Grape Harvesing.

 

 Our local professional wine producers, the Gerovassiliou Estate, claimed that 2023 was a demanding year for production, given the heavy rainfall and fungal diseases. In contrast 2024, with high temperatures and little rainfall, produced grapes of exceptional quality.

Despite our dry summer, the grape vines flourished and by the first weekend in September the grapes were checked for ripeness. This can be done by measuring sugar levels, PH/acidity levels or temperature. ‘Our’ grapes, well the vineyard right in front of our bedroom, were deemed ready so it was all hands-on deck with crates and buckets. The grape types are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon which produce red wine.

 Merlot is the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Magdaline Noire ds Charentes. This second strain, discovered in an abandoned vineyard in Brittany, was found in 1996 to be the ‘mother’ by DNA testing to confirm the lineage.

 The name Merlot comes from the diminutive form of the French word merle - the blackbird. Now whether this is because of the dark colour the bird and grape share or because this bird is particularly fond of eating the grapes on the vine is anyone’s guess.  Below you can see our Merlot bunches tend to be floppier than the other grape strain.                                                

 The grape is thin-skinned and very sensitive to its environment; because of this adaptable capacity it is considered the chameleon of the grape world. It is a wine of medium acidity and its soft tannins make for a smooth taste. Its characteristics are listed as fruity: black cherry, raspberry and plum. The food said to be ideal to pair with it are scallops or prawns wrapped in bacon or prosciutto as well as grilled meats, salmon, mushrooms and greens. I love this chart Merlot flavour chart, especially the colours!                                 

                                                  

 As for Cabernet Sauvignon, it is considered the noble grape of the wine world. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, this means it shares the same ‘father’ as the Merlot. The grapes are thick-skinned and resistant to rot and insects, while the vine which buds later is hardy and avoids frost. Here our grape clusters are growing more strongly upright.                                           

                                                 

The grapes produce a full-bodied wine with high tannins which allow it to age well and develop in the bottle. In a medium climate its characteristics are that of mint, black pepper and eucalyptus, while warmer climes can help produce a more jammy flavour. This bold, assertive wine pairs well with steak dishes and with dishes with a heavy cream sauce. Grilled meats go well with it as do dark chocolate, mozzarella cheddar and brie.

 So here we are, all hands on deck, to get the grapes in while they are in prime condition and before any rainfall spoils them.

                                            

As you can see it’s hot work harvesting under a burning sun – this is one of my favourite photos of Zissis in action! Though it’s demanding work, he seems to be enjoying himself!                                          

 

All in all more than 700 kilos of grapes were picked, producing about 50 litres of red wine, currently maturing in its container. The remaining 60 litres were distilled to produce tsipouro, already ready for consumption, but like any good spirit, it improves with a little ageing. 😊

September Celebration - No More School. Ever! :)

 

Z used to hate having his day/time organized - being a teacher his working day was dictated by bells so weekends and holidays had to have a sense of freedom.  There are only so many new pencils and fancy stationery items you can acquire to soften the blow of getting back into scholastic harness – that applies for students and teachers alike.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my job and was privileged to acquire really interesting educational experience, academic and administrative, at home and abroad.  But, believe me, there is nothing like being retired, having reclaimed your spirit, soul and identity as your own. Every September Znme go on a sortie to celebrate not going back to school, with the additional bonus that there are fewer people around and things are a little cheaper. All good. 😊

                                                             

So off we set for the Asymantro Hotel in the Sani area of the Kassandra peninsula of Halkidiki – about an hour away from our abode. The weather was great and on arrival we unpacked, changed and had our first sea swim of the season – magic! Normally we two can revert to speaking English when we want to speak in privacy. Here it as the reverse- we spoke Greek as that was the minority language here. In the car park of the 50 cars there only 5 had Greek number plates, the rest being predominantly Serbian and North Macedonian.                                                                                       

                           

Sadly on our second day the weather broke which ended our swimming. But we did go to visit the Byzantine fortress in nearby Nea Fokea. We also stocked up on treats for ourselves - the supermarket in the hotel complex had mark-up prices of up to 200%! For example, a litre of oil selling elsewhere at 10-12 euros was between 22-25 there.                                                   

For me the great joy is getting away from the routine we establish (even out of school :o) and, above all, being catered for. The hotel was spacious and the buffet was served on a series of islands rather than on long tables which made for easier access and avoided anxious queuing, hopefully reducing the plate-piling syndrome!! For every meal we enjoyed at least two dishes that were to our liking: I really enjoyed the gyro, the stuffed peppers/tomatoes and beef with orzo.

                                                   

The sweets on offer included a delicious apple pie with a shortbread base and crumble topping as well as a wonderful cherry pasta flora.  Certainly, we covertly collected scraps at the end of each meal - my handbag smelled like a food outlet! – as Z selected treats for his local feline friends who became accustomed to waiting outside the French window to ensure we hadn’t forgotten them.                                                                

 

There was one adverse experience: the constant miasma of their sewage system - that kind of mars things when you’re on your way to the restaurant for a meal.  Greeks are now becoming aware that in some areas the volume of tourism has reached the stage where the infrastructure cannot cope. Water and electrical supplies and sewage systems are overstretched. A friend, who has a home further south on that peninsula, recently went to the local supermarket later in the afternoon to avoid the early morning queues. Her plan backfired when she found the shelves were empty of cheese, bread and wine – the very items on her Lidl list!                                                        

      Talking of infrastructure issues reminds me of going  on holiday, being on a plane to Egypt in the early 1980s.En toute  I read a Guardian article which described how the Cairo sewage system could no longer adequately serve the city’s millions of residents and so every now and then, due to the build up of toxic gases, a man-hole would explode, emanating these gases as well as human slurry! :O The scary thing was that the local response was to cement down the manhole. That left me wondering what it would be like to be in the street of the last uncemented-down manhole in Cairo when it succumbed to the pressure and that final eruption occurred!

Fortunately we were far removed from such incidents and, despite the rainstorms, we enjoyed our September celebration. 

                                          

Και του χρόνου, as the Greeks say – let’s do the same next year !