(Continued from June 02, 2010)
“Rum or whiskey, eh. That is interesting. And, they would be better than new barrels?”
“Seasoned winemakers will shy away from so-called new barrels for a number of good reasons.”
“Your are implying that they are not really new.”
“Many of the barrels that are available in winemaking stores have been renovated. All of the ones in the store near me are like that. Only the metal hoops are new. The wooden staves have been planed on the outside to make them appear new.”
“However, we won’t be able to see all of the inside.”
“You have just pinpointed the big problem. Bad bacteria from previous wine may be inside. It is much simpler to decide on rum or whiskey barrels with strong liquor soaked into the wood.”
“Hopefully the liquor barrels will be available.”
“We will have plenty of time to get good barrels as well as other equipment and gadgets before wine making season rolls around. It is early spring and the pale-green leaves are just starting to show on the vines.”
We turned our attention to the midsection. At a height of 90 cm, there was a table of about a meter and a half wide. It extended the full length of the greenhouse. Flats with small seedlings occupied the entire surface.
“Those tiny plants will be transplanted as soon as the soil becomes warm enough outside,” Thea explained.
We walked to the end of the table and around it to gain access to the right side of the greenhouse. A table that was the same height as the one in the middle and about 70 cm wide stretched all along that side. A bit less than half of its surface was taken up by various kinds of herbs. Tomato plants filled the remainder of the space.
“In this temperate climate, which vegetables are hardy enough for the winter time?”
“We cultivate large quantities of kale, Brussels sprouts and leaks, which survive nicely even in cold winters. When mild temperatures prevail, here in the North West, various kinds of cabbages also survive quite well. Furthermore, we leave our carrots in the ground in the best-drained, sort of sandy, parts of the fields.”
(To be continued)
.