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Grape picking:
After a good night sleep, take a tour round the vineyard with Dr. Brochet to test crop maturity. Using your taste buds and technical gadgets you’ll analyze the results and decide which are the best grapes to pick.
The entire band of pickers will come and help out with the picking. They’re a rough bunch and being locals they know the meaning of the word ‘tradition’. This is their life. Picking is hard work but there are trucks and lifting equipment to spare your back and “Jean” the Master Picker might just allow you a quick coffee break at the end of the first row! As your eyes gaze over the vineyard, you can see over 20 km into the distance – unique terroir indeed!
As the aroma of Sauvignon grapes wafts through the air, your hands are stained black by the Cabernet tannins. By the time the clock chimes for lunch, you’ll have worked up quite an appetite.
Eating:
Enjoy lunch together at the farmhouse table – everyone with their own individual lunch basket packed up by the local one star chef. Rinse off the dust with a glass or two of wine and listen to the tongues start to wag. But there’s no time for a nap – it’s back to work – those bunches of grapes are waiting for you!
Crushing:
After lunch it’s crushing time. Dr Brochet will explain every step of the process in detail. Taste and watch, your must become better and better. See the yeasts dividing naturally, turning your grape juice in wine. After all that’s why you came!
You might even have to tread grapes in the tanks to extract more color. This process provides oxygen to the yeasts and flavor to the wine.
Don’t worry – you won’t be left in there!
Ampelidae dinner at Curzay:
After all the hard work it’s time for a special dinner.
Choose the wine that you’ll be contributing to doing during a unique horizontal tasting of more than 10 wines. It’s one star cuisine again and Eric Jean will reveal his secrets for matching food with wine.
Sweet dreams everyone! |
