🌿 Harvest crate
A small crate or back basket for picked bunches.
A harvest crate is a small box or back basket into which picked bunches are placed. It is used in hand harvesting.
Pickers cut the bunches with shears and put them in the crate. Crates are shallow, often holding 10-20 kilograms. This way lower bunches are not crushed by upper ones, and berries do not burst or start fermenting too early. This matters for white wines and for good quality. In some areas a basket is carried on the back, so the hands stay free.
From the vineyard, crates go to the winery, where they are unloaded and the bunches sorted. Crates are washed after each use so they do not spread disease or leave odours. Plastic crates are easy to wash and stack, while wooden and woven ones look traditional. The right container is no small matter: it decides the condition in which the grapes reach the winery and how much juice they keep.
Links
- Previous step
- 🌿 Hand harvesting
- Next step
- 🍷 Winery
- Part of
- 🌿 Hand harvesting
Frequently asked questions
Why are grapes put in small crates?
So the bunches do not crush each other and the berries do not burst.
How much does a crate hold?
Usually 10-20 kilograms.
Where do crates go after picking?
To the winery.