Grape-picking

According to the traditional method, the grapes are always picked by hand. The harvest is the most important event of the year. We pick the grapes from 12,000 vines, which are then pressed immediately.

The harvest takes place in September or October. The acidity and sugar levels of the different grape varieties must be just right! That is incredibly important. Because, as Marnix always says, otherwise he can’t make wine...

The picking takes about eight days on average and goes on non-stop, hopefully in sunshine but also in rainy weather. Experience has taught us that we work best with a picking team of around twenty people.

We work with a few permanent pickers for the heavy lifting, but most of the picking is done by enthusiastic volunteers. The pickers absolutely love what they do! Armed with clear instructions, a picking stool, a pair of secateurs and two buckets – one for the good grapes and one for the bad – they head into the vineyard. At lunchtime we treat them to a meal, and at the weekend everyone joins us for an evening meal. As a token of our appreciation, we give vouchers for a bottle of Cuvée Alliance, which can be redeemed after one or two years. 

Everything harvested each day – an average of 1,600 kg – is pressed immediately in the estate’s own winery. A pressing cycle takes around five hours, including pressing and cleaning. The harvest crates and buckets are washed daily. After that, the vinification process begins, along with the rest of the work in the winery.