A Little Gem from the Zin

First, unexpected, crop

When inspecting the vines for disease this morning, I found a little surprise in the Zinfandel. The vine once the most vigorous but now most devastated by powdery mildew, had a little gift for me. There, unnoticed this entire growing season, were two lonely Zinfandel grapes.

Had I seen them earlier, I would have pinched them off, but presented with my oversight, I bit into the larger one and found it juicy but sour. This discovery helped offset some of the pain from what is likely to be fatal sulfur damage inflicted on some of my vines by my carelessness.