Influence of manual and mechanical grape harvest on Merlot wine composition

Effects of mechanical and manual grape harvest on the composition of Merlot musts and wines produced in the Campanha Gaúcha region (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) were investigated. Must analyses comprised several basic physicochemical parameters. Wine analyses comprised a screening of phenolics, volatiles, elements, and several physicochemical parameters. In total, 100 variables were investigated. Wines elaborated with grapes from mechanical and manual harvesting were very similar; only 6 parameters showed statistically significant differences, although of low magnitude. These results indicate that - for Campanha Gaúcha's Merlot wines: mechanical grape harvesting itself does not negatively affect wine composition; moreover, grapes harvested manually and mechanically result in almost identical wines.