celebrated every year with a Fête de la véraison .
literature
- Bryan Coombe / Richard Smart: Article "Veraison" in: Jancis Robinson , The Oxford Companion to Wine , 4th edition, Oxford / New York 2015
