🍇 Manual vs. mechanical harvesting: the war of the secateurs

Ah, the grape harvest... that crucial moment when everything is at stake, the climax of the wine world! As the sun sets over our beaches and rooftops, winegrowers get busy in the rows of vines. First in the south, then gradually moving up towards the Loire, Champagne, Alsace...

But before we celebrate the next bowling pins that will come out, let's talk a little technically. Two options: by hand or by machine? One is full of camaraderie, wicker baskets, and sandwich breaks under the fig tree. The other solution is faster than lightning with the grape harvester! 🎢

Hand in the bunch: Manual harvesting

Mechanical harvesting is fast, practical, and economical! And of course, it's ideal when you have 80 hectares to harvest before the rain or several grape varieties with different ripeness levels. The downside is that the machine doesn't sort and weighs several tons, making it less effective than humans for the soil...

Hand-harvesting is the art of detail. We choose the best bunches, avoid rotten ones, respect the wildlife, the soil, and especially the berry. No crushing, no oxidation. The dream for natural wine, where no additives will camouflage a failed harvest. 🙏 And then, it's also a question of philosophy: observing the grapes, sensing their ripeness, taking the time to do things as well as possible...

But it's not without effort! Finding motivated harvesters, capable of staying on site for several weeks, is often a headache. The grapes don't all ripen at the same time, the plots are staggered... You have to be patient, tenacious, and sometimes improvisational. The vast majority of our winegrowers practice manual harvesting!

Some examples that command admiration 🍷

At Cyril Alonso's, in the green Beaujolais , there's not a machine in sight: his 140 grape varieties are tended by hand, on steep slopes and craggy granite. It's almost like wine mountaineering. Everything is done with respect for life, right down to the beehives for pollination and the sowing of seeds to encourage genetic diversity. A harvest that's an ode to biodiversity.

And at Théo Einhart in Alsace , the harvest begins at dawn to preserve the freshness and crispness of the grapes. Here, we harvest in the cool of the day, we sort on the vine, we care for the grapes like a jewel. The method is ancient, slow, demanding - but the result is there: lively, expressive wines, anchored in their terroir.

And in Champagne, it's impossible to pretend: manual harvesting is mandatory! And that's a good thing. At Domaine Fleury, a pioneer of biodynamics in the Côte des Bar, we harvest by hand, we press gently, we age with patience. Jean-Pierre and Jean-Sébastien Fleury embody an exemplary approach to natural champagne. On their clay-limestone soils, the grapes are picked by hand, the juices are vinified without sulfur, and the bubbles are born without additives. A master's work for straightforward, fine champagnes, without makeup, which allow the Pinot Noir of the Aube to fully express itself. 🍾

So, this summer, while you sip a nice fresh white wine (found here 👀), think of those who sweat in the vineyards so that the juice is good, healthy, and natural. And if you want to know more or fill your cellar while waiting for the next vintages, you know where to click. ⬇️

👉 Discover our natural wines here!!

📝 In summary:

🍷 The harvest is coming, and it's the decisive moment for the quality of the wine

✋ Manual harvest = quality + respect for the soil + careful sorting

🚜 Mechanical harvest = speed but with a little less finesse

🌿 The majority of our estates harvest by hand!