Harvest Time!

For years I have been making beer and wine in the basement.

The first question that is asked when people found out that I made wine in the basement was "do you have a grapevine?"

The answer was no. Folks who make wine can always go down to the farmers' market or the beer/wine hobby shop and get a few crates of grapes or a bucket of interesting juice.

This explanation never held much water, so five years ago, I planted a grapevine.

It died.

I planted two more the next year. They died as well.

Two years ago I planted a couple of Marechal Foch vines. They grew six inches and a couple of leaves. Last year I posted photos of the entire output of the two vines. I think we would have had about a shot glass full of wine.

This year the vines went nuts.

They took over the freaking deck!



I was waiting to see if there was some sign that the grapes were ready for harvest. I was waiting for the last of the green buds to turn purple.

The actual sign was when the local birds started eating the grapes and my car was suddenly covered with psychedelic purple bird crap.

So this weekend was harvest time. Here's what I had about a third of the way through picking:



I've mixed them up with a big bucket of Cabernet Sauvignon - I'd guess it's 1-20 Foch from the deck to Cab Sav. Right now it is bubbling like crazy.

It is going to be quite a good batch.