The red giant in Rothenberg is approaching inexorably. Using ultrasonic sensors and buttons near the ground, the vehicle stays precisely on track as it drives up the vineyard near Martinsthal in the Rheingau. The Pinot Noir vines disappear beneath him. When the harvester is almost finished with the row and the vehicle is only a few meters away from us, we see the leaves shaking. Time for a line turn: The driver turns the wheels unusually far, turns in the smallest space and purposefully moves on to the next row of vines. The machine positions itself again so that the vines fit precisely between the hydraulically height-adjustable wheels and under the driver’s cab while driving. It now goes downhill one line offset. If you follow the harvester at a distance, some of the vines look a bit disheveled because they lose more leaves than if they were harvested by hand. But when the wind blows violently through the vineyard in autumn, nature is likely to leave a similar impression.
#Grape #harvest #difference #man #machine