In the vineyards of Champagne, everyone knows: nothing boosts morale better than a good meal from the grape pickers. In Bergères, in Aube, this awaited moment has a well-known face, that of Régine Thierry, 76, who continues to work behind her stoves throughout the harvest. Here, the break is not just a quick sandwich between two rows.
For more than 52 years, this grandmother with a frank smile has fed the teams on the family farm with impressive regularity. Four times a day, from breakfast to dinner, she ensures that no one lacks anything, even when the number of guests changes at the last moment.
In Bergères, the harvesters’ meals at the heart of the Champagne harvest
Over the course of the campaigns, Régine Thierry has become a figure in the Champagne harvest. She sums it up simply: , she smiles, interviewed by France 3 Champagne-Ardenne. Its cuisine adapts to the comings and goings of seasonal workers, French or foreign.
The menus are imagined and noted in advance, the provisions adjusted accordingly. For the harvesters, this moment is an integral part of the day. , confides Clément Maire, grape harvester on the farm for three years, to France 3.
Régine Thierry, 76, a cook who feeds up to 28 grape pickers
The task is heavy, almost a second full-time job. Between breakfast, morning snack, lunch and dinner, Régine practically never stops. , explains the Champenoise to France 3. At 76 years old, she continues to orchestrate everything, from simmered dishes to simple but expected desserts.
His cuisine speaks of terroir and generosity. , recognizes the seasonal Noëline Mariet from France 3. This year, to keep up the pace, Régine surrounded herself with two friends. , whispers one of them, Catherine Durin, to France 3.
Four meals a day and the grape harvest dog as the highlight
If the days start early with a strong coffee and a hearty breakfast, they remain punctuated by these breaks which unite the team. The morning snack restores strength in the ranks, lunch brings everyone together around large tables, dinner ends the day gently, when the buckets are finally put away.
At the end of a busy week, comes the famous “harvest dog”, which the septuagenarian is still preparing. This Sunday, August 23, Régine and her helpers can finally relax around this last big meal for the harvesters, more copious and watered, which marks the end of the harvest. A moment of celebration where everyone relaxes a little, before closing the harvest parenthesis for a new year.
Who is Régine Thierry, cook of the harvesters’ meals at Bergères?
Régine Thierry is a 76-year-old from Champagne who has been preparing meals for the grape harvesters on the family farm in Bergères, in Aube, for over 50 years.
How many meals for the grape pickers does Régine prepare each day?
During the harvest, Régine prepares four meals a day for the seasonal workers: breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner.
How many grape pickers eat at Régine’s in Bergères every day?
According to Régine, there are generally between 24, 26 or 28 at the table, so she always cooks “extensively” so as not to miss anything.
What is the grape harvest dog in Champagne?
The harvest dog is the last big meal, more copious and festive, organized to celebrate the end of the harvest.
