Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
LUSKVILLE Oct. 14, 2017
The opportunity to help pluck grapes at Lavender Ridge Farm on Saturday for the annual harvest was one drawing many a helpful picker, but none more so than ambitious grape growers themselves.
With the bribe of a free lunch, the farm welcomed dozens for their vendange, as volunteers braved drizzling rain to help bring in the harvest.
“I’m helping them out, but learning at the same time,” said René Séguin, as he picked grapes in the back field. “It’s all steps and progress.”
Séguin is currently learning how to make and perfect his own wine, growing a few varieties of grapes on his property in Luskville. Learning how to blend and mix the grape strains, he enjoys the peace the hobby brings him.

“It’s quiet and relaxing, you can’t be in a rush,” said Séguin. “Things happen very slowly.”
Like Séguin and his winemaking, pickers took their time out in the field, working in small groups and spread out in the rows upon rows of the season’s crop. Chatter mixed in with the patter of rain, as buckets were slowly filled with grapes and dropped at the end of a row. The family dog paced through, joining the visitors and offering company to solitary pickers.
Martin Dandenault, while up near the kitchen and storefront of the farm speaking with Lavender Ridge owner Doug Briden, explained that he, too, is looking to get into the business. Currently, he’s selling his grapes to farms like this, but is looking to bring the business in-house.
“I’m practicing making wine at the moment, making small batches, to try the grapes and see how they turn out,” said Dandenault.
Pleased with how last year’s harvest turned out, he’s planning the next steps for his own winery.
“The whole project is to build a winery, but you have to start in phases,” he said. “You can’t build the winery and have no grapes.”
Not all volunteers were there on business though, some were just there to lend a hand.
Kaz Oreziak was experiencing his first time out, finding the process interesting. Though he wasn’t sure how far things would get along, especially with delayed start times and lots of picking to do, Oreziak was ready to dive into any task Briden would ask him.
“I don’t know how much stomping we’ll be doing,” laughed Oreziak. “But, if there’s stomping to do, I’ll do it.”
Briden explained that when the time for stomping does come, they’ll put a tarp out on the front lawn and have at it. Before that, there was still work to do.
After the stomp, there would be even more work for Briden. Hence the community tradition of a vendange, celebrated worldwide.
“It’s absolutely traditional, they’re done in France all the time,” said Briden. “They have people out and host harvest parties.”
This farm’s gathering has entered its seventh year now, growing and shrinking in popularity, depending on the weather.
“I guess we started in 2010 and it kind of grew into an annual thing,” said Briden, who owns the farm with his wife Joanne Labadie. “We like to have it on Thanksgiving weekend, but we had bad rain and lots of wind.”
When they encountered another day of rain, albeit a much softer rain and much less wind, they decided to continue with the rain date of last Saturday. Though they did make a big change to the lunch they offer their volunteers.
“We usually do turkey, but figured everyone is tired of it by now, so we’ll be having Joanne’s famous pizza,” said Briden, flashing a grin.