Fresh Grapes / Frozen Grapes / Concentrated Juice: What is the Difference?

Before the advent of frozen grapes & juice home winemakers were dependant on 'fresh' grapes and concentrated grape juice. Fresh grapes have been the basis for winemaking. They are usually processed and fermented at or near the vineyard of their origin. Many of the finest wines in the world are grown near the edge, the coolest limit, of where their grapes can achieve ripeness. The maturity of the grape is expressed in its acidity, sugar, skin, and varietal character. The Piedmont, Burgundy, Chablis, Alsace, Bordeaux, and the Mosel Valley are all recognized among the finest growing districts in the world. All are located on the coolest edge of achieving consistent ripeness. When you grow near this edge, weather becomes a critical factor. These grapes may be rained upon and will be subjected to climatic swings. Their ability to achieve the balance, flavor, ripeness of skin and flavor may require them to endure these stresses. This can predictably make shipment of grapes over distance and time impossible. Shipping wine grapes mandates harvest suitable for shipping, not necessarily the harvest for the finest wine. If you contract for grapes, or grow grapes, the payment for the harvest must be guaranteed by the local conditions - or someone will lose. Shipping fresh grapes that are harvested for producing the best wine, over long distances creates severe risks to the grapes, risks to the shipper and risks for the resulting wine. Most wine grape harvests use containers unsuitable for long shipment. The use of small shipping containers increases the costs of harvesting the grapes and is not desirable by growers in most premium vineyards.

Grape concentrate does preserve the juice by achieving a sugar content that inhibits fermentation - they are too sweet for most spoilage. This concentration is achieved with heat. Any color, which comes from the skins, is also extracted with heat. This process is often done under a vacuum to minimize carmalization of the sugars. Flavor and, more importantly, aromatics are sacrificed during this process. Aseptic packaging has greatly improved the packaging of concentrate. The creative skills of chemists have been able to provide packaged 'wine kits' that may produce good wine. The kits are pre-designed and processed. They are not the same as using from the vine grapes. Truth be told, grapes which have no other home, are prime stock for the kettle. Put yourself in the seat of owning a fine vineyard, in a prestigious viticultural area capable of producing wonderful wine. When the buyer says he will throw them in a kettle and drive off the water, 'You say that sounds great?' If your grapes are unsold, not desirable for quality wine, or from a very high production area, the concentrate option is one to be considered.

Frozen grapes may actually be better than fresh grapes. While freezing a fish or vegetable will alter its texture and moisture content, it works to the grape's advantage. After 34 years of experience it has become evident that there are no quality down sides to freezing and a host of advantages, compared to fresh grapes. Compared to wine kits, fresh and frozen grapes are unadjusted (usually). They are the grapes from the vineyard, with all the imprints of the vineyard and vintage. They vary in sugar, acid, etc. from bunch to bunch, vine to vine. Unlike fresh grapes the freezing process causes an intercellular breakdown. This gentle breakdown of red grapes cells release more juice and color, without bitterness. The freezing temperatures significantly reduce the natural bugs that inhabit the grapes. The grapes and juice are more sterile, more suitable for fermentation. The freezing of red must acts as a 'cold soak'. Starting fermentation from cold, as opposed to warm or hot, is a distinct advantage. In Burgundy there are respected protocols of soaking and fermenting Pinot Noir that call for use of dry ice to the point of 'burning the fruit' - freezing a portion of the berries. White grapes are pressed into juice, gross lees settled and frozen. Red grapes are destemmed, lightly crushed and frozen. The most significant advantage of frozen grapes and juice is timing -Your Timing. Like all of life endeavors, you do best when you can concentrate, and apply yourself to the task at hand. Timing also allows you to anticipate the grapes you will be fermenting. Timing allows you to make blends and modify your winemaking protocols to maximize the grapes' potential.

Frozen grapes include in their pricing the cost of pre-harvest examinations of the grapes, selection of the best harvest date for wine quality, harvesting, professional processing and transportation, a re-usable pail & lid, freezing and storage. Most of these items will be part of the cost of any grape procurement. Pre-harvest visits and obtaining the best harvest timing are often left to a grower's discretion when buyers are not on site. Having these tasks done professionally should be a significant advantage to the winemaker and wine.

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