Harvest

After sampling great wine during my trip to Montalcino, it was time to get my hands dirty and participate in the wine making process. John and his wife live on one of the oldest vineyards in Tuscany. Each year he helps the owners pick the grapes, and he invited the IES group along. Thursday afternoon we boarded a bus to Siena’s countryside to help with the grape harvest.

The grape picking process was easier than I thought: grab the vine, cut the vine, and toss the grapes into the bucket. Precise, delicate touch is not required. I originally believed that gentle care would be needed to tend to the grapes so they didn’t fall from the vine. But as John demonstrated, the tiny fruit explosions were normal as the bunch hit the bucket. I guess its makes sense considering they’re all going to be squeezed and mashed up together eventually.

So we got to work two to a row. One person works on one side of the vine, her partner on the other. You fill up your red plastic bucket about half way full and then leave it on the side of the row to be picked up later by the truck.

The grapes came off the vine in huge bunches and not anything like the bunches of grapes you see in the grocery market. The fruit was smaller and packed tightly together, sometimes even sealed around the support wires. The grapes were deep purple in color with white grape bunches more sparsely mixed in. I’m not sure whether I picked more grapes or ate more grapes. Grapes from the vine taste so good. It’s a wonderful fresh burst of flavor inside your mouth. Everyone’s tongue was purple by the end.

The Italian family that owns and operates the vineyard were so kind and really appreciated our help. John said they called him four times that day to make sure we were still coming. When he commented that he thought it might rain they assured him that the sun would never go behind the clouds. Also while we were working, we heard them shout, “John! John! You’re the boss, John! God bless America!” We were even invited back to the vineyard for a dinner and wine tasting to try the olive oil they proudly produce from their own olive trees.

We worked for close to three hours in the vineyard that day, clearing nearly 15 rows of grape vines. The sun was setting as we finished our work, spreading a beautiful purple, pink, and orange haze over the hill. I had to pause and take a breath; I never thought I’d be in Italy picking grapes on a Tuscan hillside.

Often times, like this, I have to remind myself to stop for a moment and put down the camera. I tell myself to look around and take in where I am and what I’m experiencing because the photos from a camera will never capture the images, smells, and other sensations I capture in my head. I’m so lucky to be where I am right now, meeting interesting people and experiencing this new culture. This was certainly a day I’ll never forget.