Winemaker Tasting from the Cellar Casks

An old winemaker in a black beret and leather apron draws red wine from an oak cask with a glass pipette, letting it run into a glass he holds up to the light. The stone cellar around him is lined with barrels stacked two high on wooden racks, each chalked with its vintage: 2018, 2020, 2022 and more. A single arched window sends a soft beam of daylight across the room. Old tools hang from pegs on the far wall, from a pitchfork to a mallet and tongs, while dusty bottles rest in a niche and on high shelves. In the foreground a wooden table holds green wine bottles and two wicker baskets heaped with corks, and a tabby cat sleeps curled on a stool. The chalked years on every cask work like labels, so each barrel can be told apart at a glance.