Just two weeks after the purchase of the land had been finalised, we returned to Montsant to experience and be part of our first harvest ever. We hired the services of a professional photographer, Rafael López-Monné, to document this great occasion. When we bought the land, we made an informal agreement that 4,000 kg of grapes would be included in the purchase. The idea was to get off to a flying start and begin producing our first wine this year.
We were to join in and harvest our 4,000 kg. Everyone welcomed us warmly and we were given instructions on what to do. How difficult can it be to cut a bunch of grapes off a vine? After less than half an hour, we realised that it was not a simple job. Before the bunches are placed in the baskets, they have to be inspected and any bad grapes have to be removed. This was not an easy task for an untrained eye. We decided that rather than ruining everything it was best to step back and instead observe the proper way to pick grapes.
Nevertheless, the day was a success and we got to know the hard-working and delightful couple Joan and Maria from whom we had bought the land. Our purchase also included a number of olive trees which yield about 250 litres of oil a year. Joan and Maria will continue to tend to the olive trees and get to keep the oil in return. Well at least we had a go and got our hands a bit dirty that day… and the photographs were superb. We fell into a deep sleep back at the hotel. It must have been all that hard physical work.