I want to Grow Wine - Ok well you know what I mean, I want to grow grapes and make wine. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be the next Chateau Ste. Michelle or even the next Ernest and Julio Gallo. This notion started sometime ago, I mean everyone and their brother is making wine now, right? And I sure am drinking my share of it, so why not try my hand at making my own, I might save myself some money and have fun at the same time. Now I may be adding this to my list of hobbies that have fallen by the wayside, but I would at least like to give it a try. This past Sunday after church Bob said "let's go for a Sunday drive". Ian was not really into it, I am sure whatever was going to be on Cartoon Network was much more exciting to him, but too bad, we were off. I had no idea that Bob had a particular drive in mind, but off we went to the Lane County - Willamette Valley, heck I don't know what they call it - Wine country, and I will be darned if it's not practically right out my back door!!! Rows and rows and more rows of grapes and these wine tasting places HEAVEN, absolute HEAVEN!!! I had to wonder to myself (out loud), if you could actually eat those grapes, you know were they bitter, sweet, sour what? Well I had my question answered after we pulled into the first winery called "Sweet Cheeks", they were the new kids on the block they'd only been open a few months. I asked if one could eat the grapes hanging from the vines, they actually gave us two bunches, one red, one white. In case you didn't know the grapes aren;like the ones you buy down at Safeway, they are really small, about the size of an eraser head, but I guess it also depends on what kind wine you are going to make with them as to their size. Wow and mmmmmm, the grapes were very good. Ian who hardly had anything to eat was starving so he took the bunches of grapes outside and ate them as he looked out on the country side and what a sight it was, just beautiful.
I on the other hand stood inside and enjoyed the the flavors of seven different bottles of wine, you know just tastes, not whole glasses or bottles. We bought one bottle a riesling my favorite. We stopped at one other winery and I talked to Ed, the guy serving the wine, not an Oregonian, but a New Yorker. Don't ask me the name of the place, I forget, the wine was good, I bought a bottle of muscat, kind of like champaine but without so many bubbles. OK So here is the point it was nice afternoon, a beautiful drive. We are still eating on the two bunches of grapes that we got, but as I eat them I am spitting the seeds out and putting them on a paper towels, one marked red, one marked white. I hope to take my little seeds and plant them, but I am not sure how, and have not had time to research growing "wine grapes", so there they sit on the kitchen counter. Soon they may get thrown away, or perhaps they will mold or shrivel up and die before I can get to them, but for now I will maintain a dream of creating Joelle's little vineyard in my backyard, who knows onw day I may be calling my friends to come over for a "grape stomp".