(WB) - A new hand-held device that reads color accumulation in berry skins may become key to monitoring fruit maturity in the vineyard – and to determining when to pick the grapes.

360 viti, a division of Fruition Sciences, has begun selling the hand-held sensor known as a “bacchimeter” to monitor color accumulation in berries – and indicate how ripe the fruit is. The bacchimeter was developed and manufactured in France based on a body of research.

Australian scientists about a decade ago warned about the “decoupling” of sugar and color accumulations in fruit grown in areas affected by heat spells due to climate change. Under those conditions, color accumulation lags behind sugar levels. “This is very relevant in the world where heat waves occur more frequently,” said Thibaut Scholasch, co-founder of 360 viti, a division of Fruition Sciences, a company based in Montpellier, France.