Vendange

Vendange is the French word for grape harvest. It refers to the picking of grapes for winemaking and may also appear in expressions describing the timing or style of harvest. The person who harvests grapes is a vendangeur or vendangeuse.

Related French expressions

• Vendange: the grape harvest.
• Vendangeur / vendangeuse: a grape picker or harvest worker.
• Vendange tardive: late harvest, a term used particularly in Alsace for wines made from grapes harvested later than usual at a higher level of ripeness, subject to appellation rules.
• Vendanges manuelles: hand harvesting.
• Vendanges mécaniques: machine harvesting.

Harvest timing and wine style

Harvest date influences grape sugar, acidity, flavour ripeness and potential alcohol. Earlier picking generally preserves more acidity and fresher fruit, while later picking can increase sugar and flavour concentration, depending on weather and grape condition. Late harvest does not automatically mean noble rot or a sweet wine; those styles require specific grape and production conditions.

Example: an Alsace wine labelled Vendanges Tardives is made from grapes harvested at a later stage of ripeness under the relevant appellation rules.

Vendange versus récolte

Vendange is the established French wine term for grape harvest. Récolte is a broader French word for harvest or crop and may also appear in wine terminology.

Chef’s note: when reading a French wine label, check whether “vendange tardive” is part of a regulated designation rather than assuming it simply means any late-picked grape.