Published 20 January 2027

Vendange by hand

Juliénas slopes and the quality we want still favour hand picking. Teams move row by row, choosing ripe bunches and leaving what is not ready. Machines have their place on flatter ground elsewhere; here, hands protect fruit destined for whole-berry work and for wines that should taste of the hill, not of haste.

Sorting before the cellar speaks

What enters the winery decides half the vintage. Sorting removes leaves, underripe berries, and damaged fruit. Only then do tanks fill — whole clusters or berries, according to the cuvée — and fermentation begins its quiet noise. Guests who visit during harvest often remember the smell of fresh Gamay as much as any finished bottle.

Harvest time in Juliénas — Maison J. Thorin

First days in the cellar

Maceration, temperature, and tasting the juice each morning set the tone. Pressing, settling, and the first rackings follow. Nothing is final yet: a vintage will keep changing through winter. Nouveau lots race toward November; Juliénas lots take the longer road of élevage. Both start in the same intense fortnight.

Visiting during harvest

We welcome curious travellers, but harvest days are working days. Book ahead, expect shorter or early appointments, and wear shoes fit for yard and gravel. Photography is fine when it does not block a bin or a tractor. If we cannot open the cellar mid-pick, we will say so — and offer a tasting when the fruit is safely in.

Harvest in Juliénas is not a show. It is the year concentrated into a few weeks — and every bottle afterward remembers those mornings.

All articles

Harvest time in Juliénas

Vendange by hand

Sorting before the cellar speaks

First days in the cellar

Visiting during harvest