Véraison is a fancy French word that simply means the grapes are beginning to change color. A more complete definition is that Véraison is the beginning of berry ripening when the berries on a grape vine become soft and take on the colors characteristic of their specific varieties.
What makes Véraison exciting? It means harvest is just around the corner, and the grapes are beginning to take on all of the wonderful characteristics that present themselves in the finished wine we enjoy so much. The aromas and flavors wine-lovers experience in a great glass of wine are starting to show themselves in the grapes. It’s also a really beautiful and obvious visual example of the lifecycle of grapes.
Véraison is quite obvious in red grape varietals, changing the grape berries from green to varying shades of purple. There is however, a subtler change in white grapes from green to a golden hue.
Now is the perfect time to visit a Show Me State winery and vineyard to see where delicious, award-winning wine comes from. Many Missouri wineries offer vineyard tours. It is a beautiful and exciting time in Missouri Wine Country.