Deux-Pieds
Adopting vines in the Languedoc
The vines
The vendange
The literal translation of the word vendange is “wind of angels.” Isn’t that marvellous? Whether the angels in question are the pickers or the grapes is debatable. Whatever. The grape harvest is a heavenly time, usually in the second week of September. The exact date depends on the ripeness of the grapes.
The grapes are either picked by hand or by tall, spindly machines that look like extras from “The War of the Worlds.” While these machines are super-efficient and can work at night, the hand-picker can choose the ripest and the healthiest grapes and has a more tender touch. But it is hard work and not recommended for those with bad backs or a clean clothes fetish.
On the plus side, there’s nothing like getting your hands dirty and sticky while harvesting grapes in your own vineyard. Also (and you can pick any picker around here and ask them) Domaine Bourdic takes the croissant when it comes to the vendange breakfast and, better still, lunch.
Incidentally, we can’t guarantee that you will pick the grapes from your very own vines. You may be lucky, but choosing which grape-variety is ready to be picked, and when, is a decision the domaine can only make two days in advance, at most. Sorry, but think of it as being less about the player and more about the team.
Hans’s philosophy when it comes to pruning
the Bourdic vines
“When you play an instrument you must practise each day. Each repetition of a scale, played the very best you can, takes you closer to the performance you have in mind. When I prune a vine I think only of the vine I am pruning, not the thousands waiting to be pruned. Each vine has a character and a desire for air that needs to be found and encouraged. I prune each one knowing what kind of wine I have in mind; how and why I want that wine to be. It’s a desire to produce what I imagine.“
