Tuesday, December 01, 2015

Believe it or not

There are still a few bunches of grapes here and there among the vines, missed by the harvesters. One good freeze and they will be gone, but that seems unlikely any time soon. Our temperatures remain unseasonably warm. I didn't even build a fire yesterday.

A small grape bunch covered with morning dew. One good frost and they'll whither away.

Pruning has started in the vineyards around us. Little by little, the naked vine canes will be cut away, leaving only one to sprout anew next spring. It's a job that must be done by hand, with a skill to recognize which cane should be saved, and where to cut the others. When the pruning is complete, the same hands will pass through the vines again, bending the surviving canes onto their guide wires and attaching them, preparing them for another year's growth.

6 comments:

  1. And we think that wine just comes in bottles!!

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  2. There are just some jobs that can't be automated... I think that's a good thing. That's a wonderful shot !

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  3. We used to put grapes in ice trays in the freezer as a little treat. I have a feeling these wouldn't be the same.

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  4. is there any eiswein made in your area?

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  5. tim, and boxes!

    stuart, it sure looks like a lot of slow, physical, repetitive work. But, I guess that's the definition of work...

    mitch, for one thing, they have seeds.

    christine, thanks!

    michael, I don't think so, at least not officially.

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