Wine, Blue Ribbons and the County Fair

Reader Contribution by Jane M
Published on September 2, 2015
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A major passion in my life, and has been for many years, are county fairs. I am lucky enough to have a marvelous one in our community, and I look forward to it every July; entering as many classes as I am able and selecting something each year that will be a challenge.

Two years ago they offered a wine competition and I was very intrigued. Not so much for the really awesome ribbons and medals they were awarding, but for my ego. You see, wine making is a long-time tradition in my husband’s family. His dad was known for his homebrew. Grandpa made wine from peony flowers, dandelions and rhubarb to name a few. His brother was more of a bathtub gin type, and we have a cousin in Chicago who is knocking it out of the park with his beers. My husband has turned out some fine examples also but not in a long time.

How proud we were of our first attempt at bottling pear wine, grown in the front yard.

So this was my chance to show the world that I could help carry on the tradition. Luck was on my side that fall while attending the Mother Earth Festival in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. I noticed a class offered on making wine from your garden. Here was my chance. I took copious notes, bought a book and headed home. I had several things going for me. One was the large pear tree in the front yard and a husband excited to get back into the swing of wine making.

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