Benoit Labelle

Pink grapes? A blend of red and white wine? Not so fast! With its delicate colour and refreshing character, rosé may seem simple to make. But from grape to bottle, several decisions shape the final wine. Which grape varieties should be used? When should they be harvested? Should they reach the same level of ripeness as grapes destined for red wine? And most importantly, how do you make a rosé?

Have you ever found a forgotten bottle at the back of a cupboard and wondered, “Is it still good?” Or, on the contrary, opened a carefully stored bottle after several years only to discover that it had developed even more complex aromas? Wine is alive. From the moment it is bottled, it continues to evolve slowly. Some wines gain depth and complexity with age; others are at their best in their youth.

There is something special about harvest season. After months spent pruning, weeding, leaf-thinning, and protecting the vines and grapes, the time finally comes to harvest the fruit of all that work. Quite literally. At the vineyard, harvest marks a change of pace. Field activities gradually slow down while the winery comes to life. Bins fill up, grapes leave the vineyard blocks, and a new stage begins. But before cutting that first bunch of grapes, you need to know when to harvest.