Anonymous
Unregistered
Hi all
I'm keen to work on the Vendanges while I'm in France for the summer. Browsing through the forum it seems like this forum has been a useful means of people finding out about opportunities to assist. Does anybody know of good opportunities for the forthcoming vendanges?
I would say the best way, is choose your favourite domaines and send them an email - pretty quickly - some will already be on holiday, but others might respond quite quickly. A smattering of French will always be an advantage. If you only want to work DRC/Leroy/Rousseau - you might be disappointed ;-)
Hope that helps
Bill
will
Member
Would going in person be a better idea? I'm farmhanding around Europe at the moment, and am thinking about heading over to France with my broken French and a pocket dictionary. It would be late August time, which is a bit late, but I'm hoping to find some work if I talk to enough places.
Would the direct approach weird places out?
will said:
Would going in person be a better idea? I'm farmhanding around Europe at the moment, and am thinking about heading over to France with my broken French and a pocket dictionary. It would be late August time, which is a bit late, but I'm hoping to find some work if I talk to enough places.Would the direct approach weird places out?
I guess your only issue Will, would be how to find the person who can say 'yes' - they will probably be batting arround villages/vineyards, checking up on grapes/growers, trying to arrange delivery of barrels etc., etc. Tres busy!
will
Member
Will be difficult for sure, but glad to hear that it's not impossible! What's the weather like in general this year? Are we looking at starts earlier or later than normal? I'm assuming that the picking season starts earlier in the south and gets later as you go north.
Regardless, thanks for the help!
I have the impression that Côte d'Or harvesting may not start much before 15th Sept - could be a week or two (even) later...
Weather should be late twenties and rain-free for this week, but humidity is still around 50%...
The weather has been extremely unstable all summer; we have sunshine, warm to hot temperatures, but also rain every few days. The longest dry spell since early april was 5 days. As I write, thunder can be heard in the Côte Chalonnaise and in the Bresse plain, we've already had some raindrops this afternoon, and more to come tonight. For next week, Meteo France predicts some rain almost every day. But then, who believes wheather forecasts?
Yesterday and today I saw the very first berries taking on some colour - a bit earlier than I thought. Nevertheless, the harvest will not start much before the 20th of september, probably even a little after that date.
Pressure from midiou and oidium is still high everywhere, but levels do not seem to be rising. Unprecedented spraying activity has put a stop to that! Another two weeks to go (and véraison well underway) and we'll finally be able to clean and decommission the spraying gear.
Despite 'my' forecast foir dry this week, there was hail in both Côtes (d'Or) yesterday - we just miss the frogs and locusts...
Glorious sunshine this week and (probably)next week bring some well-earned rest for Burgundy vignerons. Time for some final tidying up of the vines, and departure for a few days holyday. Harvest preparations will start early september, actual harvesting (except crémant) still scheduled around 20 september.
nonearlyadopter said:
Hi allI'm keen to work on the Vendanges while I'm in France for the summer. Browsing through the forum it seems like this forum has been a useful means of people finding out about opportunities to assist. Does anybody know of good opportunities for the forthcoming vendanges?
Hi,
A.Gros searched "pickers" http://www.anne-gros.com/en/news-1.html
Hi Gilberto,
don't worry: no harm is being done! This opposed to the short heat spike end of july (2 days at 35-36°), that burned up to 50% of the grapes in some plots.
This time round, no negative effects: véraison (colouring of the grapes) is advancing steadily, which means that the grapes have become much less prone to get sunburned. As there is plenty humidity in the subsoil, there is no heat stress for the moment. Finally, this prolonged spell of dry weather - the first this year - has calmed down mildiou & friends.
Early maturity reports (based on chardonnay and gamay grapes from the maconnais) show a very quick development of grape maturity, with a 2% alcohol increase in just 5 days. The explanation is excellent conditions and low yields (due to bad conditions during flowering and mildiou attacks).
The harvesting date seems to be in line with the 2008 & 2010 vintage, maybe somewhat earlier if the good weather holds.
Personally, I think we might be in for a surprise in terms of quality. As of today, no sign of any grey mould yet, the (few) remaining grapes are perfectly healthy and happy.
From Carel Voorhuis:
the temperatures have been good for accomplishing veraison.
There has been a little sunburn, but nothing too bad, really.
If the weather forecasts are accurate, there should be some rain
coming within days, I think that shouldn't be a bad thing either.
