Cave Cooperative - end of vendanges

Notice on the office of the Cave Cooperative stating the last time for receiving wine - the 2011 harvest I presume, but with such sad decline over the years on never knows.

The list below states the grape varieties and parcels being accepted on each day, although the conflict with the notice above seems to indicate a determination to take Friday 24th off.

Vendange 2011

I spent my first day grape picking this year at Régis and Christine Pichon's Domaine Ribiera in my village Aspiran. 7 am start yes, but at least there was no commute involved. To my surprise it was going to be Grenache and the 22nd August was believed to be the earliest recorded day for a Grenache harvest the village had know. That said, the objective was to make a fresh and expressive wine for drinking young which is not too rich and not too alcoholic. To achieve this the Grenache was being picked "early" and the instructions were to discard all unripe bunches that, by my estimation, amounted to 30% of the crop. Once it starts to ripen Grenache apparently ripens quickly so waiting until those 30% of bunches were ripe would mean 70% were overripe.

It occurred to me that passing through the vineyard a second time at a later date was an option, but as the photo shows, healthy leaf growth makes it near impossible to see and assess the ripeness of an individual bunch without actually cutting it away from the vine. The discarded bunches will return their goodness to the soil and vines so no waste, just loss. At least ideal spring flowering conditions ensured a good crop.

The team were clearly experienced locals with the classy smooth action of hairdressers and speed of champion sheep shearers. 6 hours of picking had just one pause café when I managed to snatch this picture of the team (Christine had popped back to the cave).

No doubt I was expected to make my apologies but kept going and even helped with the destemming of the last batch before a very late lunch. Here the destemmed grapes will be pumped directly from the base of the machine into the cuve, a system that minimises exposure of the juice to the air.

Look what fell down the chimney

This cicada, locally called a Cigale Grise, ended it's days in our fireplace. They've been singing away in all the trees since mid-June this year, it all depends on how soon the soil warms up to 20ºC apparently. They have a curious life-cycle living deep underground for 10 months to several years and emerging on "their year" to metamorphosis into this 2.5cm long adult.

Know your crosses

These are the crosses I've found in the commune. My search was started by the excellent booklet Mémoire de pierres published in 2003 by the Aspiran Groupe Mémoire. This describes eight crosses with some clue as to their location in their name. I have yet to locate the Croix du chemin des Aspes. The Croix du St Georges has been destroyed, seeming when a vineyard was pulled up - I have used a photograph I took back in 2004. Others I have found on the IGN map (2643E Série Bleue) or simply spotted them on walks.

Quarry

This former basalt quarry is sited at the end of the lava flow (see millstone quarry post) that forms the wooded ridge seen from the route past the cemetery and on to the main road for Clermont l'Hérault. It can be glimpsed in favourable light just below the white water tower.

The vertical black roots and horizontal trunk of this Holm oak are embedded in columns of basalt.

Industrial Heritage

Spanish broom (Genêt d'Espagne Spartium junceum) and the factory in the background have a strong connection. The Usine de Garrigues at Aspiran Gare operated until the 1950s and employed some 200 people. Spanish broom was grown throughout the area and processed in the factory to make everything from thread and cord to sacks for transporting goods such as coal. Today the factory area is used to process wood.

Vampire free hillside

Wild garlic growing on a hillside overlooking the Hérault valley and Aspiran Gare. Also growing in the same place is Laitue Vivace (Lactuca perennis) which has a delicious tasting salad leaf.