90 + 90 = Vineyard Tour

Yesterday I was visited by Gup (aka Dad) and his/our friend Jim Macmillan. I think they're both the same age, just 90, but age seems irrelevant because they're both adventuresome and curious. They came down to have a lunch visit with me. I made my soon-to-be-World-Famous salmon chowder with sweet potato and dill. They were an appreciative audience.

After lunch and some enlightening conversation we drove down the road to visit Motts Landing Vineyard. We were greeted by David and Sonia, cheerful and welcoming as always. Jim very kindly bought me a bottle of Motts Landing Muscat wine, and Dad bought two bottles of wine (presumably one for him and one for Jim....for the tedious drive back to Fredericton!). When you're 90 you write your own rules!!

When we finished our visit to the wine store we took a drive around the vineyard. The grapes were hanging, well, like grapes. Looks like a bumper crop this year. Bumper?

Bumper: the word bumper can be used to mean something unusual large. A bumper crop would be an unusually bountiful crop. A bumper bumper would be an over-sized automobile bumper. Likewise a bumper dumper would be a gigantic ass (see Oromocto Mall regulars). I digress....because I like to digress.                                                                  Dad and Jim eagerly inspected a row of vines and were most impressed. Dad even 'stole' a grape and popped it in his mouth. "Sweet", he announced. I'm not sure if Jim was so blatantly lawless. Likely (ha ha).

All three of us were astounded by the work that has gone into making the vineyard. I believe the soil was first turned for the vineyard around 2002 and it is just in the last year or two that the vineyard has been producing crops sufficient enough to make large quantities of red and white wine. The wine is very impressive, especially given that there was some doubt, initially, whether quality wines could be produced in New Brunswick. Sales have been growing every year exponentially. It's nice to witness the birth and maturity of an agriculture success story right here in Cambridge-Narrows.

Success? Yes! Recently David and Sonia's Sabrevois red wine was ranked as the second best wine in the Atlantic Provinces or something like that. It deserved the honour because it can rub shoulders with anything produced in North America. Congratulations to Motts Landing Vineyard.Well done, I say.

And what a beautiful day to be there: sunny, warm, sparkling. A great day all around.