Nature of The Problem

¹ University of California, Davis

A substantial increase in the qualify of grapes for winemaking will require time. A shift to better varieties is at best a slow process. However, I wish to emphasize that much can be accomplished immediately. The B/a ratio should be used by everyone to control cultural practices and achieve the Optimum quality of the grapes now available. It should also be used to determine the time of picking; and the grapes should be harvested at that time—not weeks later. Only those grapes which are delivered in good condition should be accepted for crushing. And every effort should be made to crush all grapes at time of delivery. If we only do the things that are possible right now, we will have made a great stride toward our goal of better grapes for crushing.