Ripeness is the state of grapes at harvest, balancing sugar (which becomes alcohol), acidity (which falls as grapes ripen), and the physiological ripeness of tannins, color and flavour. Picking decisions hinge on it: under-ripe grapes give green, tart, harsh wines; over-ripe ones give jammy, high-alcohol, flat wines. The ideal is a window where sugar, acid and phenolic ripeness align.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COLLECTORS
Ripeness style defines a producer: earlier picking yields fresher, lower-alcohol, more savoury wines; later picking gives riper, richer ones. Climate change is making full ripeness easier and over-ripeness a growing risk to balance.
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