It all seems so beautiful, but there is so much behind a bottle of wine.
Each vine must be planted and tended
Even in winter there’s vineyard work to do.
Spring brings bud break and vigilance for disease.
Bud break – a vulnerable time early in spring.
Weather is out of the winegrower’s control
Each vine is tied to the post by hand; every year.
The green setting would never produce a photo like this.
The best vineyards must be tended by horse and by hand.
The grapes must be thinned, sometimes mulitple times through the season
The goal: every bunch, perfect
Protect the grapes from disease, mold, birds.
Three weeks from harvest, drop 1/2 the fruit from every bunch to maximize quality.
Waiting for the perfect moment of ripeness: grapes, pips, skins, stems
A year’s work to ensure the grapes are the best they can be.
Grapes ready for harvest at their peak
For the best quality, harvest by hand.
1 bin at a time, row by row.
Machine harvest would be easier and cheaper.
A year’s work in the vineyard, captured at one moment
No rest between harvest and grapes safely in the fermenter.
The glamour of harvest
Monitor the juice – daily.
Fermenting grapes need to be watched closely.
In the winery, cleanliness is king.
There is always something needing to be cleaned.
Did we mention there’s lots of cleaning?
Punchdowns are very physical, 2-3 times a day, every day for weeks.
Punch, lift, repeat…
Exhausted from punchdowns, take a minute to share with guests.
Neverending work in the winery
Each barrel in the entire cellar must be tended weekly.
Watching over every bottle
Taxes, authorities, associations all must be followed
All so we can enjoy this.
A photo essay . . . well done! Great interpretation of the theme. Salud!
By armchairsommelier on February 11, 2014 at 1:37 pm
thanks!
By foodwineclick on February 11, 2014 at 9:49 pm
Loved it! Fabulous behind-the-scenes photo essay! Would love to see more (yeast packaging, filters, sulphur…all of it)!
By Zelda on February 11, 2014 at 1:53 pm
I agree. As we travel, we try to see (and photograph) every step we can.
By foodwineclick on February 11, 2014 at 9:50 pm
That is beautiful, great take on the theme, well done !
By Antoine (Wine Ramblings) on February 11, 2014 at 2:21 pm
Thank you!
By foodwineclick on February 11, 2014 at 9:50 pm
Very creative play on the theme! I love it!
By talkavino on February 11, 2014 at 2:44 pm
Thank you, Anatoli!
By foodwineclick on February 11, 2014 at 9:51 pm
Some beautiful photos and a great story… Made me smile and made me thirsty!
By Confessions of a Wine Geek on February 11, 2014 at 4:06 pm
Thank you, Anthony!
By foodwineclick on February 11, 2014 at 9:52 pm
What a beautiful photo essay!
By Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) on February 11, 2014 at 4:35 pm
Thank you, Mardi!
By foodwineclick on February 11, 2014 at 9:54 pm
Gorgeous photographs, Jeff! Wonderful idea to tell the story of a winemaker’s devotion through images as much as words. Cheers!
By The Thirsty Kitten on February 11, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Thanks, Lucy! Photos are easier for me than writing, so the photo essay seemed natural.
By foodwineclick on February 11, 2014 at 10:01 pm
Reblogged this on mwwcblog.
By mwwcblog on February 11, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Fantastic!
By $12 taste buds on February 13, 2014 at 11:20 am
Thanks Kirsten!
By foodwineclick on February 13, 2014 at 11:42 am
[…] this is an easy case, I would say (and it was perfectly presented by Jeff at FoodWineClick in his photo essay about devotion of the winegrower). And how do we get to the devotion of the wine consumer? While […]
By Devotion – The Blog Post I Can Not Write | Talk-A-Vino on February 16, 2014 at 10:45 am
I thought of this angle but I couldn’t have done it justice the way your beautiful photo essay has. Fantastic.
By Sally on February 18, 2014 at 6:42 am
Thanks Sally!
By foodwineclick on February 18, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Beautiful photos!
By SAHMmelier on February 19, 2014 at 9:20 am
[…] Winegrower’s Devotion by Foodwineclick […]
By One Devoted Group | SAHMmelier on February 19, 2014 at 10:11 am
Photos are the best way to have someone appreciate all the hard work that goes into a bottle of wine. Great shots!
By Wine Pass on February 28, 2014 at 5:51 am
Mille Grazie!
By foodwineclick on February 28, 2014 at 3:03 pm
[…] incorporated food, wine & photos into the story. I thought I had a shot with a photo essay in #MWWC7 Devotion. Nothing, nada. Discouraged, I let #MWWC8 pass without an […]
By Fear: Love Wine, Hate to Write | foodwineclick on May 5, 2014 at 10:30 pm