©ART GE - Meyer©ART GE - Meyer

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PICKER: THE GRAPE HARVEST EXPERIENCE

In Alsace, all eyes turn to the grape harvest from late August until mid-October each year. Curious? Join the Grape Harvest Experience and spend a half-day as a grape-picker – it’s a unique way to get right to the centre of the action.

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The unique grape harvest experience

Organised by the Independent Winemakers of France union, this is an opportunity to pull on your overalls and spend a truly different morning with a team of grape-pickers. Discover what it’s like to be a wine-maker and share in the buzz of the handpicked grape harvest. You’ll start by watching a presentation of harvesting techniques before you head out into the plots of vines to get down to work. Your secateurs will become your best friend as you cut as many bunches as possible, lifting up the vine leaves to check for grapes hidden underneath. You will learn to identify muscat, riesling, pinot noir, sylvaner and the rest of Alsace’s seven grape varieties, and the characteristics of each one.

HAVE FUN, MAKE FRIENDS

In Alsace, the grape harvest is a welcoming affair. Often, the same team of grape-pickers comes back year after year. They have their own traditions, and friendships grow quickly. Joining the team is the perfect way to build authentic holiday memories to cherish. Lunchtime offers an opportunity to chat to your colleagues, perhaps sitting cross-legged on the plot with a snack or crowding round the kitchen table for a delicious home-cooked meal. Once you’ve cut the grapes from the vines, the wine-makers will explain all the different stages involved in turning them into wine. Before you leave, there’s a wine tasting and you’ll be presented with your very own “A day in the life of a picker” certificate.

Full programme