It’s my Vineyard

You would be surprised but it is true that plastic containers for the grapes are, this year, like gold dust! Again we answered adverts and put up adverts everywhere but those found had already been quickly sold, and we had to be extra quick to respond. One early morning we set off for the pretty little village of Charnay, south of Villefranche where we met M. Barrot, who sadly was having to give up producing wine this year. After a degustation of last years production, a cool dry Rose and a red Beaujolais Village, we inspected the famous bennes, all fifty of them, they will fit nicely in our green trailor, and they were half the price of new ones. Twenty six buckets were also avalable, and a set of well cared for greased secateurs, which we also bought. It is important that the pickers use special secateurs so that the whole bunch of grapes can be cut and drop neatly into the hand with the minimum of trauma to the delicate fruit. It seems that loading the grapes into relatively small containers, the bennes, instead of into an enormous container on the back of a tractor, called a ‘bac’ is the traditional way of the vendange, and local people here are returning to this methd. Again there is less squashing of the grapes, it is crucial that the they arrive in the cuvage as un spoiled as possible. The method we will use also enables the grapes to be sorted more easily in the vineyard, as the smaller bennes containing their bounty can be checked on site for any unwanted vegetation or damaged fruit, instead of in the cuvage.

We were warmly received by the Barrot family and it was interesting yet sad to hear their story, how they had met each other while tending their separate herds of cows, how as the collection of milk from the more isolated regions became uneconomical as the industry became more centralised and mechanised, how they turned to wine production, when times were good, managed to build a house high up with a beautiful view over the rolling Beaujolais hills. They rented vines, an arrangement known as a ‘fermage’ and sold their wine.

We have had some very hot weather over the last few days, people are beginning to say that the grapes will be ready around the 25th of August. We have spent some idyllic evenings eating outside with friends. My hand painted notice at our gate inviting passers by to taste our wine, seems to be working, more visitors from Belgium today and the charming young English couple will call in again on their way back tomorrow for some more of the delicious 2006 with its smart new labels!