In a Pinch…

Pretty cool!  I’ll bet if you’re a Boy Scout in Napa Valley you can earn a “Wine” badge.  I’d argue that it’s a skill every bit as important as being able to start a fire without matches.    Must try this the next time I open an inexpensive bottle! 
[...]

It’s Started…2008 Is Officially Underway!

For me, at least, the 2008 harvest is underway. It began on Saturday, the 13th of September when I picked 128# of Seyval Blanc at J Rose Vineyards in Damascus, MD. I was feeling really discouraged because Hurricane Hanna had dropped all kinds of water on us last week and then we got [...]

Making “the switch”…

OK, these past two years have been vicious. Back in 2006 a winemaker friend of mine came over and decided I had too many empty carboys. She threw down the gauntlet and I foolishly picked it up… Now I’ve got wine spread out across the whole year — a [...]

Yes, we can…

Here’s an interesting post off of Belief.net by a spiritually and politically conservative blogger who calls Barack Obama “The Democrats’ Reagan”.
No matter who you support in the political process this year, I find it hard to believe anyone could find Obama’s South Carolina victory speech anything less than inspirational. It’s about 15 minutes long [...]

Validation…

If you look at this post by Amy Lillard, over on La Gramiere in my Blogroll, you’ll understand where this is coming from.
Wines really are a lot like your children in some ways. That is, they both are a product of nature and nurture, you make every effort to see that they turn out [...]

My Newest Labels…

Wow, I’m incredibly far behind on this blog and there’s so much to tell!  The 2007 harvest is over and the wine is well on its way to becoming what it will be.  But that’s all for another day.
For now, here’s your chance to comment my newest labels.  Only one shows the octagonal gold-leaf border but both [...]

Music Recommendation — Cowboy Junkies

Cowboy Junkies — Long Journey Home
I only recently fully “discovered” this incredible Canadian band even though they’ve been around for over 20 years now. Formed by three siblings and a “best friend” in the mid-80’s, I think everyone has heard this uncompromising group’s cover of Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane”. Don’t ask me why, but I [...]

Berries & cherries & time! Oh My!

Well, if the weather cooperates, it looks like I’ll be heading to Paw-Paw, WV, this weekend to pick wineberries. I’m planning to take more than a few pictures so watch for them soon.
The berries here in Maryland are really sporadic this year. You can find three bushes side by side on the same [...]

Updates…

…are mostly taking place on the other pages of this blog at the moment. Sorry about the lack of “formal” posts lately. I want to get the infrastructure down first to make future updates quicker and easier. Thanks for your patience!
What to watch for? Well, for one thing, wineberries are coming in the first part [...]

The Darkling Thrush

Written on the eve of the 20th century, The Darkling Thrush, by Thomas Hardy, is as relevant now as it was at the end of the 19th century — perhaps even more so given the current sad state of world affairs and the fact that we’re laying the foundations for not just a new century [...]