Several measures must be taken pre-harvest to ensure grape quality and to save time at harvest.
Easy tractor access to the vineyard must be guaranteed, and the inter-row must be cleaned in good time so the tractor can move freely. If the weather is dry and the vineyards have been recently rototilled, a dry dust will be stirred up that is harmful for both workers and grapes. In the event of rain, the harvest equipment will rapidly get muddy.
It is also important to keep in mind that the principle goal of the harvest is to pick grapes rather than twigs or leaves. Therefore canopy management must take place in a timely fashion. Hedging and leaf removal carried out at an appropriate time and in moderation help to improve grape quality, by creating favorable microclimates for fertilization and ripening, thereby reducing the likelihood of cryptogamic diseases such as downy and powdery mildew and bunchrot. In fact, since the last phytosanitary treatment before harvest is to combat bunchrot, the fruit zone should be optimally placed at this time. These operations help guarantee maximum harvester yield.
Whether the fruit is destined for sale or for winemaking, and depending on the size of the vineyard, the harvest must be well planned regarding staffing needs, manual and/or mechanical harvesting, cleaning the winery and checking equipment.