French Tradition: Les Vendanges

(“Grape-Harvests”)

“Vendanges” is the term used in France to denote the grape-picking season, with harvests in many regions later used for wine production. Nearly every region in France produces wine, with some of the world’s most acclaimed labels coming from otherwise unassuming valleys scattered throughout the French countryside.

In every French village where there are vineyards, grape-picking is an activity that gets the entire community involved, notably in areas where this process is still carried out entirely by hand. Many harvests have since introduced some machinery, but this process nevertheless requires a reasonable-sized workforce.

It is a period of great festivity, characterised by numerous celebrations and local fêtes in more rural areas of France.