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Grapes, Brand Bros Harvest

Harvest with the Brand Bros - Interview with Philipp from 8gb.

The 8gb. team took turns spending a week with some of our winemakers* to help with the harvest. In this interview Philipp gives us some information about the Brand Bros harvest in September 2021.

A week with the Brand Bros

If you have read our article in which Jonas Brand explained to us what green work is., then you might be as curious as we are about how harvesting works there. So we sent Philipp undercover (not really) to the Brand Bros for a week, and he brought back so many insights.

Give yourself a Petnat Rosé and let's get started!

The Basics for Harvest Week

8gb: Which Weingut did you help harvest?

Philipp: "I was with the Brand Bros, that is Jonas and Daniel Brand at Pfalz."

8gb: How long was the vintage with the Brand Bros for you?

Philipp: "Unfortunately, I could only take one week. I was there in the first week of the harvest. Normally the Brands read 4-6 weeks, but this year everything goes a little longer, because by the cold and rainy August the grapes are not yet so ripe and one had to wait in many vineyards with the reading still. Likewise, a lot had to be sorted out by hand and that took a lot of time, so they are now already in the 7th week of harvest."

8gb: How big was your Harvest team?

Philipp: "I was there in the first week of the harvest and not all vineyards were ready for harvesting yet, so the team was also still relatively small. At the end of my week, we were a total of 20 people harvesting in the vineyards. But the day after I left, we were joined by another 30 helpers."

Philipp, Vintage Brand Bros
Tractor, Jonas Brand

A day in the Brand Bros vineyards

8gb: What did a typical day look like, Philipp? Tell us!

Philipp: "The grape harvest with the Brand Bros always started at 7:50 am. We always gathered around that time and then drove to the vineyard together. There we harvested - armed with scissors and bucket - until 12:00.

Then it was back for a delicious, hearty lunch. Our cook, for whom it was already the 3rd reading in a row, knew exactly how to get our strength back: Chilli con/sin Carne, goulash, potato salad, lentil stew, etc. Thus, we were able to recharge enough energy to then read again for 4 hours.

At about 17.00 we went back to Weingut, where we opened a beer and washed our feet to stomp the grapes harvested. This is fun, but quite exhausting, and I was glad that there were a few of us after all, spread out among the various crates. After stomping, there was usually another beer and sometime around 8 p.m. dinner was eaten together and of course good wine was drunk. Then a few hours sleep and it started all over again."

Team spirit ❤

8gb: Philipp, tell us about the best moments!

Philip: There were many beautiful moments during the harvest. I really enjoyed being out in the beautiful vineyards doing this sometimes hard physical work. There is something deeply satisfying about it. Also, knowing that you are harvesting the grapes for a great wine that you will be able to drink in about a year was a great feeling. And the nice thing was also that you weren't doing it alone. We had a really great team with a wide variety of people who all have a great fascination for the subject of wine.

Wine stomp Brand Bros vintage

8gb: What challenges have you encountered?

Philipp: "For me it was the first harvest I was allowed to be a part of and indeed it was a challenge to harvest quickly and yet thoroughly. Due to the cool summer with a lot of precipitation, many grapes were affected by mildew and we had to read very carefully. The motto was that we should only pick perfect grapes and sort out everything else. In the beginning, I lacked the practice and the eye to quickly recognize what had to be cut out so as not to have to turn over every single grape three times. But over time I got the hang of it and became a little faster. But there's definitely still room for improvement." 😊

8gb: Tell us an anecdote!

Philipp: "At a small, somewhat secluded and very wild vineyard, a deer took up residence. Startled by us, it could no longer find its way out and kept running into the fence. We had no choice but to catch the deer with our bare hands and carry it out."

Next time: long pants!

Otherwise, something that I also learned during the harvest is that the planting of the soil between the individual vines is very important for a healthy and nutrient-rich soil. Stupidly, Jonas relies heavily on thistles and nettles there, which my legs felt strongly. Reminder for next time: pack long pants. 😉

Brand Bros Vineyard

Philipp: "Oh yes. This was my first harvest in which I was allowed to participate and I found it generally super interesting to see how much work and passion go into such a bottle of wine. You get a whole other appreciation for the product."

Thank you Philipp for these great insights! Since one gets immediately desire to be present at the next vintage of the Brand Bros!

More Harvest Stories? Here you can find the Insights from Piri Naturel, and the Harvest Stories from Anne and Jess.

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