🍷 Grape picker

A grape picker is a person who cuts bunches during the harvest season. The work usually lasts several weeks in late summer and autumn. The winemaker decides exactly when, judging by the ripeness of the berries.

Pickers work with secateurs or knives. Bunches go into small buckets or crates and are then carried to large bins. It is hard work: bending, working on slopes, often in heat or damp weather. For the most valuable wines and steep slopes hand picking is needed: it lets pickers choose only healthy bunches and avoid damaging the berries.

Hand picking is contrasted with machine harvesting. A machine is faster but less selective. For Champagne and some other appellations, hand picking is required by the rules. The harvest matters to people and to the region: in those weeks wine areas employ many seasonal workers. The harvest is also tied to harvest festivals. This job is the basis of every wine.