Sorting table (French: table de tri) is a work surface or conveyor used at the winery to inspect and select grapes before crushing or pressing. Workers or optical sorting machines remove leaves, stems, insects, damaged berries, unripe bunches and fruit affected by rot or other defects. Sorting helps ensure that only suitable grapes enter the fermentation process.
Manual sorting is carried out by trained workers who inspect bunches or individual berries on a moving belt. Optical sorting uses cameras, sensors and software to identify and eject selected material according to programmed criteria such as colour, shape or condition. Some wineries combine both methods.
Removing damaged or unsuitable fruit can reduce unwanted flavours, microbial problems and variability in the must. The level of sorting depends on the fruit condition, wine style, vintage and producer’s quality standards. Sorting is especially important when fruit arrives after rain, disease pressure or uneven ripening.
Some wineries sort whole bunches before destemming, while others sort berries after the bunches have been destemmed. Berry sorting can remove individual damaged or unripe grapes that might remain hidden within a bunch.
Example: a winery may use a sorting table to remove botrytised or damaged berries from Pinot Noir before fermentation.
Chef’s note: sorting is a quality-control step at harvest. It cannot reverse poor vineyard conditions, but it can help exclude unsuitable fruit before vinification.
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