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Mar 11, 2024
Media: oil on birch panel, shellac undercoat, unframed
Size: 6x6 in
I've heard a lot about vineyards, but never really spent time in any until our cousins planted vines next to the family orchard. Vineyards are a lot of work. I have helped, briefly, a few times, but my cousins have put in hour after hour on the tasks that lead to healthy grapes. Trimming, training vines, warding off deer and other animals, watering, the list goes on and on. And each task takes a lot of time and effort. They now grow grapes used in award-winning wine. What I do know about working with farms, or vineyards, is that much of what happens is out of one's hands. The amount of water, and when it arrives; the amount of sunlight; the temperature; the storms; all of it happens and farmers are left to pick up the pieces. Growing food is not for the faint of heart. One year the vintner suggested making ice wine. I heard about the process after the fact. Pickers arrived in the middle of the night to pick when the temperature led to frozen grapes. Those grapes were then pressed while still frozen, producing a fraction of the normal amount of juice with a maximum amount of sugar. It led to an amazing product. What I enjoy is watching the clusters of grapes grow from tiny clusters of hard, green grapes to lush, plump and purple beauties. When the sun shines through the leaves and the grapes themselves, it's a feast for the eyes. And late in the summer you can even smell their perfume in the air. It seems miraculous to me to be there. I'm grateful for the front row seat. I've heard a lot about vineyards, but never really spent time in any until our cousins planted vines next to the family orchard. Vineyards are a lot of work. I have helped, briefly, a few times, but my cousins have put in hour after hour on the tasks that lead to healthy grapes. Trimming, training vines, warding off deer and other animals, watering, the list goes on and on. And each task takes a lot of time and effort. They now grow grapes used in award-winning wine. What I do know about working with farms, or vineyards, is that much of what happens is out of one's hands. The amount of water, and when it arrives; the amount of sunlight; the temperature; the storms; all of it happens and farmers are left to pick up the pieces. Growing food is not for the faint of heart. One year the vintner suggested making ice wine. I heard about the process after the fact. Pickers arrived in the middle of the night to pick when the temperature led to frozen grapes. Those grapes were then pressed while still frozen, producing a fraction of the normal amount of juice with a maximum amount of sugar. It led to an amazing product. What I enjoy is watching the clusters of grapes grow from tiny clusters of hard, green grapes to lush, plump and purple beauties. When the sun shines through the leaves and the grapes themselves, it's a feast for the eyes. And late in the summer you can even smell their perfume in the air. It seems miraculous to me to be there. I'm grateful for the front row seat. |
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