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Harvesting red Crozes Hermitage starts under the sunshine as well. The alcohol contents are high: at least 13°.

Under the sunshine, the ambience is great...

Except for those who carry the heavy loads...

But after a hard morning’s work, it’s time for a hearty meal. It looks as if the harvesters have only come for Maryline’s tasty dishes.

Those who feel knackered, soon recover and are fit to work again.

Harvesting white Crozes Hermitage started 2 weeks early under a glorious sunshine. The 2009 vintage looks promising as all the vintage years ending by 9 (1969,1979,1989,1999), besides the beautiful summer we have had is a good indication of a great vintage year.

A great year but small quantities. As the saying goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it.

Earthing up: the soil is turned over as deep as 10 to 15 cm by a plough and mounds of soil are drawn around the vine stocks. In between, furrows are thus created so that water can seep into them. On those furrows, various fertilisers will be put and later buried when the soil is ploughed in the spring.

Earthing up is done in the autumn, once the leaves have fallen and when the soil is well drained but before the coldest days of the winter.

In our hilly vineyards earthing up can only be done with the help of a horse (no tractors can be used).

In spite of a somewhat hectic season, the grapes were finally harvested under the sunshine.

Contrary to what you may have heard, the 2008 vintage will offer good quality. So I encourage all wine-lovers to taste it so that they can make their own mind about its quality.

Here's the speech delivered by Olivier on that occasion (on March 22, 2008)

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

First of all, I'd like to thank all the people who helped me renovate this cross.

In this pre-Easter time, I'd like to thank apostle Jean Paul who designed and made this cross, then apostle Philippe who erected it, apostle Jacques who provided transportation and supplied concrete and finally apostle Jean Pierre who provided electricity and took the photos. 

For those apostles, I'd say it's « Mission Accomplished » so they deserve a big round of applause.

This cross is standing ( as many are ) at the crossroads, looking back to the past and looking forward to the future, it symbolises what makes the essence of our job which blends traditions and modernity.

Through this religious symbol, I'd like that each of us may have a special thought for all those generations of winegrowers, parents, grand parents, great grand parents who worked so hard to bring this terroir to us.

I can't consider myself as the owner of this land but only as the warden of this heritage, and I will try to preserve and improve it.

These last years this plot of land has been regaining its fame thanks to the efforts of all those winegrowers.

To conclude, I'd like to call the attention of the 'new local council' to the most impressive heritage of Larnage, I mean, its castle disappearing under vegetation ( because you have to be born here to see those ruins as a castle )

I do know it is a tricky question but it would be nice to tackle the issue because time is running out.
Well, I must stop now, it's time to celebrate so I invite you all for a drink in my winery.

We have been blessed all along this period with lots of sunshine and summer-like temperatures.

Considering the alcohol and phenol levels, we can expect a very good vintage.

2007 has been a surprising year. First, a wonderful spring time suggested an early grape harvest, but July and August were colder thus restoring the natural cycle so that the grape harvest started on September 20, under the sunshine (almost on the same day as in 2006).

On this nice September morning, the white Crozes-Hermitage harvest has started.

The 2007 vintage looks promising.

The grapes look healthy. These last two weeks, a strong wind ("le Mistral") has been blowing, which has helped sugar concentrating. That means this vintage may be rich in aromas with a good alcohol level. 

Complying with basic hygienic rules is crucial during the harvest. Every evening, the bins (locally known as "les bennes") as well as all the implements (wine press, pumps etc .) are steam-washed to prevent unwanted bugs from spreading.

The latest addition to our range of wines: a 100% Syrah "Vin de Pays", aged in barrels (not flavoured with wood chips ).

A silky lightly tannic wine, with a ruby colour, with a typical Syrah blackcurrant and redcurrant nose. A perfect match for your summer barbecues with friends.

Only sold in bottles.

Available: March 2007.

Click here to view the 2006 grape harvest slideshow.

Today we are picking grapes to make Vin de Pays.

Let's take the opportunity to thank somebody you haven 't seen yet on the photos: Maryline!

She runs the guest house but she also has to prepare loads of food for all the grape pickers. And grape pickers love eating! These last two weeks, she has cooked chicken, wild boar with sauce grand veneur (a reduction of red wine with garlic, shallots and red currant jelly, yum!), pork sausages cooked in grape pomace (yum!) and an array of mouth-watering desserts.

Thanks a lot, Maryline. We'll be right back next year!

The 2006 Saint-Joseph grape harvest slideshow:

Let's cross the Rhone river today, to harvest grapes for "Saint Joseph".

This Appellation stretches 2 départements and 26 villages:

• The Ardèche: Andance, Ardoix, Arras-sur-Rhône, Champagne, Charnas, Châteaubourg, Félines, Glun, Guilherand-Granges, Lemps, Limony, Mauves, Ozon, Peyraud, Saint-Désirat, Saint-Étienne-de-Valoux, Saint-Jean-de-Muzols, Sarras, Sécheras, Serrières, Talencieux, Tournon-sur-Rhône and Vion

• The Loire: Chavanay, Malleval, and Saint-Pierre-de-Bœuf

St Joseph has been an appellation since 1956.

Only Syrah grapes are used (sometimes with 10% Roussane and Marsanne white grapes).

We will be back to work next week to pick grapes for our Vin de Pays.

We've finished picking grapes for Red Crozes Hermitage.

Olivier is happy with the quality of the grapes. So do not miss the first tastings  in a few months.

Today we are harvesting Red Crozes Hermitage "La Croix du Verre". Its main characteristics: this wine is made from over 50 year old vines and the wine is aged in oak barrels for 10 months.

A great wine to come.

Harvesting grapes for red Crozes Hermitage is in full swing!

 It's time for further information on the Crozes Hermitage Appellation:

 The area stretches over 1,200 hectares. Larnage, ten other villages produce this AOC wine: Crozes-Hermitage of course, but also Serves-sur-Rhône, Erôme, Gervans, Tain l'Hermitage, Mercurol, Chanos Curson, La Roche de Glun, Beaumont Monteux and Pont de l'Isère.

It has been an Appellation since 1937.

Only Syrah grapes (for the reds) are used (sometimes with 15 % Roussane and Marsanne grapes).

Today, the sun is shining. It's time to harvest grapes for Red Crozes Hermitage.

The grapes are fully mature and they look great.

We take a break. Harvesting the white grapes is over. As red grapes are not ready yet; it's time for a break.

Today, we are harvesting  white Crozes Hermitage.

 The main difference with yesterday's operation: it will be vinified in stainless steel tanks.

As you can see, the ground is a bit steep so all the work is done by hand.

First day of the grape harvest.

 8:00 a.m. Everybody is ready and it's time for Olivier's last recommendations before getting to work.

 On  today's agenda: picking grapes for White Crozes Hermitage "La Croix du Verre".

 At 9, the first grapes found their way  to the winery for pressing. The juice (must) is then put into a tank to let the must settle ... it's a 2-day operation. That clarified juice will be vinified in oak barrels.