9/5/12

Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong. Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong Dong.

7 am. The clock tower directly next to the winery/my sleeping quarters let me know…time to get up! It wasn’t the best sleep I had ever had, but I must say I was a bit anxious to get up and experience the new world around me. I got up, threw some water on my face, suited up in my Carhartt get-up (from socks to shirt I may add), and headed down the winery stairs to the kitchen.  By the way, I literally live inside the winery. And by inside, I mean I basically have to walk inside the lab, up a flight of steel stairs to a catwalk, pass the press, back to these two lofts where the Kiwi and I reside. My bathroom window looks out over the fermenting tanks!

Anyways, I walked down and made breakfast, buttered bread, two yogurts, and some OJ. We left the winery around 750 and walked across and down the street to the farm shop where we all meet for work to start at 8. I met some of the other guys, including Pipette, the vineyard manager, and we got inside the vans and set off for…wherever. Turns out today’s first stop was a some small parcels in the hills of Cote-Rotie. Quel magnifique! Probably one of the most amazing mornings ever. We basically hiked all over the vineyard, exposing the canopy on one side to the morning sun by pulling leaves as well as trimming bad fruit.

We pretty much worked for about an hour, then took a break at 930. Turns out breaks are very important to the French. We sat around, drank water, coffee, at a snack, and I watched as about 80% of the group smoked their second or third grit (cigarette) of the morning. No, I have not started to smoke yet. We chilled for about a half hour while I listened with little reward to the French conversation. We then got up, drove to another section of vineyard, and continued with the same task.

We finished up at about 1145 and drove back to the farm shop to break for lunch. Turns out lunch is the most important meal of the day for the French. Can you say an hour and a half lunch break? I can’t, especially during harvest, but I guess it will be like this all season long, so I will have to learn I guess.

I live in the larger town of Chavanay, but in the specific hamlet of Verlieu. This is a picture of the background of where I live (right next to the church tower).

I got back to the kitchen, made a jambon et fromage sandwich on a baguette, and pounded water. I then went back up to the room and took a 30 minute siesta. We got back to the farm shop by 130 and headed back out to the vineyard. This time we drove north again to another vineyard in Cote-Rotie and performed basically the same task as earlier in the day.

We finished work around 515 and slowly made our way back to the farm shop. We finish work everyday at 530. We got back home and the Kiwi and I went to the market to get some food for the next couple of days. French markets are weird and not designed well. There is everything from toilet seats, to vacuums, to stationary, to TV’s, to non-refrigerated eggs, to powdered milk, to half-beers. Half-beers? Really? Now I have to drink two just to get my fix. Anyways we grabbed some stuff and headed home. And by headed home I mean walked a half mile with a 12 pack and a bunch of groceries because we don’t have a vehicle. Pskndjnfbfb!! We got back and I made dinner, basic pasta, with some of the left over salad from the night before. Oh and I had 1 and a half beers since we were tricked into buying the small guys. Next thing you know it is bedtime and my first day on the job is over.