The grape harvest again

Two weeks ago the grape harvest finally started in our village. The time depends on the grapes' maturity and varies from region to region and village to village and probably according to the winemakers' preferences, too. Before and during harvest time, the wine growers watch the weather forecast more closely than they normally do as a lot of their future income depends on the state of the grapes on harvesting day.
The local cooperative determines which growing zones and grape varieties get preference and how the harvest proceeds. During one or two days a rabbi comes from Barcelona to supervise personally the delivery of the grapes that are used in the production of kosher wine - a great idea to draw a lot of attention to the cooperative and its other wines that sell in more than 40 countries.
Though in other places the harvest is widely mechanized, here the grapes are harvested manually: a labor-intensive and back-breaking operation. One heads out before sunrise, often accompanied by relatives from the city who return for a few days to reconnect with their roots and lend a helping hand. The best part of the workday is the breakfast hour around or shortly after the full sunrise; the traditional meal consists of herring roasted over an open fire accompanied by bread and wine.
As one works side by side with the others there is a lot of time for the exchange of family news and village developments. After all the news have been shared it's time for the old stories that are retold for the benefit of the younger generations and the newcomers: stories involving villagers dead or alive and crimes or scandals.
The afternoon is normally quieter as the work seems harder with tiredness and higher temperatures. One goes to bed early as the body demands rest.
These events are repeated every year. During the first week one still enjoys it. Afterwards it becomes a little tiring, especially if the mosquitoes and flies do not move away from one's head on a muggy day and the grapes begin to rot due to late harvesting or rain showers not untypical for this time of the year.