Vendemmia 2004 starts in Barga

On a chilly and damp September morning on the hillsides of Buvicchia just outside Barga, the vendemmia 2004 started in earnest.

Luckily the threatening rainclouds moved on, the sun came out and a perfect day for picking grapes was revealed for all.

A technical hitch with the machine which normally separates and crushes the grapes. meant that the pickers had to fall back on the more traditional method and crushed the grapes with their bare feet.

Luckily the award winning photographer O'Connor was on hand to record the wet and messy scenes as two well known characters in Barga, Benjy and Jack Nannini (half of the STRABACCO duo) went to work with gusto. His images are here