The great heat has reached the Cérinhac hillsides. This morning, climbing up to the vines before sunrise, we laid a hand on a rolled pebble: it was already warm. By noon it burns. We know heatwaves well here, but we never take one lightly.
The vine knows what to do. It sends its roots several metres down to find the coolness of the limestone. We are not so lucky. In this furnace, the estate’s rule comes down to one word: water. Drink before you are thirsty, drink regularly, drink even when you do not feel like it. The body is like a vine: without water, it wilts.
« When the stone is thirsty, a man has already waited too long to drink. »
Three heatwave rules
- Drink — at least one large glass of water every hour. Keep a water bottle within reach.
- Take shelter — between noon and 4 pm, stay in the shade of the vine arbour or in the vaulted cellar, where the air stays cool.
- Look out for others — a call to the elderly, to neighbours, to those who live alone. The heat strikes the most vulnerable first.
Did you know?
Working hard in a heatwave, you can lose more than one and a half litres of water an hour, sometimes without visibly sweating. That is why you should not rely on thirst: by the time it comes, your body is already short of water. Drink a little, but often.
1.5 L
of water lost / hour
38°C
on the pebbles at noon
12‑4 pm
the hours to avoid
8
glasses / day minimum
And no, the glass of red does not count as hydration. In great heat, the wine waits for the evening, when the air cools and the valley can breathe at last. During the day: cool water, spring water, water with a squeeze of lemon if you fancy it.
Take care of yourselves and stay cool. If the sun is beating down during your visit, the vaulted cellar stays cool, and a carafe of water is always waiting for you there.