Véraison

Arandell

Cab Sauv

This morning, as I sat outside drinking my coffee, I could sense a change in the air. It was literally a change in the air, something a bit quicker, a bit cooler, and seeming to come more from the northeast than the usual south. It seemed like the critters around me were sensing something too: The butterflies were more like flutter-bys, the cardinals and finches were caught up in some drama too intense to unravel, Artemis (the yard leopard) looked ready to pounce on something completely invisible. I wondered if it could all be attributed to a subtle change in season, if this six-month-long-spring-into-summer-of-Blursdays might actually have a finite end at some point. Might be nice.

Vineyard-watchers, of course, already know that changes are coming. At this time of the season, our red grapes start to undergo a transition called véraison, which is when they start to turn color. Véraison marks the end of a grape's growing season and the start of its ripening season. They start to accrue sugars, which is why we have to be more vigilant with keeping the deer and birds away.

I love the look of a variegated bunch of someday-red grapes. For this short window of time, even within a bunch, there is visible diversity. It's a very pretty reminder of the fact that harvest will, indeed, come, and that the seasons will continue to change. I'm ready.

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Merlot