New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-12
THE VINTAGE TIME
Gathering the Grapes in Small ZINE
uords Near Paris.
Paris. September %.

Paris. September -
Americans accustomed only to the high priced
French wines that find their way across the At
Isntic are astonished on visiting Paris for the
first time to see notices the innumerable wine
shops and groceries calling attention to wines
both white and red, sold at or cents a quart
Outside the city, but still in the Paris district
in the Seine or Seine ct Disc department, for
instance there is an enormous consumption
among the country population OF an even
cheaper wine. 1t is very long time since the
gentle hills and breezy plains of this part Of
France yielded any famous or supremacy excel
lent wine. but dotted all over it there are small
and modest vineyards which furnish enough
'ordinafre'' for local use and in September and
October the gathering OF the grape In such 10
calities Is attended with much ceremony as
in the great wine districts Of Bordeaux, Bur
gundy and Champagne. In Champagne this
year there is no vintage whatever, all the vines
having been destroyed Near Paris the harvest
ing is always little later than in the south
and does not last long. but the growers OF a
place like Marcoussis who are only HANDFUL
attach as much Importance TO their harvest as
do the rich owners of celebrated vineyards
To the French peasant the water in the well
Is exclusively adapted to cleaning mousse anu
never by any chance finds its way TO the table
The poorest Of the poor drinks MS ootte Oh
cider or wine at each meal and the chlloren Oh
tendereSt age share II WIN theI
little ''picoio" as the peasants call it. which
they drink at their 'marchand de wins for q
or 4 cents bottle is usually made on the place
There are districts where the wine seller num-
bers 10 per cent of the population. and In many
small hamlets hardly deserving the name OF
villages-hamets some distance from rail-
way and without a postofice-you will find
eight, nine ten wineshops within Few yaros
Of each other. Such wineshops frequently re-
vim
The owner cuItivates his grapes. and when they
are ripe he gathers them at his own conven-
fence with the help of his family.
But where there several vineyards To-
gether, covering a certain amount Of the lana
and requiring for their harvest the assistance
of outsiders the day for the vintage is fixed not
by the growers. but by the commune AT
this season of the year all these little places are
just now posted with the official avis printed
In black on plain white paper-an outward and
visible sign in France of government official
dom-informing the citizens that On such day
of the current following month the vintage
will begin. and they must make their arrange
ments accordingly.
When the day arrives the sound Of drum 10
heard in the village. and on the little green
under the Tree of Liberty the Mayors dele
gate who is usually the keeper of the locality
announces that the vintage is open and sum-
mons the vendangeurs to their respective vine
Yards Armed with their scissors, cutters or
"secateurs' and women and often chill
dren start in procession for their allotment, the
men carrying the great baskets. and all singing
and talking and laughing at once. The vintage
is a. fete and the vendangeur loves the few au-
tumn days spent under the warm sun among the
brown vines, where the clusters of small black
or white grapes hang within such easy reach
of the pickers.
Often these vineyards make very charming
picture. A little stiff in outline because all the
vines are supported on poles of equal length
there are growers who take pleasure IN lend
ing to their vignoble graceful touch by adding
here and there a small fruit tree and here and
there a Towering bush. Here Is one in which
every row of vines is terminated by tall, free
Towering roses white pink or crimson. which
are bearing sweet scented and lovely blossoms.
In the woods hard by, that clOthe the slopes or
the low hills. you may hear the guns of the
chasseurs, and occasionally covey of par
tridges scuttles by. The scene is Of the gayest
Every one loves the little golden grape OF
France in particular and while gathering for
the wine every picker Is having feast as we'll
From dawn to the end of tie short sunset Of
this early autumn season, the punches fall
rapidly before the onslaught. and the tall, hod-
shaped baskets, piled with the handsome fruit
accumulate along the different plots. The ma
iOritv of the hired vendangeurs come from the
south and their swarthy skin and vfvactous
manners distinguish them readily from the
more sedate Norman type of the village The
women's heads are tied up in neat cotton hand
kerchiek striped, checked printed in gay
coIors The men wide brimmed straw
hats Given fine weather. grape picking is a
most fascinating occupation.
Here in the departments outside Paris, but
not in the great wine country districts, the
wages of the grape gatherer are much on the
same scale as those prevailing for the ordinary
farm Iaborer. They do not rise much above
half a dollar a day. francs. so cents, being
a fair average The man woman Is fed by
the employer, and can eat dessert all day long
at will When all the grapes gathered the
wine is made. A cheap picolo is made without
much ado, grapes and stems being flung into
the vat. Using the bunch intact III this way
imparts a slightly pungent and not wholly
agreebe flavor to the wine but the peasant is
not particular The labor of plucking the ber
ries from the stalks adds greatly to the cost
of production. and therefore you will in the
village vat the stalks and berries stewng to-
gether fastidious palate may find on first
acquaintance the vim du pays too sharp and
too rough. Sometimes. however It is excellent,
and always is very pure and wholesome cooling
and clean drinking c. L. B.
FRENCH PROFESSOR HERE