Mademoiselle Merlot is on her way to the Vigneron this morning. Harvesting of the reds began a week or so ago and today’s the day for the Merlot vine we watched all through last year.

Our village is full of the sounds of grape harvesting.

Machinery rumbles through the vineyards. There’s the whining of gears and belts. Tractors bump along streets where there’s a slick of grape juice, blackened now and sticky and hot with wasps. From the cooperative vigneron a humming sound adds to the harvest symphony.

The air smells yeasty. It’s the smell of the earth and grapes and fermenting. It makes your mouth water.

We’re lucky here in our corner of Hérault. Further inland, toward Carcassonnne massive hailstones in July decimated vineyards. ( To see how big these hailstones can be just click on the link in green.)

In some places more than 80% of wine growers’ crops were destroyed. Hailstones smash young grapevines to pieces.

Fortunately, our Mademoiselle Merlot has made it through safely

and we can look forward to winter warmers to accompany our beef stews.

Here’s what’s also happening today on our street.

Can’t do without log fires through the winter. Ah, a comfy chair, a good book and a glass of Merlot. Lovely. Here’s himself getting started on building a new pile near the house.

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