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Grounded Grapegrowing GLENN MCGOURT Y Celebrating the Soil That Gives Us Wine winegrowing both fun and frustrating. It is time to reflect, pay the bills, put away the tools, clean up the debris and catch our breath before we get out our pruning shears W ith a sigh of relief, most of us are enjoying the end of another harvest follow- ing the challenges of a late start, untimely rain and all the other issues that make and another season begins. We should find a moment to celebrate, too, and reflect on all that makes winegrowing possible. What most of us don't think about very much is the miraculous substance beneath our vines and our feet: the soil. Honor thy soil profile The Earth and soil itself doesn't always get the honor and respect that it deserves. My Get the best out of your grapes. The Europress exclusively by Euro-Machines father, who was born in Ireland, wrote a brief autobiography toward the end of his life. He was not a touchy-feely kind of guy, yet he wrote that "he came from the soil" on the border of Cavan and Leitrim. My father understood his connection with that spot on the planet, even though he rarely talked about his Irish ancestry (unfortu- nately, his childhood home in New York had a much more profound influence on his personality!) And it was true—all of the ele- ments that made up his young body came from the food, water and air on a small patch of rocky ground that my grandfather tended. I visited his birthplace recently with my daughter Carolyn. The ruined cottage was in a lovely place situated on rolling hills covered with grass and sheep, while heather, blue bells and irises grew in the hedgerows. Ultimately the little farm with its rocky, Euro-Machines offers high-quality equipment based on your vision to bring out the best of every vine, with our proven history in the careful handling of grapes and together our love of good wine. Europress-Cool with cooling jacket Euroselect berry selector Destemmer crushers Sorting equipment Conveyor belts Vibrating tables Custom-made tanks Pumps Europress 6-320 hl Braud grape harvesters and much more West: Fairfield, CA 94534 - Phone 707-864-5800 East: Culpeper, VA 22701 - Phone 540-825-5700 info@euromachinesusa.com www.euromachinesusa.com Euro-Machines, Inc. A subsidiary of Scharfenberger Company Germany 52 Wines & Vines DeCeMBeR 201 1