Douro

September 1, 2024

Shook things up a little this week!! Literally woke up Monday morning at 5am thanks to a 5.4 magnitude earthquake. That’s one way to get a couple of sleepy girls out of bed! That day we proceeded to nearly die in the vineyard thanks to the lethal combination of a steep hill, a stupid tree, and a manual truck. But! Here I am writing this, alive and well… albeit tired.

On Tuesday I shook things up again and moved north. Sandra (the amazing winemaker I’m working for) drove me up to their other winery in Douro after work. It was such a beautiful drive!! I arrived at the house I’m staying at with the other interns at 10pm, and I pretty much went straight to bed. Which is good because boy, did I need the sleep. I’m a working woman after all!

It’s a quick 10-minute drive to work along what was voted “The Prettiest Road In Europe” a few years ago, and oh my gosh, I think it might be the prettiest road in the world. The valley, the hills, the terraced vines… I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight; intertwining God’s creation wirh man’s.

Work is great and I’m learning lots. So far, we are only crushing white grapes, but reds start this week so things will change a little bit. As of right now, my typical day consists of measuring the temperature and density of barrels and tanks of wine, inoculating wine with yeast to kick off fermentation, and adding nutrients to the wine to keep fermentation going. The winery provides all our meals, so we all drive up the hill to the cantina where some sweet women make the best food for us three times a day. Between all the working and eating, I’ve been at work 13-15 hours a day since arriving, so I’m wiped out, but I really am loving it. I cannot believe this life I get to live.

I love that I’m learning from one of the best women winemakers in the world, I love that I’m working so hard, I love that my arms are sore and stronger from climbing barrels and carrying buckets, and I love that even with the fatigue and the repetition of tasks I care about what I do, and I’m proud of it.

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In Vale de Mendiz and there is a statue that I love of the woman from Douro.

The translation on the plaque reads:

THE HARVEST

Woman... from Douro!

Woman of "arms", resistant as the north wind, capable of all sacrifices and joys.

Woman-Mother born among vineyards. with the sun for company and the hardness of the

cliffs and land.

Woman who at work stands taller than the mountain itself... in Vale de Mendiz!

She’s totally a Proverbs 31 woman.

 “She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV

I love being a woman in wine!!

Row 1: me (obviously), the valley, the winery

Row 2: the cantina, the view, the lagar for port wine

Row 3: sunset, my first yeast, post work beer at the cafe next door while the locals watched soccer on tv

I will be taking the next month or so off from writing, because there’s really no time! But I’ll be sure to take notes and share all about my experiences once harvest slows down. So, until next time… Cheers!