Grapevine

Some thirty-five years ago, when I decided how great it would be to make my own wine, from my own grapes, I planted one little Concord grapevine next to the split rail fence in my front yard.  The little grape vine struggled to live its first few years, but not nearly as much as my wine making struggled.  The cheapest jug wine was so superior to my meager efforts that I quit wine making (to the applause of my wife, I might add).

                I ignored the grapevine—what good are grapes if you didn't make wine from them?  But soon, that little vine, not so small anymore, was producing a few quarts of beautiful, purple grapes each year.  Ruth began making grape jelly from my grapes—a couple jars the first few years, then more jars.  Wonderful, beautiful grape jelly.  Who says grapes are only for wine?  You didn't hear it from me (even Germans will occasionally admit they are wrong).

                This year, that little grapevine, still only one, has a trunk the size of my arm and sends out vines to the end of the split rail fence and beyond.  And yesterday, with Sue and grandson Josh’s help, we picked nearly a bushel of grapes. Some of the bunches had as many as 30 grapes. How many jars of grape jelly in a bushel of grapes?  We’ll find out.

                Thoughts of making my own grape wine have long ago faded into history—it’s just too difficult to top home-made grape jelly smeared generously on a piece of toast, certainly not with a glass of awful home-made wine.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Grapes for wine?  Try home-made grape jelly instead.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

September 7, Milwaukee Public TV 7:00 p.m.  A Farm Story with Jerry Apps. Live in Milwaukee.

September 8, Milwaukee Public TV 3:00 p.m. A Farm Story with Jerry Apps.

September  9, Byron Historical Society, Eden Community Center, 7:00 p.m.

September 10, DTS Banquet talk, Deer Valley Lodge, Barneveld

September 14, Mineral Point Book Festival. 8:30-9:30 Writing Workshop, Mineral Point Library.

September 15, 10:00-1:00 Book Signing, Machine Shed Restaurant, Waukesha.

September 16, Winchester Academy, Waupaca Public Library, 6:30 p.m.

September 18, Riveredge Nature Center, Newburg, WI 7:00 p.m.

September 21, 12:00-2:00 p.m.  Old World Wisconsin, Book Signing.

September 23, 6:30-7:30 Mount Horeb Public Library.

September 26, 7:00 p.m. WPT, Premier Showing, “A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps,” Green Bay, Rock Garden, 1951 Bond Street, 7:00 p.m.

September 28, 1:00 Barnes and Noble, Wausau, Book Signing.

October 1, 6:00 p.m. UW Memorial Library Commons, WPT “A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps.”

October 4-5, Heartland Fall Forum (Book Festival), Crowne Plaza Hotel, Chicago. O’Hare.

 FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING “JERRY APPS: A FARM STORY WITH JERRY APPS” DVD

DVD Jerry Apps: A Farm Story List $16.95 The Patterson’s price only $15.00 ($20.00 shipped)
Special Bundle Offer exclusively by the Patterson:
Tamarack River Ghost & Jerry Apps: A Farm Story – List $43.90
The Patterson’s Price Only $35.00 ($43.00 shipped)

Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St. PO Box 305
Wild Rose, WI 54984

(All items are sold by the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library. They will accept checks or cash, they’re sorry but they don’t have any way to accept credit or debit cards, checks should be made out to the Friends of Patterson Memorial Library.