5 wineries where you can join the grape harvest

While most winegrowers have their regular team of pickers – and some could use an extra pair of hands this year – there are also large wineries and genuine wine resorts that open their doors so you can get a taste of the atmosphere during La vendemmia. At these winemakers, you can gently roll up your sleeves in the field and in the cantina, learn about the winemaking process and then be rewarded with a glass and sometimes an extensive lunch as well. Win-win.

Picking grapes during la vendemmia

Ca’ San Sebastiano – Piedmont

At wine resort Ca’ San Sebastiano in Piedmont, the day starts with a picnic around lunchtime in the shade of two large oak trees in the vineyard. The menu includes panini with salami, savoury tart, salads with vegetables from the garden, a local hazelnut cake and half a bottle of wine per person. Satisfied, you then head into the field with the winemakers to pick and press grapes, and anyone who feels like it can even take a bath in wine. How much does it cost? €50, with the wine bath costing an additional €45.

Ca’ San Sebastiano – Via Ombra, 10-12, Ombra

Castello di Velona – Tuscany

La vendemmia at Castello di Velona is one for luxury lovers. Experts take you into the field to observe the picking and pressing that produce the prestigious Brunello di Montalcino. The package also includes a tasting and a picnic in the vineyard with ham and cheeses. The damage for this feast is a hefty €280, but that also gives you the option of having your photo taken, with the winery tagging you. An expensive joke, I know.

Castello di Velona – Strada Provinciale della Badia di Sant’Antimo, Castelnuovo dell’Abate

Castiglion del Bosco – Tuscany

Probably not much cheaper – since the price is available on request – is the grape harvest at Castiglion del Bosco. Then again, it is one of the most beautiful hotels in all of Italy. In the vineyard, you discover the secrets of the grape harvest, from a lesson in terroir to harvesting techniques and selecting Sangiovese grapes in the cantina. Inside, you also learn about the fermentation of the grapes and the ageing of the wine, which you can see with your own eyes. Finally, there is also a tasting session on the programme: six of their own wines, including Brunello di Montalcino, plus charcuterie made from their own meat production, cheese, their own olive oil and fresh bread.

Castiglion del Bosco – Val d’Orsia

Tenuta Torciano – Tuscany

Near the tower village of San Gimignano, you spend an hour in the morning exploring the vineyard of Tenuta Torciano with a guide. He tells you about the plants, as well as the effect of the weather and seasons on the fruit, after which you can get to work picking with a pair of scissors. In the wine cellar, the guide takes you through the production process, teaching you exactly how the grapes are turned into grape juice and then wine. Naturally, it ends with a tasting and an extensive lunch. It will cost you, though, as the entry-level option (in San Gimignano) comes to €250. If you opt for Montalcino from the same winery, you pay twice as much.

Tenuta Torciano – Via Crocetta, 18, Ulignano

Tenuta Cavalier Pepe – Campania

At this winery in the province of Avellino, you can book a wine tour until 25 October that takes you through the vineyard and cellar. You take part in the grape harvest, receive an explanation of the stages of grape growth, taste grapes while walking and get a glimpse of how they are pressed in wooden vats. This is followed by a tasting and lunch at La Vista restaurant. The price is available on request.

Tenuta Cavalier Pepe – Via Francesco de Sanctis, Sant’Angelo All’esca

You can find more wineries to visit during la vendemmia here.

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Source: Italiamo