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Harvest

What does a winemaker in France actually do all day?

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford explains what happens behind the cellar door and the daily decisions involved in making wine

‘Why this was my most challenging harvest as a winemaker in France’

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford gives us a behind-the-scenes account of drought, hail and unreliable pickers in his mission to make wine in the Roussillon

Why people in France also call Toussaint break ‘the potato holidays’

What children do during these holidays has radically changed

news

Grape picking begins in Champagne amid growing shortage of workers

Vignerons are turning to workers from abroad due to a lack of local pickers

French winemakers harvest grapes by night to escape heatwave

Vignerons have had to work through the night to stop grapes from spoiling

‘My candid experiences of hiring grape pickers in France’

Vigneron Jonathan Hesford shares surprising stories of slackers, spliffs and gendarmes at his vineyard harvest

Grape harvest begins earlier than ever in south France due to heat

One producer says he always begin harvesting early, partly because of the location of his plot, but that climate change is also having an impact

When is the right time for grape picking in France?

One of the most stressful and difficult decisions a vigneron or winemaker has to make is when is the right time to harvest their grapes, writes winemaker Jonathan Hesford

Too soon to assess impact of forest fire on French rosé harvest

Dramatic images of the recent Var wildfires have led to fears of a bad harvest this year

Worst wine harvest for 45 years predicted due to bad weather

The grape yield will be down by 24%-30%, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, but this will not necessarily lead to a rise in wine prices

Harvesting the health benefits of French birch sap in spring

Have you spotted tubes attached to the trunks of birch trees recently? The season for collecting birch water - prized for its detoxifying properties - began earlier than usual this year

Where to buy the juiciest melons in France this summer

Across France, you will see shoppers prodding and sniffing as they search for the perfect juicy melon. Connexion looks at the fruit’s history and meets a passionate producer.

A French test drive with a difference...

Journalists are often offered the chance to test drive new cars but The Connexion's Brian McCulloch had a different opportunity - to get behind the wheel of a combine harvester in France. Here's his report...