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Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/5/2013 1:19:42 AM   
gharbour

 

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
Status: offline 		This series of posts is the continuing saga of a father helping his son (Nicholas) and daughter-in-law (Colleen) realize their dream of starting a winery (www.MaisonHarbour.com) in Burgundy, France. If you didn’t catch my earlier posts please find links to the old posts at the end of this post.

This week has been very stressful for everyone. First because Nicholas and Colleen still have no grapes. They looked at 3 vineyards this week. First was a village level red from the Côte de Beaune. It wasn’t anything special so easy to say no to. Next was 1er Cru which they did not feel had the potential to deliver the level of wine that they want to make. And finally a village level white from Côte de Nuits, which they felt was not what their business plan called for. So they passed it all to wait for the right wines. It’s really a game of chicken and Nicholas and Colleen have shown amazing strength to wait for grapes of the quality they want. We all hope it works out.

The grapes here are almost fully through veraison now. The grapes that weren’t hit by the hail look amazing. All this last week the weather has turned back to nice sunny warm days which will help the grapes mature to make harvest the first week of October. Activity in the wine villages and vineyards has really picked up as people prepare. There’s an air of excitement building.



A second source of stress has been the electric companies. After applying for electricity hookup three months ago and paying 1,200 euro the hookup was to happen this last Tuesday. In the morning the infrastructure company was suppose to put in a connection box and a counter box. We had worked hours with them on the plan. They had done a study with the old owner of the building, who didn’t care much and had planned to put the electrical in the easiest place for the company and a terrible place for Maison Harbour. Nicholas and Colleen had enlisted the Mayor’s help to get the electric company to reconsider. They had to do a new engineering study to approve the change as well as upgrade to the three-phase power Maison Harbour would need. About two weeks ago we passed our wiring inspection and were excited to finally be getting power. They showed up with the old plan and only equipment for mono phase power. Nicholas quickly called our electrician, who came right over, and after 30 minutes of hot discussion and phone calls back to the main office by the foreman and our electrician the electric company packed up and left. We had to cancel the afternoon appointment with the electricity supply company to turn it on. That hurt.



The last month we have been trying to work on things that don’t require power or small jobs we can take back to my house. But we desperately need to get to work in the cuverie with electricity to be ready. The electrician is working on the power company situation and he was nice enough to understand our dilemma and offer our use of his generator for a few days.

On the same day our plumber came to hook up the water and put a water heater into the cuverie. That all went well and we now have cold and hot (without the electricity to run it) water. You can always count on a plumber to lighten things up! One step forward.



With the generator Nicholas and I quickly started on the wall and front gate that will help secure the wines that we hope will soon be fermenting at Maison Harbour. Nicholas had spent a whole day digging the foundation and we spent an entire morning wiring the steel in place.



Then 15 wheelbarrows loads of cement later we had it poured. It looks great.





A Bientôt
Gary

Week 1 - The Story Begins
Week 2 - Departure
Week 3 - Work Begins
Week 4 - Shopping for Equipment
Week 5 - The Douane
Week 6 - Beautiful Premier Cru Grapes
Week 6.1 Savigny En Tous Sens
Week 7 - Disaster Strikes
Week 8 - Starting Again
Week 9 - Vacation Time in France
Week 10 - Vacation Ends and Work Resumes
Week 11 - New Floor Concrete Pour
Week 12 - Summer Adventure in Burgundy 12 - Cave Repairs and Soutirage

< Message edited by gharbour -- 9/5/2013 1:23:29 AM >

_____________________________

Gary Harbour
Chez Nos Coeurs
Savigny les Beaune
Post #: 1
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/5/2013 2:51:18 AM   
S1

 

Posts: 14826
Joined: 11/12/2011
From: Wandering between Coastal SC and South FL
Status: offline 		On this Burgundy Thursday, HRH and I shall toast to progress made, electricity to come and the potential discovery of the proper grapes.
It's exciting to see the work; we can't wait!!

