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With
harvest approaching, late summer is when we begin
in earnest to assess the ripeness of the fruit.
We do much of this by taste and observation,
and all of the Sonatera and winery folks are
involved. We roam the vineyard, picking representative
berries and popping them in our mouths. We judge
the sugar content by the fruit’s sweetness, but
we also pay attention to the feel of the berry
in our mouths. Is the pulp firm, gelatinous,
or soft? Does it adhere to the skins and seeds
firmly, loosely or not at all? Does the skin
taste bitter or fruity? Do the seeds squish or
crunch when bitten? Are they bright green, olive-colored,
or brown?
People aren’t the only ones tasting the grapes
in late summer. The resident starlings — sky-darkening
millions of them — begin to gather in anticipation
of a sweet banquet. We frustrate them by netting
our vineyard. We drape 14’ wide swaths of netting
over the tops of the vine rows. With the nets hanging
to the ground, small birds like starlings can’t
get at the fruit.
However, larger animals like wild turkeys and raccoons
also are tasting the grapes, and they have the
weight and tenacity to tear through the nets. We
lose a fair amount of ripe fruit to the dozen or
so local raccoons. It’s the five dozen or so wild
turkeys in our neighborhood that can do real damage
to the crop. Our best solution is Chip, a sturdy
brown Labrador mix who delights in rousting the
turkeys.
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