Just about harvest time in Historic Missouri Wine Country

Today we rode our bikes on the Katy Trail to Augusta from Defiance (as we often do), and surprisingly the smell of autumn seemed to be in the air.  It was an unseasonably cool August morning, and it was beautiful.  We saw several farmers in their fields harvesting, and now the vineyards are beginning to be ready for harvest as well.

It's really a lot of fun to watch the vineyards and wineries harvest their grapes.  The hard thing though, is to pinpoint exactly when they will be doing it.  So much depends upon the weather and the ripening of the grapes.

There's something beautifully peaceful about getting to one of the vineyards early in the morning and beginning the task of harvesting grapes or watching someone harvest grapes.  Keep a lookout on the winery websites for when they're harvesting their grapes and make a point of going to watch (or simply sample some of the finished product).

Next time you take a sip of a really good wine, think about what all went into the making of it, and be sure to thank the person who grew the grapes -- they're sort of performing a public service!

Augusta's Plein Air Festival - A Day in Defiance

Today our Inn and Gallery, the town of Defiance & the Defiance Merchants Association hosted "A Day in Defiance" featuring the barns of Defiance.  Approximately 65 artists participated and could be seen throughout town, in the countryside, and on the roadsides painting the beauty of our area.  The paintings were judged in the late afternoon followed by an artists' social and a sale to the public. It was a beautiful day in the Historic Missouri Wine Country!

A big thanks to Pop A Wheelie in Augusta, Piazza Deli & Sugar Creek Winery in Defiance for helping to provide food & beverages for the artists!