FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Attentive to the expectations of her guests, she had indeed swept up at the door, but the wind picked up and the leaves came back.

I'm sure you can extract some good stories from your 'rock stars' when you get to know them better à table in the evenings. I wish I could be part of that team.

Comme d'habitude, beautiful photos - which cépage is it on the opening picture?

Bonne vendange.

Once long ago, in my youth, Daddy decided he would plant a patch of cotton. To this day I can remember the back breaking labor of bending over all day and picking cotton, for all of a penny or so a pound. So I am under no false illusions when it comes to harvesting grapes. However, besides the comraderie and the beautiful view you do have one reward that certainly didn't grace our table... bonne santé à tous!

In this virtual world of ours, the grass will always look greener on the other side of the blog.

wish I could have been there...I would have loved to have been a part of it. I've always loved helping my brother with his cranberry harvest....long days and hard work but a great team effort I'm sure similar to what you experience with your grape harvest.

Perhaps, after the "rock stars," have departed back into their anonymity you could do do a CV photo essay on your "grape farm." Your written description whets my appetite for pictures to aid my visualization as I read posts about your perigrinations about the grounds.

Can I come next year? Please email me! I just found your blog this summer, but one of my first thoughts was "I want to go pick grapes there!" (a life-long dream, along with working in a chocolaterie, a boulangerie, etc.) My only holdback is that my son plays American football, and I don't want to miss his games!

Just finished your book - very entertaining!

Carol: thanks for the translation!

Punch: they sound similar to my ear....

Jens: I don't (er hum...) know which cepage it is.... Hope to see you for a future vendange.

Andrea: muchas gracias (did you notice I spelled that right this time. Just for toi et ta maman :-)

Thank you, Monique... and to Adele (and Virginia) I should point out (re hostessing and kitchen shears: I am not cooking for the harvesters this year, but am only in charge of the family's meals (kids, husband, beau-frère...) The volunteer harvesters are in charge of packing their own lunch for the ten or so days that they are here.) We offer room via shared accomodation (in town, not here at the farm) and board (covering all food expenses), and will have three dinners here. (Traci, Martina, and other interested vendangeurs: Do you all still feel like volunteering to pick grapes? :-)

Cindy: I'm grateful now for the grapes... pas de cotton, thank you very much.

Bonnie: good to know you've finished your harvest. Aaaahhhhh.

Punch, they do sound almost the same. But between "la" and "tante" there should be a microscopic pause. Compare in English "nitrate" (no pause) with "night rate" (tiny pause). Linguists call it "juncture." When one can pick words out of a continuous flow of sound, one is on the way to learning a language well.

I would love to help harvest grapes. I likely won't be able to afford a trip to France for at least several years, probably longer, but if you still need help then, I will plan to include a stop at the grape farm to help with the harvest (so that means one should aim for mid-September?). Meanwhile, will track down some wine and drink it Stateside.

Looks like fun to me regardless of how much work I am sure it really is! I feel weird reading about your day in a grape farm and I am sitting in an office next to a chemistry lab. I feel schizophrenic!

I hope the harvest goes splendidly!

xoxo

Dear Kristin,

You have, over the years diminished any ideas I may have had that you and J.M. have the glamourous vineyard lifestyle as depicted in books and film. We know how hard each and every one of you work. I think, if I were you, I'd fill the position of feeding the harvesters round the clock over being a harvester (who must be "strong of back" or young). I'm certain that your hospitality and tasty meals are the best part of the day. That said - maybe I'll come by some time and help you cook and serve up the meals!!

Regarding our Word of the Day, attente. A big problem in our household is PROCRASTINATION and this word can depict that nasty habit when used as: laisser un travail en a attente (to leave a piece of work until later).

All the best!
Karen

I had to smile at the A Good Year comment...having done two harvests when I was younger I know that farm work is farm work, whether in grapes, olives, peaches or tomatoes....it is you, the soil and the plants....bon chance!

Kristin, you posted a photo on Sat. of a beautiful tree. I'm wondering if it could be a Mountain Ash. We had one at another house and it looked just the same. But I don't know if they are found in France.

As always ~ love your journaling/blogging.

Lovely young daughter and happy birthday, Jackie en avance. Keep the adorable puppy pics coming - we can never have too many of them. So sweet. I am one of those who seriously considered coming for the vendange and decided it might be too much. Now, of course, I am second-guessing myself and wishing I had opted in.

The grapes look lucious. Bonne vendange a tous. K, thanks for hearing French in your voice! Quelle belle. You worry waaay tooo muuuch. Breathe! Love to you, tourjours.

I would love to help with the vendage, but I'm not sure that my back could take the bending over. I'd be happy to help in the kitchen - I love to cook!

We will be in Provence next August or September and really want to visit your vineyard. I love your blog and tell everyone about it. I feel that I know your family - I feel like you have have become part of my family. We host International students every year and have an apartment building where we rent to only Yale grads, post doc and Professors. They all become part of our extended family.

I miss Provence - it has been at least 3 years since I've been there and I'm in withdrawal!

The puppies are so cute!

Having picked grapes for a friend in California when it was 40c, we could manage to help you in Provence if only harvest wasn't after la rentree. You are too far from Brittany for us to drive for a weekend. Oh well I have an apple tree to deal with, perhaps we will make some hard cider this year!. Not quite the same as wine, but ...

Bonne chance,

Kris

I'd give anything to be working the fields in the warmth of Provence, than in the heat of the Arizona desert right not. It's still over 100F here but the temps should start dropping in mid Oct. Even if we can't participate this year, we can still enjoy a delicious bottle of the Mistral or Dentelle which we received last week. We've already made quick work of two bottles! Beautiful photo of Jackie, Kristi. You did a great job on the closeup. It is amazing how much she has changed since you were last in Phoenix. (Time stands still for no man!.....or young lady). No wonder you are feeling a bit harried Kristi....what with the harvest, loads of "strangers" invading your homeland, meals to prepare and puppies to look after. My thoughts are with you for a speedy and successful vendange!

Bonjour everyone, this is Charles of the vines here.....Kristi, thanks so much for documenting our two week adventure and trying to capture the essance of harvest at Rouge-Bleu. I'm able to internet today because we have a day off due to rain. All of the team is ready, and have been finding their niche. Yesterday was an early morning to a field rich with grenache grapes and a slope which we don't have at Rouge-Bleu with vines heavy with water from an early morning rain. By lunch our clothes self dripped with water, our backs ached, the boots were muddy, the WC no where to be found, but we loved it. The impromtu lunch (pictures later) was a grand fete sitting on our seau's with a shared table. Then, we are off again to finish and by the end of the day we all had a great sense of accomplishment, contribution and understanding of a day in the fields.
Charles