The harvesting of grapes (the vendanges) requires great skill
If you don’t know yet what a gueule bée is (no, you’re not being gullible, the term is obscure even for your average French person!) or a rapoir (no, it’s not a concert venue for rappers!)… then learn more from our wine-makers!
What carefully orchestrated choreography!
The good humour and laughter of our grape-pickers contribute to the wine’s spirit!
Throughout the year, our winemakers oversee their plots of vines to ensure the grapes reach maturity at their best. For a short time at the end of the process, these vignerons hand over to teams of vendangeurs who work in a convivial atmosphere… the task may be hard, but the atmosphere is great.
Some cut the grapes with secateurs… bending down to cut the bunches, filling their baskets, emptying out the grapes (gently, thinking of the grapes and their backs), repeating the process countless times…
Others carry the grape-filled baskets and boxes to the ends of the vine rows, sometimes exchanging a cheeky word with their colleagues, or urging them on !
A tractor driver waits for the sign to transport the next load to the winery where expert hands will sort through the grapes…
After this, the winemaker takes back control, skilfully directing the vinification!
After all these efforts… come certain rewards!
The dedicated grape-harvesting teams gather around a long table to savour tasty dishes prepared by the mistress of the house, accompanied by previous vintages from the estate, listening to grandpa recounting his first grape-harvest, back in the 1950s, or to an uncle reminiscing about the exceptional 1976 vintage…
One thing is certain… it’s easy falling sleep after this sort of day’s work!
living the life of a grape-picker…
So be frank… what do you think of your first day helping out with the grape harvest?
Your body aches all over, reminding you of all you’ve done. That’s to be expected… the first two days are the hardest, then you get used to it (the words of a regular grape-picker 😉 )
Your jaw aches too because you’ve laughed so much in the midst of the vine rows. That’s quite normal too… because another element that gives wine its great spirit is of course the good humour and laughter shared during the grape harvest…