Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
endeavoured to translate as succinctly for our friends. He handed round harvest secateurs
and baskets with a brief warning about taking care. A few minutes later he passed by my
basket and removed a bunch whose botrytis was less developed than the rest. Without say-
ing a word he had set the level for me.
Cillian quickly copped on, removing grapes that were a bit green or the ones that had
gone too far. Juliette nicked her finger but after a plaster and a kiss was back picking more
eagerly than before. The magic and excitement of harvest time spread a unique energy
through us. Even Sophia gathered some bunches, while Ellie looked on from her all-terrain
buggy. '
Les enfants
are often the best at picking Saussignac,' said Myriam. 'Their senses are
much finer than ours.' Back in the
chai
, Bernard passed round cups of juice as it came out
of the press. It was thick as honey and as sweet but with layers of flavour: apricot, almond
and orange. Standing in the winery surrounded by the noises and smells of harvest I felt
joy and excitement mingled with a little fear. Making wine, for all the hard work, created
a deep resonance inside me. I was spellbound. We had witnessed our first harvest of the
miraculous Saussignac wine.
When the O'Briens left, we tackled the Christmas sales campaign with vigour. It seemed
impossible but within a few weeks Sean had provisional approval from the authorities, our
labels ready to print and a shipper lined up.
We sent personal emails to our friends and former colleagues, not expecting to sell more
than twenty cases. We watched the orders come in through our new website with a mixture
of excitement and trepidation. We passed the twenty-case mark overnight. By the dead-
line we had 115 orders and more promised including an order for corporate Christmas gifts
from a close friend.
Sean contacted the shipper to let them know we would be sending three pallets. He
emailed back to say the customs official would not accept the shipment. We were horrified.
The official had given Sean the go-ahead as long as we prepaid the taxes before the ship-
ment left our property. What had gone wrong? Sean called our customs contact on the
speaker phone.
'Wegaveyouthego-aheadforthisdeliverybecauseitwasashipmenttofriends,not1,800
bottles,' said the official.
I felt a rush of nausea but Sean remained calm.
'You are right. When I spoke to you I estimated three to six hundred bottles, which was
what we were expecting, but we have been amazed at the response.'
