Europe grows, makes and consumes some of the world’s most exciting and satisfying drinks. From Belgian beers to Italian coffee, French champagne to wines from all over Europe, and some of the best water in the world, Europe has it all – and has refined its production into an art from.
La vendange! La vendemmia! These are the lilting words in French and Italian for that frenzied, golden time of year when grapes are harvested throughout Europe. It’s a time of joy and stress: joy because the grapes have grown to maturity and stress because they must be picked just at their peak to make the best wines.
Harvest time is a beautiful season to visit Europe; the vines are heavy with bunches of juicy grapes and multi-coloured leaves, there’s excitement in the air, and festive events to empty the old casks and celebrate the harvest far and wide.
The exact time of the harvest depends on the type of grape, its ultimate use, and the weather. Some grape varieties mature early in the season, some later. Special late harvest products such as Icewine (or Eiswein) require fruit that has stayed on the vine through the first frost. The harvest can begin as early as August and last into November, depending on the region. However, it usually takes place in September, and lasts from days to weeks, depending on the size of the crop. If the weather starts to cool or threaten rain, picking has to start with little notice. So if you are planning your visit to Europe and want to see the grape harvest, it’s best to remain flexible!
Where are some great places to see vineyards and the harvest? You have a very wide choice of locations! Grapes grow most easily between 30 and 50 degrees latitude, which includes a large part of Europe. Imagine a line stretching from the tip of Normandy through Frankfurt, Prague, and Krakow; that’s more or less the northern limit...except that Britain now has hundreds of wineries! The most famous and largest wine producers are France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany. However Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Romania, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine all produce wine.
The number of festivals celebrating the grape in Europe is enormous, as are the festive traditions associated with all aspects of the vine. The Euradvantage project is a good place to see what fits your itinerary - at least for your first grape harvest trip!
Who visits Europe without enjoying a café, for refreshment after sightseeing or to engage in serious people-watching? All kinds of beverages are served in Europe, but special devotion is felt for coffee, after which cafés are named, and tea. Neither tea leaves nor coffee beans are native to Europe, but their respective brews have been relished for centuries and are an essential element of Europe’s beloved “café culture”.
In Vienna lavish chandeliers, gilt mirrors, velvety coffee, and towers of chocolate and whipped cream await! Viennese coffeehouses such as the famous Café Hawelk or Café Central symbolize an entire way of life. Try one of more than 20 varieties of coffee drinks, and linger at your table for hours.
The Coffee Museum in Hamburg and JURAworld in Switzerland are both fascinating places for the coffee aficionado to visit. You’ll learn all about the process of turning green coffee berries into the invigorating drink so many of us enjoy.
Italy, coffee’s first port of call in Europe, has given us a world of liquid pleasure: cappuccino, espresso, lungo, ristretto, macchiato—and some of the most dazzling coffee machines ever invented! Funnily enough, it was a 19th century Frenchman who invented the precursor to the espresso machine.
France has loved coffee since the Turkish Ambassador to the court of Louis XIV (who preferred hot chocolate) made coffee devotees of many; today order it noir(black) or ask for un café crème if you prefer it creamy. And who opened Le Procope, the first coffee shop in Paris (France), in the 17th century,still open today as a restaurant? An Italian!
On a hot day in Spain, sip a café con hielo, coffee with ice. Picasso used to discuss things over coffee in Barcelona’s Els Quatre Gats Café and Madrid’s Café Gijón. Tea rooms (in Granada follow the Arabic tradition of serving aromatic herbal teas at low tables in cool, dimly lit rooms for an exotic break.
In Belgium count on having a chocolate or a cookie nestled next to your cup! Order a lait russe (Russian milk) to have it with hot milk.
The United Kingdom is famous for its love of tea. Tea may have ridden in on coffee’s coattails, having been introduced in coffeehouses—but we know who the winner is now!