24 September 2014

Les vendanges

The two men who work year-round tending the Domaine de la Renaudie's vines have started their vendanges — the grape harvest. Most of the harvesting around here is done by machine. Only a few special parcels of vines are harvested by hand.





Day before yesterday one of the first vineyard parcels harvested consisted of several long rows of Chardonnay grapes that grow just down the hill from our house, on the north side. Then the harvest of the more extensive parcels of Sauvignon Blanc grapes all around the Renaudière vineyard got under way. The weather remains pretty dry, and the red grapes will stay on the vines a while longer.

10 comments:

  1. Surprising to see an American branded tractor. I would have thought Europe would make their own, with appropriate equipment for grape harvesting.

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    1. Ah, I did not know there was a German Ford factory. Massey Ferguson was seen here, but I am not sure now. John Deere is very big here.

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    2. Maybe British rather than Getman.

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  2. Might be a German Ford. I see a lot of farm equipment here from Massy Ferguson and John Deere.

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    1. There is a Massey Ferguson factory in Beauvais ( 60) , 50 km north of Paris.

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    2. According to Wikipedia, John Deere has factories in France too, including one in Saran outside Orléans. Sorry I misspelled Massey Ferguson.

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  3. The vintage tractors of the RetroMecanique guys include Farmall and International Harvester makes. I've seen Alliss Chalmers around here too. Maybe we're going back to Lend-Lease days. Pauline

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  4. Ford has been producing tractors in the UK since the early 20th century. They started in the US as Fordson (no relation) but were acquired by Ford. US production ceased in 1928 but continued in the UK under Ford Ltd. Ford Ltd. has produced a number of very distinctive English cars, such as the Ford Anglia (recently revived in popularity as the Weasley's car in Harry Potter).

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    1. Thanks Simon. I remember English Fords from back when I was growing up in NC and from France in the '70s. Didn't know about the tractors though.

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  5. I was surprised it was only two men who work all those vines. I guess with the machines you don't need more.

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