A very fun morning

Hello everyone, for those who don't know, I work with 4 and 5 year olds in a kindergarten. And as some of you already know, the nursery is in the middle of the forest and we have a huge farm 😃

We had already picked some grapes and today was the day to step on the grapes

At this time of year, people begin to think about the harvest, even though the whole process until reaching the grape harvest starts earlier.

In fact, the harvest is the culmination of almost a year of work on the ground – that is, in the vineyard.

If you think that this is an interesting practice only for wine lovers, be wrong! The spirit and all the surroundings make it one of the moments of greater conviviality and joy, becoming increasingly sought after.

The Tradition in Portugal
Although the harvest is associated only with the picking of the grape, the truth is that it encompasses all the activities that take place before, such as preparation, and after, until the sale of the fruit or the production of wine.

In short:
The process begins with pruning, in mid-January, going through the formation of bunches, in spring, until picking, usually in late summer and early autumn. However, in our country, the harvest season can occur in different months, depending on the location of the vineyards, the species of the grape itself and the temperatures
that are felt.

Over time, this practice has increasingly attracted the interest of many people, and some farms are now open to tourists looking to experience the spirit of sharing typical of the harvest. Therefore, it is a very popular time for the so-called weekend getaways.

Preparation
Before picking the grapes, there are some measures to be taken, as a way of guaranteeing quality and saving the time required for harvesting.

One of them is to clean the land, so that the tractors can move freely. Furthermore, some techniques, such as defoliation, create favorable conditions for maturation and contribute to the reduction of the incidence of diseases in the fruit, such as rot.

After all this, and before getting to work and picking up the bunches, it is necessary to have all the materials for the harvest, not only the crushers but also the baskets, boxes, bins and vats.

After the catch
After picking the bunches, it is necessary to load the boxes to the cellar with great care so that they do not arrive damaged.

Then they are taken to the crusher.

This process results in the must, that is, the grape juice, which is left to ferment for about 5 days.

Finally, it is removed to the barrels, where the fermentation process continues, until it is ready for consumption.

As for the solid parts that remain, such as the seeds, they are placed in presses, in order to be squeezed to, after distillation, give rise to brandy.

I hope you like it, see you soon friends 😀

I hope you like it, see you soon friends 😀