The grape harvest is renowned for its conviviality, and is a very special moment for the winegrower who is witnessing the culmination of a year's work in the vineyard, and making the key decisions about the quality of his future wines. This phase of viticulture and wine production has existed for thousands of years.
In fact, the grape harvest is nothing new: the word comes from "vendémiaire", meaning the months of September and October in the 1792 Republican calendar. But long before that, the first traces of cultivated vines and grape harvests date back to the Bronze Age (around 2200 to 800 BC) in Israel and Palestine. By this time, nomads were no longer gathering grapes, but sedentary groups were farming and harvesting. Later in France, traces dating back to the Iron Age (c. -800 to -52 BC) were found in the Vaucluse, Hérault and Gard regions. This cultivation of vines gave rise to the grape harvest. In other words, the grapes that are to be harvested to make wine. What's more, if these are table grapes, we're not talking about the harvest. These, too, are subject to strict regulations, particularly with regard to the starting date and harvesting conditions.
Historically, it's the lifting of the harvest banns that has triggered hostilities and led to some very festive celebrations to mark the start of the harvest. In other words, once the ban has been lifted, it's up to the winemaker to decide when to start harvesting, based on the acidity and sugar content of the grapes. Even today, there are still a few annual harvest festivals, such as those in Montmartre and Banuel. Certain customs and sayings have also been passed down through generations of winegrowers, such as those who wish to start harvesting 100 days after the vines have flowered. If we ask our fellow winegrowers, it seems that although the start date of the harvest is often very close indeed, it rarely happens to be exactly 100 days, as the weather has been rather capricious in recent years!
Despite the mechanization of harvesting in some regions, another custom persists: the arrival of seasonal harvest workers. They're the ones who bring a very special atmosphere to this time of year! Please note that many winegrowers are looking for staff if you'd like to take part in the harvest. To do so, you need to be as available as possible throughout the harvest period, and be flexible with dates, as harvest decisions are generally made the day before for the following day.
If you'd like to discover the atmosphere of the grape harvest, it's a little late for 2022. In Beaune, winegrowers started around August 24, but you can still try your luck - some estates finish on September 10!
Europackwine supports grape-pickers and wineries during this physically demanding period, which is full of encounters, good times and, above all, wine!
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