🌿 Grape berry

A grape berry is a single grape. Its parts are the skin, the pulp with juice, and the seeds. Berries make up a bunch, and grapes grow on the vine. Berries appear after the vine flowers, when the small fruit sets, grows and fills with juice.

The skin is thin but very important. It holds colouring matter, tannins and many aromas. That is why red wine ferments with the skins, and white usually without them. On the outside of the skin there may be a bloom on which natural yeasts live.

The pulp consists mainly of water, sugar and acids. It gives the juice and then the wine. The more sugar in the berry at harvest, the more potential alcohol. Acid gives the wine freshness.

The seeds contain oil and tannins and are bitter. Oil is made from grape seeds, but in winemaking one tries not to crush them. The size and thickness of the skin depend on the grape and the place: Cabernet Sauvignon has small berries with thick skins, while table grapes are large and fleshy.