Red packs in as we start harvesting the reds

This morning really felt like the start of the Bordeaux harvest as I drove down early to Le Chai. It was still dark and misty; a chill was in the air and a bustle of harvest machines were making their way busily in and out of the vineyards. In town, groups of hand pickers were standing outside of the cafes drinking their coffee and eating croissants, getting ready for the days hard graft.

Henry up at Chateau La Clariere-Laithwaite also started this morning and we were invited to join the first harvest meal cooked brilliantly as always by Olivier’s mum Bernadette.

The winemakers at Le Chai are not the only tired things. ‘Red’ our pump was feeling the strain of the long hours and decided to go on strike … well it is a French pump after all! So I lifted ‘Red’ into the van and took him to ‘Leveque’ in town to get a look over by Dimitri the wine pump doctor. Dimitri was busy in what was like a wine pump hospital, full of old, new and different-sized pumps waiting to be fixed. The waiting area was full of worried owners waiting for the news on their wine pump!

Fortunately ‘Red’ came round after a bit of loving care and is now back at work in Le Chai.