Berry Size

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Wine

By Jancis Robinson

Published 2006

  • About

berry size is considered by many to be a factor in wine quality. It is often said that smaller berries contribute to better wine quality, especially for red wines, since anthocyanins, phenolics, and flavour compounds are mostly contained in the skins. Smaller berries’ higher surface-to-volume ratio results in a higher concentration of these skin compounds in the juice and hence in the wine. However, there are few scientific studies that confirm this and some consider a link between berry size and wine quality to be a myth.