To speak of wine is to speak of humanity itself, of our essence and our culture.
September is the most important and magical month for wine…After the summer heat, the grapes are ready for harvest. The time when vineyards are teeming with life, and when the magical ritual of each year begins. Because, although the wine-making process is key, the artisanal grape harvest is no less so.
This time offers us the perfect opportunity to explore and discover the ancient tradition upon which the roots of our Mediterranean culture are based, and to practice one of the most enriching and impactful experiences the region offers: wine tourism.
Due to its uniqueness and tradition, the grape harvest is a task full of curiosities. A task that, even today, largely preserves the practices of Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Phoenicians. Peoples for whom wine was an essential part of their lives.
Much of the grape harvest as we know it, we owe to the Egyptians. This is because these people harvested grapes in a way that was practically the same as today. And not only that: both the treading of the grapes, which was done by the harvesters themselves, and the celebrations at the end of the harvest also date from that time.
In Ancient Rome, one of the peoples responsible for the spread of vine cultivation throughout Europe, this task of harvesting grapes was marked by two very unique guidelines. Firstly, only women could perform it. Secondly, the grape harvest followed its own pattern: only grapes exposed to the sun were collected, discarding the rest.
A starting point that usually led to a true bacchanal which, of course, honored another of the mythological gods of wine: Bacchus.
Our historic Maestrat region, crossed by the Roman Via Augusta, was known for wine production since Roman times and reached great heights of fame for its wines at the end of the 19th century.
There are still small traditional wineries in the heart of Maestrat that preserve this ancient art and invite us to enjoy the experience, such as Celler l’Estanquer in Canet lo Roig. Hand in hand with Turisme Vinaròs and with an experience designed by the ecotourism company Explora Maestrat, we offer the opportunity to live this unforgettable experience, at the most beautiful time of the year: from the vineyard, the grape harvest, to the treading of the grapes and the making of wines… including the tasting of musts and wines.
Saturday, September 4, experience the Dawn Grape Harvest: Sips of History in Maestrat.
Small groups.
