Friday, August 17, 2007

Picking Grapes in Alsace

Pomerol grape pickers I really only got to pick grapes one time.
At the October harvest in Riquewihr, Alsace, one of the most beautiful harvests anywhere. And that was only because Ed Lauber of Lauber Imports put in a good word with one of his vineyards. My 'payment' for standing around holding grape shears in blistering hands, sitting at the long vineyard table and sharing a huge luscious lunch. Alsacian grape picking is a family affair. Everyone knows everyone else. And every member of the family shows up to help with les vendanges.
Grape pickers at Regaleali vineyards in Sicily At Regaleali Vineyard in Sicily I just watched, as the pickers
sing, chat and pick the grapes in a most leisurely fashion. You can take cooking lessons there with the Countess Anna Tasca-Lanza.
Tuscan grape pickers I only imagined these Tuscan grape pickers. I was never there at harvest time. Tuscan vineyards are some of the most beautiful and idlyic.
Napa Valley, Calilfornia grape picker In Napa Valley, California, the grape pickers don't walk.They run or race to get the job done.
Burgundian 19th century grape pickers More imagined grape pickers, this time in Burgundy where
they used to carry big straw baskets/paniers on their shoulders.You can sometimes still find these at French ebay.
You'll find all kinds of wine-related goodies on ebay.fr I should know. I spent hours looking for so-called still life objects. I've got a kitchen closet full of taste-vins to prove it!
Pickers in the Medoc, Bordeaux Imagined 19th century Bordeaux pickers.
Grape picker watercolor sketches More imaginary grape picker doodles.The figures are more fun to draw than the grapes.
The grape picker artiste in pleine aire... I'm much better at wielding a paintbrush than a pair of grape shears/secateurs . Some passerby on La Route du vin in the Medoc insisted on taking this quaint picture of the artiste at work.

27 comments:

  1. I love your work Carol. You capture such beauty in this lovely process in the vineyards.

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  2. Anonymous8:00 AM

    Bonjour Carol,
    I have enjoyed today's blog and yesterday's very much--very beautiful paintings and I loved the one of Florence yesterday. Brings back memories--
    Bon Weekend!

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  3. Anonymous8:40 AM

    I'm glad to see you including Carol here and there, always with brush in hand (well, and a few grapes!;)

    These are wonderful--I always enjoy your grape picking images--they're fabulous!

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  4. Anonymous8:57 AM

    Lovely seeing all the workers with their skirts and stripes and aprons, etc...
    I love your wine art sketches!

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  5. Anonymous8:59 AM

    FANTASTIC!!! I love these kinds of paintings ... real people, real work ... and so tenderly rendered!

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  6. these paintings are beautiful! what a wonderful experience at a vineyard :)

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  7. Oh, I've just been reading The Ripening Vine about Patricia Atkinson's sudden plunge into the vineyard-owning world. WHAT an amazing woman she must be. I've never tried it, but I have a friend (French) who has just completed her official training and had her first hectare put in her complete care in the Champagne area. And another friend who did the hitch-hiking thing through France back when students still felt comfortable doing that and spent two weeks picking at someone's vineyard. She was supposed to spend 4 but decided to keep hitch-hiking. It is extremely hard work! I'll harvest roses instead, thanks.

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  8. This is Friday and you have left us with the cherry on the Sundae. These are amazing. I LOVE them. I love the colors too.
    I see your picture in the bottom photo so I am guessing that that was you in the Mexico photo the other day too..? Takes me awhile. ;-)
    We have a nice thick grape arbor that is about to be picked for Jelly. Does that count? We have little helpers too...the feathered kind.
    Cris in OR

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  9. Beautiful paintings.

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  10. Very interesting BLAME IT ON PARIS! I once spent a week by myself at Veuve-Cliquot's Vezy mansion in the vineyards. I was put in complete care of a refrigerator full of champagne jeroboams...
    Very hard work indeed :)

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  11. The Ripening SUN, sorry. Still by Patricia Atkinson. :)

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  12. Beautiful paintings, even the so-called doodles! :-)
    Now, do I have to spend fall in various vineyards around Vienna to proof that we got lovely hills with rows after romantic row of grapes waiting to be harvested by travelling maidens? (See, another reason to see Vienna, it's many vineyards!) :-)

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  13. "its many vineyards" - ;-)

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  14. Love, love, love your art! And, I read the post before. You should definetly become a street artist.
    Thank you for sharing such talent.

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  15. Anonymous8:34 PM

    Love, love, love the way your greeen swishes have expressed the hillside in the top painting.
    jeanette m of l

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  16. Did you see these candles? I know you'd love them.
    http://roseandradish.com/
    I enjoy your blog and your art.

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  17. Hi Carol,
    I have tagged you for the Nice Matters Award:)
    Take Care
    Rachaelx

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  18. These are really wonderful Carol! You are just blowing my mind with your work! Such wonderful variety!

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  19. Anonymous3:00 PM

    Such beautiful images.

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  20. Lovely change of topic! I am enjoying this series! And you can paint my cupcake cones any day!!!

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  21. Carol! Bonjour...I love today's art, it is just wonderful.
    Thanks so much for visiting my blog, I have entered you in the give away!

    Wishing you a lovely weekend,
    Lidy

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  22. Anonymous11:00 PM

    Super-D-Duper! Love the paintings, each and everyone.

    Meilleurs voeux!!

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  23. Beautiful "doodles". I have a much better appreciation for all of the watercolor artists I know. Just spent a week at a place where among other things, there was an opportunity to try watercolors. I've done just about every other medium, watercolors are SO out of my control. I guess I am just more of a "slap as much stuff on as you possibly can" kind of girl.

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  24. I love that picture of you, grrrr and all! I grew up under grapevines in the Alexander Valley of the real wine region, Sonoma County, California!!! I learned how to drive a tractor and speak Spanish under the hot October sun... and taste the wine before it ever got to the bottle in a bursting skin of fruit in the cool misty mornings on oak studded hills... and fall in love with the ancient alchemy of wine making, soul making that makes its way through your palette of colors...

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  25. I love to see artists at work.I love your doodles and your watercolors!
    Your artwork takes you to many places of interest!hugs NG

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  26. Anonymous3:22 AM

    GRAPE PICKING...
    so many memories are "launched" back to my mind... with this post of yours...
    I'm from the Beaujolais area... Vines were my play area when I visited my great grand parents in the summer time... and later they brought "money into my pockets" when I was a student.
    Hard work but fun time too... nice memories !!! thank you

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  27. I just went to Rose and Radish and the site has been closed.

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