PICNIC IN THE VINEYARD

BOOM, BANG, CRACK, BANG, BOOM, with the echoes off the mountain it sounded like a war zone. The noise is from gas run air guns to scare the birds away. It was loud while standing in the vineyard.

 It’s loud inside my home from all the surrounding vineyards but it works. Only a deaf bird would dare to hang around.

Closer to the mountain (escarpment) long poles held fake falcons to worry the birds that live in the forest and might wonder how the grapes will taste.

There was a lot of tasting going on. It was the Wine Club fall picnic in the vineyard. The wine club was a group of men who loved to make wine. And they did a good job but they didn’t run wineries, they made it in their homes.

 Several local winery winemakers were there too because the word is out – it’s good wine tasting time.

The barn is actually a shed for tools and machines but has been for over 30 years a place for families to gather to celebrate life.  There are a lifetime of memories for our host and hostess Roman and Sophie and all of the wine club members and their friends. In this photo my husband stands with our host.

 When I couldn’t find my husband I snapped a photo of a few of the men holding court in the barn.

There were women and children in the vineyard that day but it was the men’s party so they did the cooking, the cleaning, and the serving and were perfect hosts.

I changed this photo to protect the identity of the innocent.

The food was amazing. Veal, lamb and pork cooked on the spot, a huge summer salad, wonderful fresh crusty bread and lots of gravy.

Dessert was pears picked from the trees lining the vineyard, peeled and cut on the spot, poached in late harvest wine – a very sweet, (but not as sweet or expensive as ice wine), dessert wine.

Many dozens of bottles of wine were emptied and darn, I’m still on the wagon.

 Lots of us wandered around the acres of vineyard, tasting the grapes and taking photos. It was a beautiful day. The sky was blue with fluffy white clouds. There was no wind.

Up in the vineyard, there is no electricity so there is a path down the row of pear trees to the outhouse used by most of the women and children. The men used the vineyard, aiming for posts, not plants.

 There are many types of grapes planted here. I can point out the pinot noir and chardonnay but can’t tell the difference in Riesling, merlot, cab franc, and cab sauv.

This photo shows vines that are a few years old (the tall ones) and the new ones planted this spring. 

It is a lovely place for an afternoon of relaxing with friends and tasting some pretty wonderful wines and some pretty wonderful food too.