The Florida Grape Harvest

The Florida Grape Harvest!

When the heat of central Florida reaches 100+ degrees and the afternoon thunderstorms boil with dark clouds and bolts of lightning, an annual spectacle, that few see, unfolds across our landscape. Beginning about the end of July and continuing until about October the “Florida Grape Harvest” is underway!

With colors of black, gold and red, these sweet and fragrant orbs of grapes glisten in our Florida sun. Listen closely, can you hear the ‘thump...thump...thump’ as the grapes are picked and dropped into the picking bucket? Each day the grapes become fuller and riper and sweeter. What begins as a trickle of grapes will soon become a full and raging river of grapes. Over and over the same refrain is played…Pick, thump, carry, wash, crush, ferment!

Day after day, week after week the flow of grapes continues. Even after the sun sets and the moon rises, the grape march continues. The processing of the days harvest must not stop! Only after every bucket of grapes is secure in the fermenting room can we rest.

 

 

                                                   

 

Tomorrow morning comes early for the grape grower and the grape picker. The first rays of sunlight reveals a multitude of busy hands reaching in and out of the grape vines. Another day is dawning and the music of the Florida grape picker, again, fills the air…’thump…thump…thump’!

Then, one day in early October, the ‘thumping’ stops. Other than the cooing of a pair of Mourning Dove, the morning air is still and silent. The grape pickers have gone. The grape vines are still lush and green, but the grapes are missing from this Florida landscape. The Florida Grape Harvest has ended.

So, was all the hard work and long days and nights worth the effort? Well, we’ll not know for sure until YOU sample the wines…a year from now! Your words, your facial expressions, your eyes will tell us if we have earned your accolades. We consider YOU the judge. If YOU are happy and pleased with our wines, then we have done our work well.

So, come visit our vineyard and winery and take a peek behind the scenes. Remember, you’re the captain, you’re the supreme judge and your opinion does matter! You can visit our web site at www.bunkerhillvineyard.com.
 

Salute & Happy Days!

If you have any comments or questions on this Blog or suggestions for future Blogs, please email me at BunkerHillVine@aol.com