Winemaker from Father to Son: a Harvest Adventure

Winemaker from father to son is more than just a legacy. It’s a way of life, a passion that runs through generations and comes alive every year at harvest time. For Eric, this season was special. Because for the very first time, he joined Bruno in the cellar. And what he discovered was as demanding as it was fascinating.

Winemaker from father to son, learning every day

Eric has always been surrounded by vines. As a child, he watched his father Daniel and his grandfather Louis, who has now passed away but remains deeply present in everyone’s memory. He already knew gestures, scents, and the atmosphere of harvests. But this time, he stepped into the other side of the story, the place where the real winemaking begins.

From 6:30 in the morning, his day gets underway. A slice of pizza, a bottle of Red Bull, and he’s ready to go. Because during harvest, the hours don’t really count. So Eric starts by measuring the densities of the previous day’s grapes as well as the morning’s. Then he receives the fruit. His father Daniel is on the harvesting machine. His brother Nicolas brings the grapes back to the cellar by tractor. Afterwards, Eric fills the hopper, de-stems, and empties the stems into the trailer. Sometimes, he even carries out transfers from tank to tank. Each step is a new lesson. And every day, he learns more.

Technical skills and human discoveries

But what impressed him the most were the presses. These are brand-new models, packed with technology. They allow the winemaker to fine-tune each stage of the process with remarkable precision. Eric watches closely, listens carefully, and begins to understand how they work. Then he climbs up the walkways to check the tanks. There, he handles the cooling system, adjusting temperatures and keeping fermentations under control.

And that’s not all. He also prepares the samples for the daily visit of the oenologist. This task gives him the chance to be directly involved in the essential follow-up of the wines. Along the way, he learned something simple but fascinating: the sugar level of the grapes will almost exactly match the future alcohol level of the wine. These little insights make him even more passionate.

Still, harvest isn’t only about technology. Because the atmosphere matters too. With a smile, Eric jokes that “the boss isn’t too tough,” speaking of Bruno. He works without counting the hours. As long as there is something to be done, he carries on.

So this first experience will remain unforgettable. Because it represents family spirit, the bond between a father, a son, and a brother. And even if Louis is no longer there, his memory guides every gesture. Being a winemaker from father to son means all of this. It’s memory, transmission, and a living passion for harvest.