As we've seen here before, I have a sweet spot for the farm cats.

Sepia toned hay bales

Baby!

I propped her up one day over the summer when she could sit up but not very well in between these boxes of unlabelled Valle Rhine and Vignoles.

first taste of a local blackberry

Yesterday, 9.12.08

just waiting for the sugar to rise and the acid to drop now

Today!

Welcome

If you found us through the St. Louis Magazine welcome! Our big, normal website is temporarily down and out, so here is my little blog. I originally started this blog because our tasting room in downtown Ste. Genevieve sometimes seems like a storefront, and I know it's so much more than that. There are quite a few wineries in Missouri who do not grow their own grapes or make their own wine (shocking, I know) and so since our vineyard is not open to the public, I wanted to make it available through this wonderful thing called the whole wide web.

If you are wondering about the pictures of the cluster of grapes, way back when early this growing season I started taking a picture a week of a cluster of Norton grapes, so you can scroll down and see the backward progression.

If you have any questions whatsoever about our winery, just email me at stgenwinery@hotmail.com

Picture Taken 8.28.08

Picture Taken 8.22.08

Absent

Since my office is way out in the boonies I have satellite internet. It's supposed to be faster than dial up, and it is, but not by much. 19 days ago some part of the thing that helps me use the internet (can you tell I'm technically challenged) got struck by lightening and my internet service provider has yet to come out to the boonies and fix it. I say 19 days because that is what I told them the 5 times that I called them today, and once yesterday and the day before, and the repair man on Tuesday. Good times. Anyway (Artie Lange would say "wahhh!") here is my picture of the week, 3 weeks late, and two weeks skipped. All apologies.

The grapes are getting ripe, you can see, but we are a little late this year. Looks like Concord is a least a week away, and Vignoles more like two weeks away.

I'll keep you posted, and if you have any pull with the powers that be, ask them to kindly repair my internet.

Small Winery Lab Workshop

A couple weeks ago I went to Mizzou and attended a small winery lab workshop. I went for two reasons. The first reason was that I teach a Fundamentals of Enology class at the local junior college and I wanted to hear Rebecca's take on teaching the lab work, and I also wanted to test my own pH meter to the university's to make sure mine was working well before harvest. You can read all about the workshop here and see a picture of me on the top picture with the two men to my left.

July 26, 2008

As you can see, the grape cluster is not getting much bigger. Instead all the growth is now happening inside the grapes themselves. Sugar is rising and acid is decreasing, although you wouldn't know it if you ate one today. It would be way too sour. Some of the early ripening grapes are going through verasion now, though, so harvest is in sight. Time to ready the crush pad, order yeast, and clean some tanks.

Week Eight

Way Late

I'm a couple days late. I got messed up with that holiday. What was I thinking taking a day off like that? Now I'm all behind.

Anyway, here she is, the little beauty is growing up right before our very eyes.

Art in Ste. Genevieve

There is a thriving artist community in Ste. Genevieve. In the 1930s there was an artist colony here. I have this beautiful book about the colony. Now we have a very busy Artist Guild. I have already mentioned Chuck Drost who is painting and designing our new labels one by one. Click on some other links; Studio de Michel, Ali Cavanaugh who is new to Ste. Genevieve, Mike Devaney, and his grandmother's typewriter art Winifred T. Caldwell.

Very interesting indeed.

Family At Work

I like using the word family to refer to my husband and our daughter. Before it was just John and I, or my husband, but now we are a unit; a family. I also like having them around. As I have mentioned here before John is a band teacher, so he spends his summers helping us. This summer he is spending Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the vineyard, and Mondays and Fridays he stays at home with Cecilia. He is the best part-time stay-at-home-dad around. =) She is getting increasingly busy, and next month she will find herself in the care of someone else a couple days a week so I can get stuff done, and focus on harvest, but for now she's still here pretty often.

The first picture was taken this morning. John got in my office early and gave me a vase of Chickory wildflowers. That's a nice way to start the day. =)

The second picture is her sitting up and playing in her pack and play. Sitting up has freed my hands and arms from holding her and she can play by herself for a minute or two at a time, allowing me to power out and gets lots accomplished. I was contacted a month or two ago about parenting in the workplace and how it was becoming more prevalent. I find the whole topic pretty interesting.

Hope you're having a good day today also. I'm spreading the good day love. =)

Applying Lime

Too Much Water

This picture was taken last Thursday down by the marina in Ste. Genevieve. The flood gate is closed, and on this side of the gate, there is water everywhere, and on the other side things are normal. I guess after 1993 our little town is better prepared.

The Mississippi River is supposed to crest in St. Louis today. Let's pray for no more levy breaks, and a normal subsiding of the water.

Norton Bunch 6.27

much growth in 4 days, don't cha think?

Farmall Art