Size matters?

It does if you are a grape, a wine-grape to be more specific. A small berry has a larger surface area-to-volume ratio, and so more skin to juice. Beyond sugar accumulation other important developments in the berry are the production of compounds such as anthocyanins, tannins and flavanols. Many of these compounds are more abundant in the skin and seeds and when embraced by phenolics they contribute colour, astringency and flavours. The above picture illustrates this ratio difference with the comparison of a table grape (Red globe) to a wine-grape (Syrah -Durrell clone). We do not stress our wine-grapes here, we want them to mature at their own pace. So c'mon boys, be mature about it, admit that size does matter...and in this case, less can be more!