The Harvest - Day 1, Italy (Lombardia Region)
I was pleasantly surprised as I began working today. The 12 pickers operated as a team from beginning to end. We harvested six rows of Cabernet Sauvignon at a time, two of us working each row vis-a-vis, filling crates that hold approximately 20 kilograms of grapes (each of these will produce about 20 bottles of wine). Everyone sang, laughed, smiled, and helped those who had not finished their row so that we would all finish our rows together. I even received an Italian lesson from Morena, the gal working across from me. While her lesson consisted of phrases for practical use, the others made sure to teach me all the "other" Italian words I would need for sporting events or the disco this weekend. Jean Francois ("JF"), who manages the operation (which includes 50 acres of vines, a beautiful winery and brand new cellar, and the sales and distribution), could be one of the
When we finished harvesting for the day, a few of us loaded the crates of grapes onto a trailer, then hauled them to the winery where we ran them through a machine to separate the stems / leaves from the grapes. From the separator, the grapes were sent to a stainless steel storage silo
I love it here. I love working with my hands, I love the country, I love the people I'm working with and I love the passion that winemakers have for the process. When I jokingly compared one of JF's wines to Franzia, the smile I thought a fixture on his face quickly disappeared like my glass of spumante following the day's work.
There's a donkey that lives next to the house where I sleep. He's louder than hell (he's making deafening "hee-haw" noises as I type), but he's entertaining. I'll take him a carrot and try to make friends tomorrow.
I can't cook anything, but I'll have to try...I can't eat another ham and cheese sandwich - with the exception of a few pizzas, ham and cheese is all I've eaten for a few weeks now. Tomorrow I will split my day between the cellar and the field. JF thinks I'll grow tired of the field work, but I don't think so.
Current 5k time = 23:40
Last Book Read = The Old Man and the Sea
Comments