The past Sunday, after one long year of waiting, we’ve been again at the wine cooperative in Mussbach in the Pfalz region for an early try of this year’s harvest. So early… that it isn’t even real wine we’re drinking but fermenting juice, which is called Federweisser in Germany.



The principle of this “harvesting event” at the cooperative is simple: one can bring its own food and sit on one of the plenty benches and tables provided by the coop. Then you can buy your Federweisser there, fresh from the press (or steel tanks). You can either use a glass or bring your own 3 or 5 litre container and let it fill if you don’t want to stand in line too often. Then you just sit down and enjoy your drink and food. At the same time then, you can overview the harvesting process and observe the wine growers driving by with their tractors and tumbrels and unloading their grapes into the huge press.


Ready for unloading

A quick process

The press is full

Scrubbing out the rests

It is just a really nice and cheerful atmosphere and especially when it is such a sunny day and the whole place is packed. People are gazing at the neighbour’s table to see who brought the better Blutwurst (Blood sausage) or who made the better Zwiebelkuchen (Quiche) and here and there a group would start to sing old tunes about the good wine from the Pfalz.
Hopefully the sun won’t leave these next days, so we get the opportunity to come back before the end of the harvest.


By the way this is the scrap remaining from the pressing and will be used for making grappa...