Grape harvest: how can we continue to welcome visitors when the whole team is out in the vineyards?
The paradox of the grape harvest
September and October are the most beautiful months on a vineyard. The bunches are heavy, tractors are out and about, and the air smells of crushed grapes. This is the time tourists want to visit — and precisely when the team doesn’t have a minute to spare for welcoming them.
The grape harvest is a race against the weather. Every day counts. Every available member of staff is out in the vineyards or in the winery. Closing the estate to visitors during this period makes sense — but it also means missing out on one of the most appealing times of the year.
Staying open without spreading yourself too thin
An estate can certainly continue to welcome visitors during the grape harvest — provided it has planned ahead and does not rely on a constant human presence to act as a guide.
An audio tour allows for exactly that. Visitors arrive, scan a QR code, and set off on their tour independently. They explore the vineyards, understand what is happening around them, and experience the estate in all its bustle — without taking up the time of staff who need to be elsewhere.
The team remains focused on the harvest. Visitors enjoy an authentic experience. The two can coexist.
The grape harvest in the tour: content in its own right
What makes the grape harvest so appealing to visitors is precisely what cannot be shown at other times of the year: the movements, the rhythm, the quiet urgency of the harvest.
An audio tour can incorporate this content directly. Photos taken during previous harvests. A short video showing the grapes being trodden, the vats filling up, the grape-pickers at work. The winegrower’s voice explaining what is happening that day, why this vintage looks promising or challenging.
Visitors arriving in September don’t just see a dormant vineyard — they step into a film as it unfolds. And the audio tour provides them with the keys to understanding it.
A reason to stay open throughout the season
The late wine tourism season—September, October, November—is often under-exploited. Yet this is a time when tourists are still present: fewer in number, but more curious and more engaged. They seek authenticity rather than entertainment.
An estate that remains open during the grape harvest, with an audio tour that recounts this unique moment, offers something few estates provide: a living experience, directly connected to the reality of wine-growing work.
It’s also a way of extending the wine tourism season without any extra effort for the staff.
Where to start?
If you want to incorporate the grape harvest into your audio tour:
- Take photos and short videos during the next harvest — the movements, the machinery, the faces
- Record a short audio message during or just after the harvest — your impressions, the conditions of the vintage
- Incorporate this content into your existing tour, or create a dedicated ‘Grape Harvest’ point of interest
With Merci Gabin, you can update your content in just a few clicks, without needing a service provider. A “Grape Harvest” point of interest can be activated in September and deactivated in November — your tour evolves with the seasons.
Xavier Adraste is the founder of Merci Gabin, a platform for digital audio tours for wine estates. Find out how to create your tour →