The grape harvest season has begun and the Santa Marinha Newspaper followed the work of picking grapes at a farm in Santa Marinha, in the municipality of Seia. The harvest is described as an ancestral community ritual that unites generations, celebrates the land and supports the local economy. The reporter walked the paths between the vineyards, where conversations, laughter and the sound of scissors cutting bunches of dense, dark red grapes could be heard.
One of the workers commented that this year the grapes have a magnificent colour and a very high sugar content. The manual method continues to be the preferred one, as it allows for the selection and integrity of the best bunches to be guaranteed. The workers cut the bunches with sharp scissors, placing them in buckets which, when full, are carried to the tractor and emptied into larger metal containers, so that the grapes arrive at the winery as fresh as possible.
Around 10:30 am, after several hours of hard work, the workers take a break for a fortified mid-morning snack. A long table is laid out near the farm house with drinks, cured meats, bread, cake, pastries and other delicacies. One of the older workers stated that "harvesting without good group food is not a harvest", underscoring that this moment of sharing allows them to forget the tiredness and celebrate fellowship.
Around 1:30 pm, the group gathers again for a lunch of feijoada. With the afternoon ahead, the workers return to the vines with renewed spirit, fed by the promise of a new wine that, in a few months' time, will be shared at new tables.
