One of the highlights of the weekend to Charlottesville was going out into one of the vineyards with the wine maker and discussing the grapes. They were black, and ripe, and oh so sweet. It was Keswick Vineyards.
Anyone who knows me, knows I love wine. We visit a lot of wineries, but few--like almost none, allow you to stroll the vineyards and especially not with the winemaker. It was awesome--and we were so impressed that we joined the wine club so that we have to go back a couple times per year!!
It was really interesting to have him show me how he knows--in addition to all the scientific stuff, when the grapes are really ready to pick. And how to tell when the wines are going to be great. We were talking about the rain and the weather in relation to picking the grapes--they like it a bit dry. I even learned how to tell what color the wine will be by the skin on the grapes.
The wines they make though are oh so good. Chris and I even fancied for a bit about retiring and opening a vineyard! Yeah--me a farmer? I'd rather be scuba diving. LOL.
Oh, but the day was so fun and the weather so good and I really developed an appreciation for Virginia wines.
Grapes are picked and selected by hand! just like in "olden" times. Even Chris got into the harvesting act. The vineyards were just beginning to have their leaves turn and so we got some really cool pictures of the grapes and the leaves and the sky and the sun!
The funniest thing was when we stopped on our way to the tasting center to get some pictures and a pair of dogs came charging at Chris as she was snapping the picture of the red leaved grapes. She got a little panicked because there was a "No Trespassing" sign right where she was standing.
But even so, with a steady hand and a beating heart, like the photographer she is--she got her shot before the dogs devoured her. OK--we later found out that they probably would have licked her to death because they are really nice dogs.
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