Oklahoma Grape Grower’s Course

I’ve been taking the Oklahoma Grape Grower’s Course at the Oklahoma State Fruit Station in Perkins, OK.  It is a great overview of grapegrowing.  Many of my classmates are cotton farmers looking to switch to a more profitable output.  They sure know a whole heck of a lot more than I do about agriculture than I do!  The instructors are excellent though and provide as many resources as they can.  They’ve got a vineyard test plot and I cannot wait to get my own vineyard started.

From Oklahoma, I took a trip on up to Illinois for the annual Wilkey Reunion.  This gave me a chance to visit a few wineries in Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma.  My favorite winery in Illinois was the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard.  They were friendly and the calming, relaxing atmosphere was amazing.  I took copious pictures of their vineyard and watched a rain storm blow by.

 

I also visited friends in Chicago and St. Louis.  In Chicago, Millenial Park just opened and I had plenty of fun watching kids play in the fountain and people watching in the gardens.  The following day I got lost at Sam’s Wines at Spirits.  So much wine and so little time!  Maybe I should build a giant warehouse and sell lots of wines instead of trying to make wine?  Maybe I should just move to Chicago and get a job at Sam’s!