wine making

Well Cultivated Vineyard, a Thing of Beauty! Experienced Anything More Beautiful?

I often wonder how they make them look so picturesque. The rows that appear to be perfectly straight, the air is fresh and sweet and the scenery natural and beautiful. It doesn’t matter if it’s the beginning of the growing season, or the fruit is fully matured and ready for harvest, any season is a good day at the vineyard. Speaking of seasons let me tell you a little about what happens during each season at the vineyards, home of the grapes.

Winter – this is the time when the grape vines sleep and store nutrients. Around this time, January through March, the viticulturists practice their latest techniques for pruning and growth. In the spring, the sap will increase and the buds will inflate where successful cuts have been made.

Spring – Cool crisp mornings and warm days contribute to early growth on the vines. During late May and early June the vines produce clusters of flowers which produce fruit for the coming harvest. Soon after small grape clusters begin to appear along with magnificently shaped leafs which can also be picked later, stuffed, cooked and enjoyed with a well chosen bottle of wine.

Summer – It’s a busy time at the vineyards. The crew is thinning the leaves and clusters to make sure of optimal ripening of the grapes until the harvest time. As we learned in a previous blog the way the grapes ripen is essential to the wine taste.

Fall – What a colorful time at the vineyards! Such regal, majestic shades of purple, paired with vibrant greens, yellow and brown. What makes it look like that? It’s the change in the lighting and temperature, cool mornings, warm afternoons, evenings that cool quickly and the repositioning of the sun in the sky.

What happens during each season contributes to the end result, a vineyard of beautiful grapes that will produce a delicious and satisfying barrel of wine. No way could this process happen by chance!!

Rosa L. McArthur

My Fascination with the Grape

Since I can remember I have always had a fascination with the grape. As far back as kindergarten I recall drawing and coloring them as my first fruit of choice. Perhaps it was the variety of colors, their patina, the way they clustered, or even the way they tasted. At that young age I did not realize the impact that the juice of the pressed vine would have on my life. In my family my father enjoyed a variety of fermented beverages but my mother was not a huge fan. So when it came to the enjoyment of wine I was somewhat of a late bloomer.

I come from a large family, and on the front end mostly girls, five to be precise, with two boys being the youngest. We were always entertaining at our house and I recall the first wine I served my guest, it was a bottle of Manischewitz. I recall my visit to the wine store, overwhelming at the time. I knew very little about wine but I loved the shape of the bottles, the beautiful picture of grapes and the bold deep burgundy color of the wine. Perhaps I was also influenced by the bottle of Manischewitz my grandfather kept hidden in the back of his cupboard. At that time I did not have an opportunity to taste it, but I do recall him telling me that he would take a sip every now and then and that it was good for his health. That was a long time ago and my taste, wine choices, and knowledge of wines have changed over the years.

These are some of the events that started my fascination with the grape and the juice of the vine pressed. When I started my career in the hospitality industry that interest grew even more because as a meeting and event planner I am often called on to recommend or make wine selections. If you are a meeting planner, or know someone who is, then you understand exactly what I mean. Please accept my personal invitation to follow my blog. I will be covering many interesting aspects of wine from its origin, types of wines, and many of the up and coming brands. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

I would enjoy reading your comments. Stay tuned there is much more to come!

Field of Grapes – Vineyards

My Fascination with the Grape