Harvest time in Crete

“Oh, get up! Hurry! Hurry! The other people have already started and we won't be able to reach them,” my mother said.

It was early morning, dawn before sunrise. But the whole town was already moving: rows of people were walking happily and swiftly along the narrow country roads of my native island of Crete.

I still remember hopping out of bed and running around the patio of our rustic cabin to wash myself. So I took our young donkey and ran towards our villagers. But why so urgent?

It was the season of the season. For my small town on this Mediterranean island, it was a moment of activity and joy, a time to reap the fruits of a year of work. It was in September, at harvest time.

As we approached our vineyard, we saw villagers scattered across the field in other vineyards. They were like a swarm of bees moving happily to pick grapes.

When the sun rose, we were protected by our straw hats. Cries of joy, laughter and chanting continued to fill the air as the young women walked through the vines, cutting bunches of ripe white fruit with sharp knives and placing them on the hammers that awaited them.

But people wore full inhibitors on their backs on large screens where they threw them. The women crouch around the rags and clean up the grapes, leaves or rotten vines. And after cutting them into little bundles, they put the bunches back in the ring.

Then other men took these clean grapes and threw them into large containers with a bleach solution with a drop of oil floating on it. From there, they took the grapes to a clearing and spread them out to dry under the hot September sun to make raisins.

The morning passed quickly, fueled by the festive spirit of each, and the sun reached the center of the sky, the hour of dinner and the meeting under an olive tree on the edge of the vineyard. How we really enjoyed the food we ate with us and the cool water from a clay pot as we rested in the shade! Then we resumed our work late into the night with renewed vigor and spirit.

Classic

As mentioned, the season of the year here on the island of Crete is a time of great joy. It is also a great activity and commitment. It begins in early August with the ripening of the first grapes, which we like to eat fresh. A little later, but at the end of August, the first part of the harvest will take place. We first harvest the black grapes for the wonderful red wine that all families in my small town traditionally produce.

The grapes for the inhibitors were transported (mainly by young donkeys) from the vineyard to the oil mill in each house. There, the workers trample the bare grapes. If you are on the island as a tourist this season, you may also get special treatment by joining this post.

But wait! Farmers always wash their bare feet before stepping on the grapes, and tourists should do the same if they want to participate in this wonderful activity.

From the juice barrels, the liquid or "must" is poured into large wooden barrels for fermentation, making it the delicious ruby ​​red wine which is an indispensable addition to the meals of most Cretan families. But the production of fruity grapes does not stop there.

Not all of them should be used to make wine. Some are used to make various desserts: seasoning jam, stuffed jam and others. Wine also produces a wonderful natural vinegar which is used in cooking. And the fresh vines pair well with a garnish of rice and minced meat.

The villagers also use the remainder or "mars" which remains after the grapes have passed over the juice. Mars can be used as forage or fertilizer. But they are also the basis for another wonderful part of the harvest season. In October or November, the brands "kettle" is prepared in a festive atmosphere.

Farmers traditionally build their chimneys in the city. They set up roughly carved chimneys with large stones on which they place pots full of kitchen marks. As the sun sets, the Cariocas prepare the fires and gather to enjoy the heat that stifles the cold of the autumn night.

Jokes and antics and stories about fictional heroism and adventure are told that arouse young people's fantasies when children sit and listen to joy. When hunger strikes, we try the delicious potatoes, which are cooked completely over charcoal on the grill. Men's nocturnal waiting is rewarded with the tasting of the first distillate that comes out of the pans, a very strong drink that the Cretans call tsikudia.

A whole year of effort, effort and cooperation between the neighbors culminates in these festive occasions. The work had begun in January with pruning and cutting of old shoots so that they could grow new and more successful. Then came the digging, clearing or weeding operations in March, when the vine began to flourish.

Later, at the time of fruiting, the tips of the fruit buds were cut to avoid unnecessary consumption of must and thus get more abundant fruit. Meanwhile, the vines were watered, fertilized, sulfurized, pulverized and shredded.

Climatic conditions can be a serious threat to the vine, such as: B. Frost at the time of flowering. And the attacks of various diseases, grasshoppers and wasps require constant vigilance.

But for those who have worked hard to take care of their vineyards, the hard work of the ripe grapes and the community involved in the joy of the harvest is worth seeing.