What's Pressoir Cooking?
September 1, 2022
Justine Puaud
Cook a Harvest Meal Like a Winemaker
My first harvest experience was in 2013. I harvested at Château Carbonnieux, a Grand Crus Classé Château in Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux. As it was my first time I couldn’t compare it to anything but I remember being tired for 3 long weeks, picking grapes from 7am to 5pm everyday, eating a sandwich in the vineyard in 20min and going back to work. I worked with a fun team! This year, I really wanted to experience the harvest in Burgundy. Well, I had to change my plan just a little bit as I’m 8 months pregnant… Last weekend, I went to see my friend Camille of Domaine Camille Thiriet in Comblanchien. As I couldn’t pick grapes and carry things, I decided to help her mom in the kitchen. I was quite impressed about their kitchen organization. Nadine has to feed 15 vendangeurs every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. She shared with me her calendar with all the different recipes she had planned for the next 10 days: quiches, boeuf bourguignon, salades, blanquette de veau, et cetera…
10am is the morning break. We drove to the middle of the vineyard to find Camille and the vendangeurs and brought fresh croissants, pains au chocolat, madeleines, orange juice and coffee. I could see smiles on everyone’s face. Camille and Matt are super happy about the 2022 harvest so far. To be honest, they are quite impressed about the quantity they are getting even with the drought we had this summer in Burgundy. Friends and family are here too. They don’t seem to be tired, just happy to be around and help. After 1 hour with them, it’s time to get back to the kitchen and cook for lunch. On our way back to the Château de Comblanchien, I saw another winemaker in the back of his truck pouring red wine to his vendangeurs and offering them some charcuterie and cheese. The Bourguignons are generous and take a good care of the vendangeurs…
Back in the kitchen, Nadine explained she did an homemade ratatouille and has tons leftover. She decided to add eggs, cheese, crème fraiche and milk and make delicious vegetable quiches for today’s lunch.
12pm - All the vendangeurs are here and hungry. After living 7 years in New York, I forgot how important lunch is in the French culture. From 12pm to 2pm, the vineyard looks so quiet….
2pm- It is with a full stomach that the vendangeurs are going back to work. Some people are going straight to Pommard to pick for one hour or two and the others are assigned at the table de tri. Rock & roll music and “bonne humeur” are here for the whole afternoon!
Côte de Nuits Les Retraits, tiny parcel next to the Clos de la Maréchale.
When DRC and Henri Jayer met at Domaine Camille Thiriet!!