Javier and his wine grapes

[Mike Buckley]

I had an enjoyable chat with Javier as he explained that he was removing some of the leaves to allow the sun to get to the grapes. He was also removing some small sub-clusters of grapes attached to the main clusters to prevent the grapes from becoming too sweet.

As he spoke, I sensed that he feels quite attached to the vines; his work is clearly more than just a job to generate income. Indeed, when I asked if I could take some pictures of him, he immediately went to the vines with no request from me so the photo would include the grapes. Doing so spoke volumes that words could never convey. It was very touching.

I keep track of the wine grapes that I drink and I went to this vineyard because they sell wine made from these Chambourcin grapes, which would become my 147th grape species. (When I went to a nearby wine bar later that day, I enjoyed sampling wine made from two grapes farmed in Crete that were also new to me.)

[ShaneS]

Mike, you definitely captured the tenderness that Javier feels for his grapes in the both shots. He is cradling them gently as one would hold a small child. The environmental portrait is nice as well and I could easily see the pair of images as part of a photo essay on the winery or the process of making wine/growing grapes.

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured.

[Manfred M]

Mike - A nice story to put some context around this environmental portrait.

Javier has a lot of pride in his craft. That is so very obvious in your image. Nicely done!

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you, folks! It's especially gratifying to learn that you feel the connection between Javier and the vines is conveyed in the photos.

[Kodiak]

Mike - A nice story to put some context around this environmental portrait. Javier has a lot of pride in his craft. That is so very obvious in your image. Nicely done!

+1

[travis4567]

Great shots Mike

[Mike Buckley]

Thank you to Kodiak and Travis!

[Donald]

Lovely, Mike. As good as you see in the wine journals. I'm fascinated by what is behind the man. Is that a sort of mesh netting that he got them trained on?

[Mike Buckley]

My wife held the nylon mesh up and out of the way of the grapes in the above photos. It's placed on both sides of the vines at the bottom where the grapes are located and is there to prevent birds from eating them. The photos shown below and here give you a better idea of how it's used.

[Donald]

My wife held the nylon mesh up and out of the way of the grapes in the above photos. It's placed on both sides of the vines at the bottom where the grapes are located and is there to prevent birds from eating them. The photos shown below and here give you a better idea of how it's used.

Well, that something else new that I've learned today. thank you.

The other thing I've learned is how frustrating work colleagues can be when they try and 'move the goalposts' in relation to already debated and decided actions and suddenly change direction completely and decide that something should be done in way that is diametrically opposed to the way in which it was already decided to do it. But you don't want to hear my moans about a bad day in the office!!

[Mike Buckley]

You need a glass of wine, Donald. Wine overcomes all moved goal posts and illogical reasoning.