_____________________________

Tous les chemins mènent à la Bourgogne!
"One not only drinks wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and -- one talks about it!" (in memory of drycab)

(in reply to gharbour)
Post #: 2
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/5/2013 8:27:05 AM   
gharbour

 

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: S1

On this Burgundy Thursday, HRH and I shall toast to progress made, electricity to come and the potential discovery of the proper grapes.
It's exciting to see the work; we can't wait!!


Scott, we plan to join you in toasting to Burgundy Thursday here in Savigny.

Thanks for the good wishes for both the electricity and the proper grapes.
Gary


_____________________________

Gary Harbour
Chez Nos Coeurs
Savigny les Beaune

(in reply to S1)
Post #: 3
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/5/2013 7:08:38 PM   
khmark7

 

Posts: 11420
Joined: 7/6/2008
From: Chicago suburbs
Status: offline 		Hopefully the grape contracts come through. I must say that with the talk of Pinot Noir I am tempted to try planting a vine, but it would have to be via a pot that I could bring in come winter, because there is no way a vine would survive our winter this far from the lake. Already next year I am planning a Merlot & Pinot Gris in some fiberglass pots that I will bring into the garage for 4 months of the year. My Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon should survive outside with some protection, but it will take some effort.

_____________________________

"a rogue Provence rouge of unknown provenance." author grafstrb

(in reply to gharbour)
Post #: 4
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/5/2013 7:43:29 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10282
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		Tried 6 vines of Pinot Noir. Lost 5 in the first winter and the last lingered for 3 years and never produced fruit. Pinot Gris and chardonnay seem relatively simple comparatively. This is my best Chardonnay crop yet, so I am happy about that. Good luck as Yankees in King Louis Court, or probably should say Napoleon's Court as he seems the more popular figure across the pond.

_____________________________

As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

(in reply to khmark7)
Post #: 5
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/5/2013 8:23:33 PM   
SkeBum

 

Posts: 639
Joined: 3/11/2012
From: Tahoe City, CA
Status: offline 		Gary,

I'm sure that the grape contracts will come through. Thanks for another update, very cool

(in reply to champagneinhand)
Post #: 6
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/7/2013 3:17:20 AM   
gharbour

 

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: khmark7

Hopefully the grape contracts come through. I must say that with the talk of Pinot Noir I am tempted to try planting a vine, but it would have to be via a pot that I could bring in come winter, because there is no way a vine would survive our winter this far from the lake. Already next year I am planning a Merlot & Pinot Gris in some fiberglass pots that I will bring into the garage for 4 months of the year. My Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon should survive outside with some protection, but it will take some effort.


Karl,

Maybe we have some movement on the grape front. Nicholas and Colleen have an appointment to see a vineyard that sounds interesting next tuesday.

Chicago winters can be brutal! Nice thing about grapes is you prune them back to a movable size.

Gary


_____________________________

Gary Harbour
Chez Nos Coeurs
Savigny les Beaune

(in reply to khmark7)
Post #: 7
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/7/2013 3:20:25 AM   
gharbour

 

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: champagneinhand

Tried 6 vines of Pinot Noir. Lost 5 in the first winter and the last lingered for 3 years and never produced fruit. Pinot Gris and chardonnay seem relatively simple comparatively. This is my best Chardonnay crop yet, so I am happy about that. Good luck as Yankees in King Louis Court, or probably should say Napoleon's Court as he seems the more popular figure across the pond.


David,

Thanks for the good wishes. It certainly takes hard work and skill but also more than a little luck.

Gary

_____________________________

Gary Harbour
Chez Nos Coeurs
Savigny les Beaune

(in reply to champagneinhand)
Post #: 8
RE: Summer Adventure in Burgundy 13 - Power Outage - 9/7/2013 3:21:40 AM   
gharbour

 

Posts: 371
Joined: 4/30/2010
From: Savigny les Beaune, France
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: SkeBum

Gary,

I'm sure that the grape contracts will come through. Thanks for another update, very cool


Darren,

As always thanks for your support. I hope we can report on a grape contract next week....

Gary


_____________________________

Gary Harbour
Chez Nos Coeurs
Savigny les Beaune

(in reply to SkeBum)
Post #: 9
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