Monday Musings: Classic October Weekend

Crushing grapes for wine, more fun
than raking leaves

By Steve Siciliano

Well it was a mixed bag for sports fans in the Great Beer State over the weekend. The Tigers did take one of two out in Oakland in the AL Division Series but losing that Saturday night game 1–0 isn’t a good sign for a team that’s been struggling with its offense. The Spartans and the Wolverines won but the Lions lost to the Packers for the twenty-third straight time in Wisconsin. I’m sure the Redwings played, but I have no clue how they did and really have no desire to look. Just can’t get into hockey during the first week of October.

The weekend weather was also a sack of diverse elements. The Sunday afternoon rain was perfect—it provided a good accompaniment for napping and Lions watching and it came down just hard enough and long enough to assuage any feelings of guilt about not raking up the steadily accumulating falling leaves. Saturday would have been a good day for yard work, but Barb and I were busy helping the steady stream of folks who showed up behind the store to take advantage of the free use of our wine and cider making equipment. It sure was a lot more fun than raking.

Just a reminder—this Saturday, October 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be the last time this season that our wine- and cider-making equipment (crushers and presses) will be available free of charge.

Also this Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. the folks from Vander Mill Cider will be setting up in the parking lot behind the store to sell fresh squeezed cider. According to Paul Vander Heide, the unpasteurized, non-sulfated cider is a blend of Jonathan, golden, gala and Ida red with a PH of 3.5 and a brix between 12 and 14.

Price of the cider will be $3.50 per gallon. Please bring cash and your own containers.