Regent Ripeness And Harvest Planning.

Table grapes can begin to be harvested earlier and over a longer period than wine grapes. This longer cropping season is one of the advantages of growing eating grapes. Tasting the grapes as they ripen will determine when the first bunches can be picked, when they taste good to you. Unpicked bunches can be left to sweeten further and picked a little later.

If you have a glut you can use them for juice, jelly, freeze them or make raisins if you have a seedless variety.

Wine grapes on the other hand generally need to be harvested when the grapes are fully and consistently ripe since good wine can only be made from good grapes.

These Regent grapes, although on a sparse bunch are fully coloured but a long way from being ripe. Grapes do not ripen further after picking so evaluating ripeness is very important.

In previous years Regent begins veraision just after mid august and are harvested around 3rd october. This year they are about two or three weeks late so harvest could be as late as the third or fourth week of october.