🌿 Grape harvester
A tall machine that drives over the vine rows and shakes off the berries.
A grape harvester is a tall self-propelled machine that drives over a row of vines and takes the crop off. It replaces hand picking where the vineyard is planted in even rows on fairly level ground. It works like this. The machine's working part gently shakes or beats the vine, the berries come off the clusters and fall onto a belt. They are then cleaned of leaves and bits of stem and sent to a hopper. The stems mostly stay on the vine, so the hopper holds mainly loose berries. The main advantages are speed and cost. One harvester replaces dozens of pickers and can work at night, when the berries are cool. The downsides are that some berries get damaged, and the machine does not suit steep slopes, old bush vines or fine wines that need berry selection. The harvester is the main tool of machine harvesting. It is used on large farms, while hand picking remains where gentleness matters.
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Frequently asked questions
How does a grape harvester work?
It drives over a row of vines and shakes them; the berries fall onto a belt and then into a hopper.
Why is machine harvesting better than hand picking?
It is faster and cheaper, and can be done at night. But berries may be damaged.
Where can a harvester not be used?
On steep slopes, on bush vines, and where individual clusters must be selected.