We invited Michel & Simone over for aperitifs with Tony’s mum and aunt on Friday during which time, I enquired as to when our other neighbours would be doing their “vendange” - we’d noticed a few years ago that the entire hamlet tends to help with this and we thought it would be a nice opportunity to get involved.
Michel said it was slated for Monday morning followed by a big meal to thank the volunteers as is custom. He promised to ask the neighbours if we might join in so I mentioned that we’d only be able to actually join in for the grape picking as I had to leave to collect my Dad from Limoges in the afternoon - although a shame to miss the meal, we were thrilled to be given the opportunity to help with the collection of the grapes and meet a few more neighbours. Simone called us on Sunday morning to confirm “we were on” and should meet Michel at their place at quarter to 9 on Monday morning armed with a “panier” (basket) and a pair of secateurs!
So it’s 8.30 on Monday morning and we’re a little nervous and although it’s a fairly simple task as it’s the first time we’ve properly met some of the other neighbours we just hope it all goes well - I’m armed with secateurs and a camera so we shall see what transpires! It usually only takes a few hours (it’s just a few acres he has) but will be nice to meet a man who makes his own wine on a small scale - something that Tony would quite like to try in the not too distant future.
As you can see from the photos above - we’ve now ‘been there and done that’! It all went very well - it was lovely to meet the rest of our neighbours - all of whom are lovely and treated us very nicely if a little like a curiosity! We arrived just before 9am at the winemaker’s house and his wife offered us some pork terrine & bread washed down with our choice of red wine (there was a magnum of it on the table) or coffee or both! Having just had breakfast, we simply had a cup of coffee and made our way to the vines.
After a few hours of snipping grapes and listening to the banter of people who’ve grown up together, we returned to the winemakers house to actually start the process - we tipped the grapes into a pre-prepared and cleaned barrel - added a few bags of sugar cleaned out our grape trays and the grape bucket on the back of the tractor and sadly we then left as they sat down to their “repas des vendanges” and we came home to clean up and head to Limoges to collect Dad.
They’ve invited us back if we’re around for the vendange next year (last year they did the vendange on 9th Oct so it was a little early this year because of the drought), and also invited us to try some of the “pineau” (a grape based aperitif) which will be ready in the spring.
I’m sure there’s more to it than meets the eye - but the way they’ve just done this makes it appear as though it’s something we should really have a go at - the winemaker thinks he’s almost done with his grapes (which have been growing for more than 50 years) - his sons like drinking the wine but aren’t as fussed with the making of it - perhaps he’ll bequeath his equipment to us one day!!
Happy week ahead and ‘Sante!’ to one and all.
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