Our 2022 harvest took place in joy and good humor.
Our team, of around twenty brave grape pickers, is mostly composed of cutters but also carriers and washers of boxes and machines. Hard days that start very early, with the headlamp!
A typical grape harvest day for white and rosé wines looks like this (for red wines, it's a bit the same but you get up less early):
3:30 : two people stack the boxes in the tractor's dumpster. They will be used to transport cut grapes.
3:40 : the tractor sets off towards the plots that will be harvested in order to distribute the boxes in the rows. Generally, 1 row out of 4 must be filled because it is in these rows that the tractor will go back to pick up the full boxes (you must not make the wrong row, otherwise, we will start again!).
3:45 : the cutters arrive at the estate, it's coffee time.
4:00 : with the pruner and the bucket in hand, the headlamp firmly attached, let's go to cut grapes! Depending on the grape variety, it's more or less easy: there are a lot of leaves, very low grapes, twisted stems, etc. A real adventure!
5:30 (or before): the first rows are over, the porters have the heavy task of collecting all the full boxes (hence the importance of the correct distribution at 3:45). Maximum 15 kilos per box and must be piled up in the tractor's dumpster. One driver, two people behind to pick up, one in the dumpster to tidy up and off we went for long rows. Depending on the grape variety and the years, there are more or less grapes and therefore cases!
SUNRISE — We pick up the headlamps that we no longer need because it is finally daylight. We finally see each other, no need to find our way around by voice.
6:30 : the first grapes arrive in the cellar. We put them well away from the sun that is beginning to rise and from the heat because we need more quantity to launch the first machines. Meanwhile, the cutters are still active in the rows and continue to cut the clusters.
8:00 : second pass for the porters then breakfast for everyone! At the same time, the first machines were launched: destemmer, press and press. The goal: to use these new grapes to obtain the first juices of the year (a moment of excitement and stress at the same time!!!).
8:30 : let's go again! Everyone leaves again in the direction of a plot to resume cutting.
10:00 : it's the end for the cutters. Put down the buckets and secateurs, we wish them a good rest and let them know tomorrow. The porters haven't finished, we have to go pick up the last boxes.
From that moment on, various stations were set up: the washers put on their best raincoats to valiantly wash more than 300 used boxes (grapes stick!). With the carriers returning, the harvest must be sent to the machines. In place, those who put the grapes in the destemmer, those who sort and those who ensure the proper functioning and direct the juices into the right tanks.
Once all these steps have been completed, the day is not over yet! A quick meal on the go before moving on to the thorough washing of the machines (grapes always stick) but also of the cellar and the potential tanks used.
One thing to remember: we love this magical moment of the harvest but at the end of the day, we are very tired.
PS: if you want to participate in the coming years, just contact us!
