In the month of September the green stalk connecting each bunch of grapes to the vine darkens and the grapes themselves "surrender", turning soft and sweet. There is not exact date for beginning the harvesting, because it depends on the maturity of the grapes which must be at least 10.5º baume.

The "cutting" of the bunches is usually carried out manually so that the grapes arrive at the lagar or winepress in optimal conditions. To this end, plastic boxes with a capacity no greater than I8 kg. (40 lb) are used. When full, they are then stacked in order to ensure that the fruit is not damaged during its trip from the fields to the winepress.

Grapes to produce dry wines are quickly transported to the wine-making plants. On the other hand, those to be made into sweet wines, especially Pedro Ximénez and Muscat grapes, are set out in the open air on esparto grass mats to raise their sugar content while lowering their moisture content by evaporation. During this process, the grapes are covered at night to protect
them against the dew. The length of time of this operation continues depends on climatic conditions and may last more than a week.

The Harvest
Once in the winepresses, the grapes are unloaded onto conveyor belts where stems, leaves, and unsuitable bunches are discarded because if they were to be included, they would produce too much tannin. The suitable grapes then pass into machines that crush them gently, to help open up the individual grapes and thence directly to the presses where, through the light
application of pressure, the "mosto de yema" (first must) is obtained. This process yields 70 Iitres of must per I00 kg of grapes. Only this must from the first pressing will be used to produce Sherry Wines.

The wine houses usually carry out further, more energetic, pressings to extract the remaining liquid from the grapes. The juice from these medium and higher-pressure extractions can never be used in the production of Sherry Wine although it can be used, under the watchful eye of the Regulatory Council, to produce other wines which are not classified as Sherry, as well as for distillation or for obtaining other sub products.

Fermentation
The "mosto de yema" obtained from the pressing goes directly into vertical stainless steel tanks to be fermented, a temperature-controlled process which takes place at between 22°C and 24ºC. Some Houses still practice the old system of fermenting in new oak barrels or "botas", with the dual purpose of preparing the casks for later use in the long Sherry ageing process and at the same time achieving a characteristic vinification of the must.
The fermentation process in the Jerez Region is divided into two clearly differentiated stages. In the first days the so-called "stormy" or "tumultuous" fermentation process takes place during which more than 90 per cent of the total sugar contained in the grape is converted into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide.
After this first phase, there is a second, slow stage, lasting until the beginning of December after which a delicate, totally dry white wine with an alcohol content of between 11 and 12% vol. is obtained, whose characteristic will determine its classification, before entering the ageing process.