This morning, the winemaker at TWWIAGE took me, and several of my co-workers, on a field trip to some neighbouring Oakville vineyards. TWWIAGE does buy a small amount of grapes from a handful of well established Oakville growers with whom the winemaker, and the owners of TWWIAGE, have forged strong and stable relationships.
Buying grapes from other growers means that a winery can produce more wine to sell. But purchasing fruit grown on different soils, from distinct micro-climates and with alternative clone/rootstock/training combinations can lead to various nuances and complexities in the final blend.
Our little band of wily winery-workers trudged through five vineyards in all, committing to memory soil-types, trellising systems and crop yield: it was very educational. And fun, for a geek like me.
7 comments:
I would say you need to get out more but I think you need to stay in and watch some TV!
VG: The more you learn the better for all your readers/followers (me)! I doubt you'll ever run out of things to post!
Thud: Ha!
Thud: I should get out more. I should stay in more. Which one is it?
NHW: I think I might...or at least get very repetitive.
And don't encourage Thud!
A Christmas present for Vinodog II
love is in the air
The vineyard tour sounds fun. I love those scrummy autumn colors of the grape leaves turning.
Something just occurred to me-- are dolmas (Greek stuffed grape leaves) made with leaves of a particular type of grape, and are there differences in the flavors of leaves from one to another? I never thought of that before, but considering what great variances there are in grapes, it would make sense if the leaves vary greatly, too. Then again, I suppose the vinegar they are preserved in hammers a lot of flavor into oblivion, possibly.
I am sorry to be so absent for so long. School has been intense this semester with a chock-full schedule, but it's going well. The stress has only been from getting very little time to rest. Feeling my age, these days! Miss you, and happy to see your beautiful photos again. I'll try to come around more often. :)
Oh, I have to tell you that I can't hear the song "Gaudete" without thinking of you-- I'm so grateful you introduced me to that glorious composition. I had to declare a minor at my university, so I chose classical voice since I already had many credits that counted toward that minor. When I joined the choir in Spring, I begged the director to let us do that piece this Fall. I didn't think to check the planned repertoire before I changed choirs this Fall, so of course the choir I left did the piece. Still, I had the joy of sitting in the audience three times and hearing it sung, and beautifully at that. Anyway, I hope you and yours are blessed with wonderful holidays. :)
NHW: V2 is embarrassed that she cannot perform one iota of what that super-collie could. I enjoyed the clip though :)
PF: Lovely to hear from you. I am glad for you that school is going so well...it can be hard being a 'mature' student :)
That is a good question about the grape leaves. I saw a jar of grape leaves in the supermarket yesterday, in the 'holiday' food section, (I was buying Robertson's mincemeat). I shall do some research...and have a look at that jar of prepared leaves.
Re: Gaudete. You are welcome! It is a fabulous carol, isn't it? I will think of you now every time I hear it :) Thank you for sharing your choir story, I am glad that the carol will be heard by lots more people.
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