Millet

There are several fields interspersed among the vineyard parcels out back. Most of the time, they're filled with tall grasses that grow all spring and summer and then are cut down. Some of them are cut for hay, and we see the bales dotting the fields in late summer before they're taken to storage.

India, Nigeria, and Niger are the world's leading producers of millet. The US, India, and Nigeria are the leading producers of sorghum.

One small field, between a small grape parcel and a stand of pines, was plowed up last spring and planted with something. At first it looked like corn (maze), but it did not grow tall. Now that it's gone to seed, it looks like it's a variety of millet. It could also be sorghum; they're related and look similar. I think millet is mostly used for animal feed in France, probably poultry. It's also part of the wild bird seed mixes I see sold in the garden centers. Here and there we find a variety of millet in the markets sold for human consumption. We both enjoy it as an alternative to rice and other grains.

Abandoned

Every year I post a photo of grapes in an abandoned vineyard parcel out along our walking route. It's too bad that there's no one to work the vines in this parcel. Either there's no heir that's interested, or whoever owns the land doesn't want to sell, or there's no buyer if he does.

Unpruned, unharvested, these grape vines have been abandoned. The grapes will be eaten by wildlife or rot.

By now, shrubs and small trees have invaded. If anyone does want to work the parcel, I think everything would have to be dug up and they'd have to start from scratch. We've seen some vineyard parcels out back dug up and re-planted over the years, but none of them had been left to go wild.

Harvest is winding down

There is less and less activity in the vineyards out back as the days go by. Most of the grapes are gone. I noticed on Friday that one particular plot of "late harvest" grapes had been picked. So ends another harvest season. I imagine that the grapes have been pressed and the juice is starting to ferment in big tanks in the wineries around us.

These parcels have all been harvested. Soon the leaves will turn golden and fall to the ground.

In the coming weeks, some of the young juice will be sold as bernache, a local name for the unfiltered juice as it begins to ferment. It's a very sweet, yeasty, and slightly alcoholic beverage that is reputed for having digestive effects similar to prune juice. Then, later in November, the "new" wines will show up in the markets. In Beaujolais they're called vins nouveaux; in our region the young wine is released as Touraine Primeur. The fall season is in full swing.

Mellow yellow

The vineyards' deep green is getting more pale as the days go by. It's not in its yellow phase yet, but there are certain leaves that are ahead of the game.

The bottom grape leaves seem to be changing before the rest.

I harvested four long eggplants on Thursday from our single plant. There are two other eggplant varieties out there, but the few fruits they have are not yet mature. I sliced and grilled the eggplant and Ken used it in moussaka, a Greek dish made with layers of potato, ground lamb, and eggplant, topped with a béchamel sauce, and baked. Ken's version also has cheese on top. It made a tasty lunch. And, yes, there are leftovers!

The green is back

Although our drought is far from over, the recent rains have provided enough surface moisture to get the grass growing again. Our yard is losing its summer brown and is turning green again. Where I grew up, winter meant brown grass. But in California, the grass was green in winter, when it rained, and brown in summer (except where watered by sprinklers). Here in central France, where the summers are increasingly dry, we're reminded of California.

Early October in the West 40. Not only is the grass getting greener, but it's growing. I'll have to mow in a week or so.

It doesn't get cold enough long enough for our grass to go brown in winter. But it does rain, and that keeps things green. The trees may be brown and bare, but the grass is a refreshing green through the winter.

More leaves

Until I get some more photos taken, you're stuck with autumn leaves. Autumn grape leaves. We had a mixed day on Tuesday with rain showers in the middle and breezy conditions on either end. Then, right when I took Tasha out for her afternoon walk, we had another fairly strong shower. So, we got wet. The walk didn't last very long,

These look like they might be gamay leaves. Gamay is the red varietal most grown in our area.

This morning looks dry, but it's still breezy out there. The growers are still working on getting all the grapes in. There's a parcel of red grapes close by us that hasn't been harvested yet. Of course, there are small parcels here and there that the growers leave for "late harvest" sweet wines, but I think those are mostly white sauvignon.

Fall color

The leaves in the vineyards around us are starting to change. The reds can be especially vibrant, but the majority of the color will be golden, as much of the vineyards are planted in sauvignon blanc. Over the next weeks the green will pale out to yellow, then gold. If the weather cooperates, I'll try to post photos of the change.

This leaf looks like it could be "côt," a local name for "malbec," one of the three red wine varietals that are grown out back.

After the peak, the leaves will go brown and drop off, or they'll be blown off by autumn winds and rain. Speaking of which, the recent rains have had an effect: I've noticed the grass in our yard is greener and is growing again. I will likely have to mow at least once more before winter.