The activities of the winegrowers, accompanied by slightly mysterious terms, hide a world of meticulous attention. They work the vines according to the seasons, culminating with the high point of the year, the harvest, in September.
In Burgundy, the restricted size of the vineyards, the steep slopes of the coteaux, and the search for Excellence, makes it essential to pick and sort the grapes by hand … like most of the other work on the vines, performed from season to season, throughout the year. Each winegrower decides when to harvest, according to the maturity of the grapes and the climatic conditions. Each starts to survey his land minutely from the beginning of September, tasting the odd grape, gauging the precise moment of harvest, with its promise of fullness of flavour and exceptional wines.
Then each wine-producing village of Burgundy comes to life and buzzes with intense and merry community activity.