A recipe for grape harvesters …
Ingredients:
Grapes
Alcohol
Method:
Take the last trailer load of grapes of the day (red or white, it doesn’t matter). Put on some reasonably clean wellies. Open the tailgate slightly to leave a small gap at the bottom, and position a grape-picking bucket appropriately. Now walk about on the grapes so that the juice runs out into the bucket. If you have a pitchfork handy give the grapes a few prods with it. Replace buckets as necessary — your assistant should be emptying them into plastic jerry cans as they fill up. When you have about 60 litres of juice close the tailgate and take the grapes to the cave cooperative.
Take the grape juice home and procure some industrial-strength alcohol (you may have a friend who can get hold of some 90% — if not you will have to make do with the weedy 60% or so from the pharmacy). Add it to the grape juice in the proportion of two thirds juice/one third alcohol. Let it settle, bottle it, keep it for at least 6 months before drinking, chilled, as an aperitif. Delicious, at least for those with a sweet tooth.