Late harvest

Late harvest refers to a deliberately delayed picking that leaves grapes to overripen on the vine, concentrating their sugars and aromas. In Alsace the term Vendanges Tardives is regulated and reserved for four noble varieties, including Riesling and Gewurztraminer, each subject to minimum sugar thresholds. It yields off-dry to lusciously sweet wines, opulent and aromatic, distinct from Selection de Grains Nobles, which relies on botrytis alone.