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On the scent of pleasure: a trip to the October grape harvest |
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When the scent of grapes is in the air, the vines are laden and the grapes are plump and juicy, it will soon be time for the highlight of the Bordeaux and Aquitaine wine year to begin.
Even though machines do most of it, the grape harvest is hard work. And it needs plenty of know-how and experience. If the grapes are picked too soon, they will be unripe and sour. But if they are picked too late, many of the berries may be rotten or damaged. So from August onwards there must be regular checks on their ripeness. But there’s no reason to feel gloomy. Especially if the weather has played ball between July and October, and the winegrowers can look forward to another vintage year.
Drenched in lovely autumnal shades, Médoc, St. Emilion or Pomerol are some of the wine-growing regions that are certainly worth a visit. The elegant chateaux with their imposing wine cellars are also open during the grape harvest; some require advance booking, others have fixed opening hours. Tours are also popular around this time; they give visitors a chance to look behind the huge irony gates. Here is a world of pleasure to experience where individual taste can be refined.
The fascination with wine and the culture of wine are not the only things to admire and enjoy in and around Bordeaux. Its festivals, flea markets, charming restaurants and pedestrian areas provide a pleasant ambiance everywhere you go.
You can take advantage of a pleasant flight with Helvetic Airways every Thursday and Sunday until 19 October 2014 to enjoy a few idyllic autumnal days in Bordeaux.
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