We finally put in the arbor over the upstairs windows so that the grape vine has something to guide it. We know, grapes vines shouldn't go out that far from the main trunk, but we have come to appreciate the shade for the back of the house that the grapes provide, especially now that our back yard is treeless. Amazingly enough even though we don't tend our vine like we should, Dirt harvests 96 bottles of wine from our one vine each year. All that wine and we still get some to eat fresh at the table. 
Dirt is really into the wine making thing, Jim, Kathy's husband, got him started and encouraged him along the way. He makes a terrific raspberry wine for our raspberries that are not exactly good fresh but the wine is great. The apples he turns into something akin to an appletini, a little stiff to be just a wine!
He also has made wine from our precious huckleberries that we get each year up at Burley Mountain. But the consensus is that huckleberry pie is better. We can't wait to go up each year, play in the Cispus river, cook great food around the campfire with great friends- family really, and drive a crazy drive up to the huckleberry fields at the 4,000 foot level on a road barely wide enough to hold one vehicle.
But all that is for another post, I am just excited to have my arbor up so that tomorrow before the sun gets to hot I can see if the grape vine will disentangle so I can get it on the arbor headed up to the window.
2 comments:
I LOVE your new arbor..and am hoping to partake of the new wines Dirt makes. Love the wine he makes ! We too have come to appreciate the shade grape vines provide in abundance, and like you, we still get some nice table grapes from the vines.
I am thinking grapes have been undervalued as quick shade producing vines that allow plenty of sun through when they lose their leaves in the fall, only to again produce prolific leaves JUST when they are needed in mid-summer. I so appreciate the shade that the grape plants do not need to produce a lot of fruit over my porch and arbor.
Again, I love your blog and all it gives me to ponder( I love that word). KathyB.
I forgot to respond to your Burley mountain reference, and my response is YIKES!!!!!!!!!! This is a drive all adventurous and adrenalin junky types should experience. As for me, I stay at the campground with my books and needlework and enjoy your drives vicariously ! KathyB.
Post a Comment