moving along – with grapes!

Update 8.8.2012(9.9.2009)Ray Walker

Well, here we are with just under two weeks before my first harvest and things are moving along rather quickly. Besides the administrative tasks which keep me leapfrogging the Cote, I am sorting out bits in the cellar as well as the vineyard. It’s difficult being your own secretary, chauffeur, cellar master, and it certainly adds up to making plans and preparing for the bad surprise as they call it locally.

Just last week, I sorted the grapes situation. In short, I came away with some tidy material from Morey Saint Denis, Charmes-Chambertin all from Aux Charmes, and two barrels worth of grapes from Le Chambertin! Those who had read my thoughts prior to coming to Burgundy are aware if the change in sources as I was both prepared and honored to possibly only have an option to make village Aloxe-Corton. What a difference 180 days can make when partnered with persistence.

Since I have been in Burgundy, there have been figurative and actual blue skies and grey. Many days have seemed dark only to shift toward brilliant light. Missing trains, misreading train timetables, failing at hitchhiking whilst walking past Gevrey-Chambertin ‘a pied’ to Nuits St George with men the senior of my own father passing me at high speeds on bicycles has been how some days have gone. You can’t help but laugh and then feel tired, almost defeated with the now raging sun nearly cooking you alongside Route National 74. But showing up to the appointment (sweaty, 15 minutes late and 3 hours past fresh) someone pours me a glass of something red in a proper glass and the cool breeze in the cave makes me forget all about my tough walk just moments before.

Agree? Disagree? Anything you'd like to add?

There is one response to “moving along – with grapes!”

  1. bmcq11th September 2009 at 1:27 amPermalinkReply

    Can a moment in time be trapped by the vectors of place and sense?
    Well done and thankyou.

Burgundy Report

Translate »

You are using an outdated browser. Please update your browser to view this website correctly: https://browsehappy.com/;