Red Red Wine...

I actually shot the photos from the Rising Star Vineyards before I left on vacation but it didn't run until I was gone, and my dad may be one of the few people I know who does not have wifi.

When I moved to Texas almost 10 years ago I had no idea they made wine here, let alone close to Abilene. As hot and dry as it is, I never would have expectedthem to be growing grapes for wine, I figured with the heat they be raisins before they were mature enough to come off the vine!

Obviously I was wrong, there are a few wineries in the local area. Mostly to the east and south of Abilene. But, despite my dislike for wine, learning about how it's made and the whole process really interesting. And, Michael Oubre, the owner of Rising Star Vineyards was really cool to talk to and walked me through the whole process, plus he gave me a tour of the vineyards.

It was also, really interesting to learn about the differences between European wines and the way they are made vs. the way wines are made in the U.S. Most of it has to do with aging, and how U.S. wines don't need to be aged nearly as long as the Euro wines to mature in their tastes. I always thought the longer it sat in the bottle before opening made it taste better. Not that it ever really mattered to me. I'll stick with a good bottle of beer or a fine glass of Scotch!

With that said, it is still a process that fascinates me. I'm hoping to go back and shoot the harvest and processing parts at the end of next month.