After a very windy and sunny weekend, the mistral dropped a bit today, and the weather is splendid!

We have finally started picking the Grenache at Châteauneuf, and have reinforced our “main team” of pickers for the purpose. Grenache constitutes about 30% of the blend of Château de Beaucastel, and 70% of our other Châteauneuf, Les Sinards. So it’s an essential variety for us!

The main team, behind Château de Beaucastel

The grapes are magnificent, perfectly ripe but not over-ripe. The harvest is very healthy, thanks to these exceptional weather conditions, with plenty of wind, over the past weeks.

Between grape sorting sessions, the team picks some olives from the trees just behind Beaucastel. These will produce green olives, once we have removed their natural bitterness by rinsing them and then leaving them to soak for several months in brine. The remaining olives will be picked later on, and we will make a few dozen litres of olive oil from them.

Vines and olives are inseparable in Mediterranean culture.