Harvest is the first and foremost activity that takes place in the process of making wine. The perfectly ripe bunches of grapes are carefully picked and transferred over to the wine-makers to turn them into Dionysus’ elixir.
The harvest season starts around August and goes on till late October in most of the northern hemisphere while it lasts from February up to April in the southern hemisphere.
For a wine lover, being part of a harvest can be a very special experience as it brings you closer to the raw essentials, like the berries and the terroir that give the final product its main characteristics.
The harvest experiences that we have in store for you will take you to some of the best vineyards in the world, where you can get your hands dirty picking the grapes that would eventually become some of the finest wines in the world. And if you thought that harvest experiences at Wine Paths are all work and no play, you couldn’t be more wrong! After you spend your time mingling with the vines in the vineyards, you will get to enjoy some great food and wines at the harvest luncheons organized by the wineries among other perks.
So pull up your sleeves and grab your pair of scissors for our list of exclusive harvest experiences all around the world!
Grape harvest or "Vendemmia", as they say in Italian, is one of the great activities you can do at Castiglion Del Bosco. This wine estate located in Tuscany is one of the most renowned in Italy and owned by Massimo Ferragamo. Harvesting at Castiglion Del Bosco is about experiencing the most important and eagerly awaited time of the year! It includes grape picking, picnic in the vineyard, grape selection and stomping, and a tour of the winery with Brunello wine tasting at the winery. Don't miss out on this!
The greatest way to learn about harvest is to experience it out among the sea of 200,000 vines in Clos Marey-Monge at Chateau de Pommard. For three hours, their team will put you to work as you learn many of the processes involved in taking the grape from terroir to cellar, bottle to glass. As a special treat, you get to taste the freshly squeezed, very sweet juice straight from the vat, as well as sample each of the separate five terroirs of the Clos before they go to make the final blend. You will also have the chance to taste a number of finished wines and vintages throughout the day along with a special ‘Picnic Lunch.’
From September 14th to 21st, enjoy a harvest morning in an idyllic scenery among the vineyards of Familia Torres and become an active part of a thousand-year-old tradition. During this workshop, you will get to know, first-hand, the wine-making process: from the selection of the grapes at the vineyard to having a glass of the final product. You will put your senses to the test while savouring wines that are born on the very vineyard you yourself have helped harvest. This tour will include a Catalan breakfast (bread and tomato with Catalan charcuterie) as well as a winery tour with commented wine tasting (grape juice for those under 18).
So, pack your bags and be prepared to have an experience of a lifetime harvesting your way through the most prestigious vineyards of the world!
If you're interested in the best harvest experience, click this link
