Jacques Bony in front of a Tarlant vine in Oeuilly
Last week I interviewed two different harvesters at Champagne Tarlant. Jacques Bony, a traveller, has been working harvest for the Tarlant family for at least 20 years.
“I first came when I was still very young, and ever since we have come back year in year out”, Jacques explains. When asked what he likes the most about the harvest he answers the work, and indeed Jacques seems a lot more at ease carrying cases and emptying buckets in the vines than talking to me.
His family are travelers and seasonal workers, criss crossing the whole of France working several seasonal agricultural jobs. Even though they all have houses in Clermont Ferrand, Jacques and his family prefer the camping life in the open air. “I really like going from place to place seeing different pats of France and catching up with old friends”, Jacques explains. It is the lifestyle he has always known and he loves the freedom it brings. Since Jacques and his family know the different Tarlant vines really well they generally cut the single vineyards and are paid by the kilo. The are proud of their work and are meticulous in sorting and avoiding grapes.
Alexandre Budan loading the press
Alexandre Budan on the other hand is only working his first harvest at Tarlant even if he is no novice to picking grapes in Chamapgne. He explains:
“I am from this village and I have picked grapes and worked as a debardeur all through my teens. Now that I live in Perpignon I felt harvest was a great opportunity to come back and spend some time with my family.”
Alexandre’s mother works in the office at Tarlant that is why he chose to work harvest here. He spends half his time in the vines as a debardeur (emptying baskets of grapes and moving the cases in and out of the rows) and the rest of the time he helps out at the press and in the cellar. He prefers working at the press as he feels the work is less physical.
“At the press we have peak periods when we have to load the press, but the rest of the time the work is easier on the body; when you are in the vines as debardeur or picker the work is a lot harder on the body”, explains Alexandre.
About Caroline
Caroline is a certified Sommelier (by the CMS) and WSET diploma student. In order to specialize in the wines of Champagne she moved to the region and currently works as a wine consultant, wine educator and wine writer. She is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers and writes for several international publications including Palate Press, Snooth, Wine-Searcher, Decanter and Vinogusto; further activities include teaching Champagne related courses at Reims Management School and organizing personalized tasting experiences at http://www.tastingswithatwist.wordpress.com as well as being a regular judge at international wine competitions.
