The next day we hitched from Châlons-sur-Marne to Epernay where we had to wait until 6:15 PM for the youth hostel to open! We spent three hours in a coffee bar to warm up.
 |
| Postcard - La Marne |
 |
| Postcard - Route du Champagne |
 |
| Postcard - Champagne region |
On the Saturday we walked over 10 km looking for work in vineyards but had no luck, and on top of everything got caught in the rain on our way home. Luckily we got a lift back to Epernay. At the hostel we met Cheryl, an Australian girl we'd met in Shrewsbury and her English friend Peter, so we had a good chat and exchanged our travel news.
They had been offered work grape-picking by someone who had given them a lift the previous day who was going to telephone them at the hostel. They couldn't speak French so Danielle took the call on their behalf and got jobs for us as well. Didier arrived and took us to the farm in Mardeuil where we were really made welcome, and had some Champagne from their cellar. It was very dry, very strong and very good. We would start work tomorrow on the 'vindage' which usually lasts for 8 to 10 days.
 |
| Early morning in the vineyard |
He explained that they rarely employed outsiders as they usually work cooperatively with other family members in the region and relatives from other parts of France. Altogether there were about 20 people who worked together. For them, this was the fun part of the year, after working hard all year tending the vines.They employed a chef who cooked lunch and dinner each day for everyone. It may have been fun for them but it was back-breaking for us.
 |
| Is it daylight yet? |
 |
| Just after dawn in the vineyards |
Around 9am we’d have breakfast in the fields which consisted of baguettes with , cheese, pâté and salami, and dark block chocolate accompanied by small tumblers of Champagne to wash it down. Then it was work until midday when we’d be picked up and taken back to the house for lunch.
Lunch was a minimum two hour affair with a three course meal prepared by the chef who also started cooking preparation at dawn. Typically, salad, cooked meat and vegetables all washed down with champagne and then salad, cheese and fruit followed by coffee. This was accompanied by Champagne and red wine. After a huge meal, and a little rest, it was back to the fields two hours later, picking until sundown at around 6:30pm. What an endurance match!Dinner was a smaller affair than lunch, usually only two course meal, followed by a flan and biscuits, but much more wine and talking, and then everyone started singing. The French relax just like the Italians.
Talking! Danielle was fine as she spoke fluent French, but I only had schoolboy French so I had a steep learning curve. Conversational and colloquial French was pretty different, but after a few days I could carry on a reasonable conversation until it got too complex and my lack of vocabulary was a limitation. |
| A bit of work, a glass of Champagne... |
 |
| In the vineyards with Cheryl 2nd from left and Peter at far right |
 |
| It wasn't all just work |
On the Friday night we were not feeling so tired so we went to a dance in Epernay with some of the family. There was a really good band, and we had great fun dancing, but we were too tired to last and left early to walk the 3 1/2 km back home. By now only our backs were aching at the end of the day, instead of our whole bodies.
Each day we’d start picking with one person either side of a vine, clipping the bunches of grapes with secateurs and filling our panniers (baskets) and dumping them into tubs at the end of the row.We were a bit slower than the locals, but they’d helpfully come picking down our row when they’d finished theirs so that we all progressed at the same rate.
 |
| Note bandages on fingers |
 |
| Postcard showing the Pinot Noir grape picking |
They did offer thick gloves, but they were as much a hindrance as a help. You can see Danielle's bandaged fingers in the photo.
There was also a short nuggety guy who used to who ran down the slope and pick up our panniers when we put our hand up. He would also monitor how full the basket was for the distance covered and assess if we had picked 'all' the grapes or slacked off and left some behind. Danielle was very thorough and her pannier was always full, possibly more than mine, which may be part of the reason why we were invited to join the extended late pickings afterwards
We had to wear gumboots because of the muddy conditions and our fingers would slowly become numb as we grabbed the near-frozen bunches of grapes.Grape picking and wine manufacture in Champagne, as in other regions, is strictly controlled.
The controlling body decides on the grapes (Pinot Noir), which land can be used, when the picking starts and when it stops each year, usually 8-10 days. They wait until the last possible moment when the grapes are full and ripe, and almost about to fall to maximise the sugar content and growth of the ideal mould to promote fermentation.
At the end of the 8 days of controlled picking Danielle and I were invited to stay a few more days for the grapiage - this is where the vineyards a scoured again for missed grapes that would be used for making village and house wines.
Although the same grapes and method would be used for making sparking white wine it could not be called Champagne if picked outside the allotted period.
 |
| Beaumont des Crayères label |
 |
| Postcard - Dom Perignon |
The remainder is usually is sold to the large houses such as Moet et Chandon and Dom Perignon who blend it with their own grapes to produce a consistent blend and flavour.
The Pinot Noir grapes from the grapiage are used for both sparkling white and still red wines. The juice only is used for the sparkling using a method I cannot divulge, but is extremely time-consuming and worth the final result.
 |
| Postcard - rotating bottles during fermentation |
 |
| Postacrd - Champagne cellars |
We helped with the clean-up and went picking in next two days for grapes that were missed during the 'vindage'. Approximately 1.2kg of grapes are required per bottle of wine. Over the 14 days, 20 of us drank 180 bottles of Champagne and about 100 bottle of red wine - approximately a bottle a day per person.
They told us the story of when the roof of the co-operative winery collapsed onto the basement where the grape juice was stored. Enterprising as always, they pumped out the juice and it was still used to make wine.
It became so cold in the mornings that there was ice falling with the rain.It got relatively warmer in the afternoon but we were glad when we reached the last day. On that day we went for a swim at the heated pool in Epernay in the morning and watched the first pressing of the grapes for champagne in the afternoon. Altogether we were paid 1,470F for the 8 days.
 |
| They were a fantastic bunch of people |
Despite the hardships, this was one of the best experiences of the entire trip. It was with real sorrow that we parted, having spent an intense 2 weeks with these really friendly and fun people.
Our plan was to head east to Alsace to seek more grape-picking work. Generously, Didier gave us a lift to Reims where we got a lift with a truckie to St. Dizier.
