Grape harvesting starts Saturday morning at the Salado Winery’s vineyard, and owner June Ritterbusch has some advice: Don’t wear flip-flops.
“It’s Texas — sometimes there’s ants, sometimes there’s wasps. People forget it’s the great outdoors,” she said.
Tennis shoes or other suitable footwear are recommended as residents roam across the Central Texas vineyard to pick grapes that will be used to make Chardonnay wine.
The harvest at the vineyard, 21724 Hill Road, begins at sunrise, but most people arrive about 7 a.m. and pick grapes for a few hours before the Texas heat notches up the thermostat, Ritterbusch said.
“We do this every year and it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “People are happy and like to pose for cool pictures.”
Residents can pick as many or as few grapes as they wish at the family friendly event.
Cool, comfortable clothing, a hat, sunscreen, bottled water and even bug spray are recommended for those harvesting. The winery will supply 5- to 6-gallon buckets to collect grapes.
Social distancing won’t be a problem since people can spread out across the vineyard, but masks are recommended for close encounters.
The grapes collected will be de-stemmed, crushed and prepared for fermentation.
“We’re going to take these to the winery and make wine,” said Ritterbusch, who makes wine at her business, Salado Winery Company and Salado Wine Seller, 841 N. Main St. in Salado.
Other harvest dates are scheduled for next week, she said.
“We also have a grape stomp that’s really fun,” Ritterbusch said. That event is scheduled Oct. 17.
The vineyard is located off Interstate 35 at Hill Road, south of the northbound and southbound Bell County Safety Rest Areas.
If folks get lost or need directions, they can call 254-466-5813.
July 25, 2020 at 08:12AM
https://ift.tt/3f19pSD
Grape harvest set for Saturday | News | tdtnews.com - Temple Daily Telegram
https://ift.tt/3eO3jWb
Grape
No comments:
Post a Comment