6 Grands Crus aim to make vineyard tasks aspirational

ow many children dream of becoming tractor drivers, winegrowers or cellar masters? Not enough, according to the ‘Appel de la Vigne’ or Call of the Vine movement that has just been launched by six Bordeaux Grands Crus (Châteaux Les Carmes Haut-Brion in Pessac-Léognan, La Conseillante in Pomerol, Gruaud Larose in Saint-Julien, Latour in Pauillac, Palmer in Margaux and Yquem in Sauternes).

After hosting an evening event at the Bordeaux Cité du Vin on 12 March to present nine vineyard professions, including tractor driver and multipurpose winegrower, to the region’s education community (educational advisors, school heads) followed by a morning of engagement with students from secondary schools and sixth form colleges on April 12, the group of Bordeaux chateaux wants “the people who work in the vineyards to raise awareness of their personal backgrounds and fulfilment in being part of the production process of a high-end wine”, sums up Sabrina Pernet, technical director at Château Palmer and the movement’s spokesperson.

The Bordeaux wine region has a number of initiatives that support the introduction of people to employment in the wine industry, one example being Vignerons du Vivant. By giving manual workers a voice, Appel de la Vigne aims to create appeal and a gateway for encouraging people to enter the wine industry. This can be through placements, seasonal work, courses or applications. The movement has six founding members and wants to welcome other properties “to turn as positive a light as possible on vineyard professions”, concludes Pernet.