Join the Harvest
In Bordeaux, harvest is arguably the most important time of the year, with thousands of winemakers awaiting the perfect moment to harvest their grapes and start the winemaking process. Your harvest experience can be as hands-on or hands-off as you like. Get involved with the picking or sit back and observe from a distance as the grapes are gathered and the winemaking process begins. Lunch could be a rustic affair with the harvest team or a more intimate picnic overlooking the vineyards. Whatever your preference, you will enjoy delicious food, fine wines and a wonderful atmosphere of conviviality.
Duration:
1 day
Included in this itinerary
Full-day private wine tour of with guide and driver featuring harvest activities
Rustic vineyard lunch with a harvest team
Tastings of various vintages
Private transfers to and from accommodations.
This experience can be added to any itinerary during the harvest period.
Harvest, or “vendanges,” means both a busy time for the chateaux, but also a time for celebration, in which many locals and tourists can take part. It is arguably the most important time of the year in Bordeaux and it is fascinating to witness the exactitude with which the process unfolds. Harvest experiences allow you to get involved with the harvest or even just observe from a distance while enjoying a gourmet lunch overlooking the vineyards.
Your private harvest experience can be enjoyed at a handful of chateaux across the Bordeaux region and even Cognac. Wherever it might be, we can assure you that your day will be nothing short of fascinating.
Depending on your preferences, your experience can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you like.
Here are just a few ideas how you can experience it up close and personal:
Watch as the grapes are harvested and sorted by hand and placed into vats to begin their fermenting process - or even better, experience it first hand by picking some of the grapes yourself.
Taste grapes from different plots as they are being hand picked from the vines;
Be among the first to taste the latest vintage by tasting the fermenting wines straight from the vat;
Enjoy lunch with the winemaker and the harvest team at the harvester’s table and enjoy old vintages of the chateau’s wines.
Our harvest experiences are extremely popular, and with very few properties offering this opportunity to experience the harvest firsthand, it is advisable to start planning early.
This experience can be incorporated into any itinerary during harvest season.
Please note that itinerary descriptions are for illustrative purposes only. Each itinerary is customized to your specific needs and priced accordingly.
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