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Veraison

Viniculture
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The stage when ripening grapes soften and begin changing color and flavor.

Detailed Definition
At veraison, red grapes turn from green toward purple, while white grapes become translucent or golden; acidity begins to fall as sugars and aromas develop. The moment is brief but visually charged, a threshold between hard fruit and harvest. Poetry can use veraison for any awakening that first appears as a change of color: adolescence, dusk, desire, or the instant an unfinished thing announces what it may become.
Example
Example in poetry:
Veraison is the stage when grape berries begin to soften and change color as ripening starts; “At veraison, the green berries blushed purple along the row”; A poem may use veraison as an image of adolescence, transition, or first knowledge; “The vineyard entered veraison, half green and half remembering summer”; The term marks a visible turning point between growth and ripeness.
Additional Notes
Veraison marks a major transition from berry growth to ripening. Red grapes begin accumulating pigment, while white grapes often become more translucent or golden; berries also soften and develop changing aromas. It is a useful vineyard marker, but harvest usually occurs weeks later.
Also Known As
Véraison Color Change Ripening Onset
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