An American in Piedmont, Chapter 4: The Harvest and Beyond

The year has come to an end, and the harvest is complete. Life in the vineyard is settling into winter pruning and dormancy. A year of learning firsthand about being a vineyard owner in Piedmont comes to a close. In this final article, Traci shares the harvest experience, reflects on the past year, and plans for what’s ahead.

We have all seen the stunning photos of a vineyard during harvest. There is beauty and completion with the harvest, yet on the flip side, it is one of the most grueling times in the vineyard, both physically and mentally. The physical challenges are many. Traci finds that in Piedmont, the two most difficult tasks are cutting the grapes from the vine - done 100% manually - and lifting and moving the crates in the blazing hot Piedmont sun. The mental challenges revolve around the logistics of managing a vineyard: where should the crates be placed around the vineyard, how will the crates get to the truck, when is the truck arriving, is an extra trailer required, what about extra crates?

In years past, harvest time was a family and friends time in Piedmont, each family farming an average of 2 - 3 hectares (~5 to 7.5 acres). Over the last several decades, vineyards have consolidated, and today the average vineyard is 5 to 6 hectares (~12.5 to 15 acres). Today, farmers still help each other during the harvest, but the growth in vineyard size means that more people are required in total to harvest the grapes. This has fueled the need for coopertivas to complete the harvest in a timely manner. The extra help is important, as harvest timing is critical: the local cantinas (wineries) want the grapes at optimum levels of sugar and acid, in very prescriptive timeframes.

Foremost among Traci’s mental challenges is the management of the “coopertiva”, or group of seasonal farm workers. While the coopertiva is organized to pick grapes, most of the workers are focused on putting in the hours for their salary, not caring for the grapes or doing this highly manual work in a careful manner. In addition to knowing how to harvest, the coopertiva must understand the logistics of the harvest. This is complicated by the fact that each year there are new people participating who aren’t familiar with the vineyards. (One year, two people in the coopertiva helping Traci started harvesting a neighbor’s vineyard!) It is essential to keep things going, and there are a lot of moving pieces that need to be organized effectively during the harvest.

Another component that is critical to the harvest is the weather. Weather can greatly impact harvest timing - if the grapes are picked too soon, they may have too much acidity; too late and too much sugar; too much rain, and the flavors and aromas will be muted by the excess water in the grapes. Critically, if the grapes spend too much time on the vine, they begin to dehydrate. While this concentrates the sugars, the grapes lose their water content, and subsequently their weight. Vineyard owners in Piedmont are paid at the cantina based on the weight of the grape; if an owner waits too long, their income can be significantly lower. The entire process is a delicate dance of many things in your control as a grower and things that are not.

Ultimately, in Piedmont, the timing of the harvest and the order in which the varietals are harvested is dictated by the ‘consorzio’ (local consortium) and cantinas in the region. As with all grape harvests around the world, it is essential that the right balance of sugar and acid is reached prior to harvest. In Langhe, the harvest is all manual and Traci and Graham follow the timing and rhythm of Langhe for the grapes on their farm.?

The first varietal picked is Pinot Nero. Pinot Nero is the most labor intensive for Traci and Graham. Pinot Nero grapes need to be delivered whole - the skins can not be broken. The grapes are picked and put into crates immediately. The crates are then put on a wheelbarrow and transported across the vineyard to be loaded into a ‘transcar’ (small agricultural truck), where they are driven directly to the cantina for processing.

Next up for harvest are their Moscato grapes. This varietal is the most stressful. Everyone in Langhe starts their harvest at the same time. Due to the volume and time sensitivity of the harvest, this means that the streets of Langhe are filled with tractors and trucks transporting the grapes to cantinas at all hours of the day. These grapes are picked and put into crates, and the crates are dumped into a ‘brintone’ (a movable bucket on the back of a tractor). The filled brintone is dumped into a waiting truck or trailer. One of Traci’s Moscato vineyards is a ‘sori’ (a very steep vineyard with a 49% slope). The tractor cannot access all of the rows so there is a tractor street every six rows. This means that the crates need to be pulled down, by hand, to the tractor street for dumping into the brintone. This is a very tiring process, and it’s important to make certain that crates aren’t left behind and that the picking crew have enough empty crates on hand so the harvest isn’t delayed.?

Following the grueling work in the Moscato vines, Dolcetto is a relaxed harvest, picking is typically done with friends. Currently and in years past, Dolcetto was the final harvest, and brought a sigh of relief to Traci and Graham. However, with newly planted Nebbiolo grapes, this varietal will be the final harvest in two years time.?

It’s no surprise that Traci is ready to rest after the harvest, but before doing so, she washes the crates with a high pressure wash and catches up on vineyard work that she didn’t get to during the spring or summer. This typically means putting stakes in the ground for new plants and tying the plants to stakes to ensure they grow straight. During this time, Traci cleans the vineyard by pulling out sick plants, weeding between the plants, and cutting back the vines after the leaves have fallen off. And, after all of this, a celebration of a year well-worked with a glass of local Dolcetto is a necessity!

Traci and Graham do not plan to plant new vineyards. Their current 5 hectares (~12.5 acres) capture all of their time and a good share of their funds. The expense of a new vineyard is incredibly high. In addition, global warming adds a new level of risk to starting new plantings. Traci recalls a cartoon Graham sent her: “How to become a millionaire - start as a billionaire and then plant a vineyard”. Ultimately, Traci hopes that she and Graham have created a place in Langhe that her daughter will return to and truly appreciate the passion and care they have put into the land.

If you are interested in visiting Santo Stefano Bilbao or the Langhe region, Traci offers a few tips:?

• She recommends a car to travel from farm to farm;?
• You can find places to stay on Airbnb and through booking.com;?
• Plan your visit based on the styles of wine you would like to try - research cantinas and restaurants to set up a time;?
• You can wing it and stop at cantinas that look interesting, although you will not always find them open.?

There are many lovely family-owned cantinas in Langhe. The cantinas are filled with people who are proud of the work that has gone into each bottle of wine and are happy to share a taste with guests. Salud!

I admire what Traci and Graham have done to fulfill their dream of owning a vineyard. The hard work and dedication required to maintain their dream is inspiring. Thank you for sharing a glimpse into vineyard ownership and a view of the beautiful Langhe region.

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