It's Harvest Time!

Here it is September, the kids are back in school, the weather is cooling off and harvest is under way. It was a good summer for us. A trip to Sanibel with our daughter was so much fun. Marty and I enjoyed the time away. Then in July, the girls and I took a road trip to Ohio to visit family who we hadn’t seen in a couple years. Along the way we stopped at a few wineries. As always, it’s nice to sample wines other than your own and to see how they do things. A winery in Indiana did not permit children to come up to the tasting bar. They had to wait for their family in a sitting area away from the bar.

The rest of the summer was taken up with grandsons coming to spend a week with grandma and grandpa. They each had their own week, except for the twins. They came together and thought they stayed a week. In reality, they were only here 1 night but they did enjoy their time. I enjoy this time with the grandsons. Not only do we have fun, but a special bond takes place.

Harvest has started and will continue for a few more weeks. We started with the Chardonel last week. The actual tonnage we received was a bit disappointing, however, the rest of the vineyard looks promising. Our first crush of the season went well. The juice is currently in the tank chilling. Next week, we will harvest the Traminette grapes. Picking will begin at 4am! It is better to pick the grapes when they are cool, so we often pick at night or in the early morning hours. Some of these grapes are being sold to another winery and must be delivered right after they are picked. Marty will then come home and begin crushing our portion of the Traminette grapes. It will be a long day! All of this will be taking place as the Tour of Missouri passes through wine country. Also, we have been putting our new bottling line to good use. How wonderful it is to have this piece of equipment!

This time of year is never dull!