It was easier this morning, though the coffee was still awful. We got to the winery as the pickers were leaving and set to racking the Macabeu into barrel. The juice was clear and beautiful - which is usually a pretty good sign. Another good sign was several bags of croissants and pain au chocolat left on the table in the winery. A good pain au chocolat can make bad coffee bearable.That was my excuse as I stuffed a second one in my mouth.

 As I write this, we've just finished lunch - burgers from the food truck near the roundabout - and are waiting for the second press of the day to finish off. I've cut my hands to shreds already. I've said before: there's nothing cuddly in a winery. The new press we've got seems to have all its corners sharpened to a point, and my coordination isn't what it used to be. But everyone's hurt, so might as well get on with it. We've quite a lot of wine to make.

Barrels of Rivesaltes Ambre, maturing slowly.

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