So everything going really well, at last!!
Cheers
Gilberto
Member
Thanks for your replies.
In Italy it seems that this heatwave comes after a drought during the Summer and vintners are worried (this was even mentioned in the TV evening news a couple of days ago).
In some regions, like Franciacorta, they started harvest already.
Good to know that in Burgundy the situation is much better.
Buisson-Charles - 22nd Sept...
"Bon cette fois c'est décidé le top départ pour les vendanges aura lieu le 22 Septembre. Équipe réduite pour couper sur 9/10 jours en passant deux fois dans certaines parcelles..."
Patrick Essa
This mornings maturity tests revealed sugar levels ranging between 12% and 12.5% for the quickest maturing plots. Phenolic ripeness (the aromatics) has not yet been attained completely, but we are getting there. Many Côte Chalonnaise domaines have decided to start a couple of days earlier than they first planned. At Domaine de la Monette, we'll get going tuesday 17th (instead of thursday 20). As of today, the crémant harvest has started.
Mercurey has once more been "blessed by the gods", as we have had no hail, no frost, and a bit less rain than most of Burgundy. And mostly glorious weather throughout august and september (so far). While the whites are nice enough, the reds are exceptional; many vignerons say they have not seen grapes like these since 1999. You'll have a hard time finding any rot at all, it simply isn't there.
An article in the local press on the Mercurey 2012 harvest just appeared this morning, have a look at:
Another article in the same online newspaper announces the 2017 Saint Vincent Tournante de Bourgogne which will take place in Mercurey.
i think this;
http://www.infos-chalon.com/article.php?sid=36620
and
http://www.infos-chalon.com/article.php?sid=36619
Yes, that's it. Thanks, Iacene.
Quite a few big names already harvesting or going to start harvesting their whites today: Javillier, Lafon, Arnaud Ente - bit of a Meursault clique - Puligny and Chassagne are largely keeping quiet for the moment.
Due to a prior engagement I can't be there until the 24th - plenty of Côte de Nuits to keep us busy but, alas, I think I'll miss most of the Côte de Beaune...
Goughie13
Member
Best wishes to everyone participating in the vendange, and for your's particularly Roelof as our 'correspondent'.
Am majorly disappointed I can't make it this year (family reasons) but will be thinking of all my fellow vendangeurs. Hope the weather is fine for all.
Feel your 'pain' Bill re the CdB fruit.
Pictures from 2012-09-07(Grapes...)
not desirable,delete.
http://www.winelegends.net/173023.html
Maison Ilan have a new Video,CM Feusselottes.
Thomas Bouley was spitting feathers today when he saw somebody harvesting in Grands Epenots - by machine. Apparently the machine operator is one of a group trying to get GE upgraded to Grand Cru!!!
You know Bill, though I am very much NOT in favour of machine harvesting, even I have to admit that there can be circumstances where machine harvesting can give better results than manual harvesting followed by a tri. When I visited hail-struck vineyards in Rully last year, this was very clear: no way any human triage could handle all the half-or-more-damaged grape clusters (100% of the clusters affected), only the machine would be capable to extract carefully the few remaining vinifiable grapes. Of course, this needs very carefull and slow handling of the machine, but it can be done.
All this to say that maybe the guy was trying to save a hail-struck vintage in Pommard. Or maybe he was just a "connard" - time and wine will tell.
That's pretty early to be harvesting in Pommard, isn't it, Bill? I thought things were getting underway mid- to late next week.
Claude Kolm said:
That's pretty early to be harvesting in Pommard, isn't it, Bill? I thought things were getting underway mid- to late next week.
There seems to be a wide range of maturities and 'policies' Claude, very wide - would a (traditional) ban de vendanges have made a difference...(?)
The Côte Chalonnaise has begun to vibrate over the weekend, as the crémant vendanges have finished and the first reds are brought in. By thursday, everybody will be at it. Great grapes, fully ripe, with excellent acidities and sugar levels to produce 12.5 - 13% alcohol. Still hardly any rot in sight, and the weather is nice as well. What more can you wish for?
As there is no "gap" in ripeness between the reds and the whites, at Domaine de la Monette we'll harvest everything in one sweep; in 7 days it'll all be done. Most CC domaines will be doing the same thing; some even harvesting the whites first, to prevent them rising to 14% and becoming flabby.
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