Madeleine Angevine Ripeness And Harvest Planning.

Once grapes go soft and either begin to become translucent for white grapes or colour up for red varieties they tend to begin to look ready to pick.However they are generally far from ripe despite them looking ever more delicious.

This year Madeleine Angevine was the last in flower, the last to set fruit but yet again looks like it will be the first to ripen. They have gone from hard immature fruits to soft, translucent and soon to be harvested grapes in about a month. This is why they are a good choice for growers in the north.

So what about harvesting them. The few bunches I have will be part of a wine blend so will be picked for wine. They are usually ready for picking at toward the end of september but because of the late season harvest will likely be in early october.