Lunch Lessons with Lala

Long Lovely Lunch with Lala Lora today, Lounging Like Lizards in the sun. Sounds like page 12 of the Wine Country Divas Animalia book, doesn't it? Well, if I have my way, it will be. Learn your ABC's with the Divas! Maybe next week.
But I did have a nice long lunch with Lala today, where we talked about everything under the spastic, semi-cloud covered sun, Literally Lounging in Lounge chairs. We talked about things like capitalizing on the owners of spoiled-ass dogs who send their poochies to dog spas, (it's true I'm afraid) to the joys of picky-bitch brides coming to the wine country for a storybook wedding. We complained about stupid people, marveled at the brilliant, and dreamed some more of starting our own country. The usual conversations. But while we were discussing which local winery I should choose for my next writing project, Lora said something I'd never heard of before. When I asked her what the hell she meant, she calmly explained it to me.

"Dry farming" is what some grape growers do to produce a smaller, higher quality grape. By not watering their vineyards, the vines get stressed-out and start producing small amounts of tiny, yet intense, little grapes. It's supposed to give them a totally different flavor, and make a better Zin. It only works with old, well established vines with deep roots.

I don't know much about wine, which is surprising since I've lived all but 3 years of my life surrounded by vineyards and wineries. I do know that my favorite is called Malbec, and thanks to Lora I now know that it's a "Rhone varietal," which I'm guessing means it originates from France. All I know about it is that it's red, I like it, and the top candidate for my winery writing project is growing it. And watering it too.