The Harvest
The grape harvest has begun in Champagne. At Mareiul sur Ay where we are now, one of the major centres of the operation is very close to the barge. Around it there are roads closed and signs everywhere- beware, wine harvesting. Just two hundred metres away from the barge they are bringing in and crushing the grapes. The road is closed and occupied by trucks and machines, and they are actually working night and day. They have moved a big grape crushing machine into the road. It is raining today so we don't know if that will affect them picking, but we can still hear the tractors and machines going strong down there.
As we have moved on along the Canal Lateral to the Marne and then to the Marne we have been in the middle of the harvest. The picking is all done by hand so there are hundreds of workers coming and going each morning, noon and night even on Sunday. For the first few days of the harvest the weather was wet, but this did not stop the picking. We asked about whether the rain was a problem, and was told "It is not a problem for the grapes". May be a problem though for the pickers who are living in tents and camper vans. They must be finding it hard to keep up the supply of dry clothing. The slopes beside the river are dotted with pickers, white vans and tractors, easily identified by flashing orange lights. The towns are busy with people coming and going, tractors and small trucks full of plastic tubs of grapes, tankers presumably filled up from the pressed grape juice, other trucks taking away the remains of the grapes. It is really quite a buzz in comparison to the sleepy little villages we usually visit. Many windows have muddy jeans hanging outside and there are plenty of muddy shoes and boots sitting outside doors.
The harvest lasts two weeks.
Pictures show:
An old wine press. Nowadays, even with the expensive champagnes, things are automated.
Old equipment used in the wineries for creating the Champagne.
Vineyard
Bunches of Pinot Noir (even though the grapes are dark, the juice is clear)
Anything that moves is used to move the grapes and the grape skins. Tractors, trailers, vans, 4WD vehicles, utilities.
Along side the canal, there are life sized cutouts in steel showing the steps of making Champagne. From tending the grapes to enjoying the product. Here is one example.
Best Regards,
Penny and Dave
