Hi! My name is Camille and I am Susan and Salah Captain's second-eldest granddaughter. I'm currently twelve years old and I'm excited to tell you about my yearly visit to Captain Vineyards!
Flowers near the entrance
The vineyard is a safe haven for me, a place where I am no doubt guaranteed to have an amazing time. During the school year, I yearn for the cool California breezes and the sweet smell of the 3,500 vines that cascade down the rolling hills in the back of the house.
The view from the top of the property
The wildlife at the vineyard is unlike the East Coast in so many ways. In the morning, I hear birds singing in the lemon tree and at night I will sometimes catch the sad sounding howl of a coyote. Yesterday, my sister called me to the front porch overlooking the vineyard and told me she'd spotted three mountain lion cubs frolicking in the tall grass at near the forest and wrestling with each other. Unfortunately, they ran into the trees before I was able to catch a look, but I was fascinated with the idea of mountain lions in our backyard! I hope to catch a glance of them before I return to my house in Connecticut.
When you think of "vineyard," you think grapes. But throughout the property there are prunes, oranges (my personal favorites), apple-pears, and lemons, too. I recall getting in trouble for grabbing a bunch of oranges from the tree and only finishing half.
The prune tree near the entrance to the vineyard
Though for the past couple of years we have not been producing wine, I recall times where I would walk into the garage to find an enormous vat of grapes to be mashed. I remember assisting my grandpa in mixing them, swirling them around in the giant white tub. My father told me stories of how ancient civilizations used to mash their wine grapes with their feet!
See any difference?
Yesterday, I took these photos of different bunches around the property. In the top picture, you will notice that the grapes themselves are much smaller and rounder on average, whereas in the bottom photo they are oval-shaped and extremely large. This is because they are different types of grapes completely.
The upper photo shows wine grapes and the lower one shows table grapes that you may have at home. Another difference between the two is that most table grapes are seedless, yet the wine ones have a small seed inside of them.
Every year, my visit to the vineyard is always guaranteed to be one of the most fun things I'll ever do. I am always sad to leave but I know that the following year is sure to bring more vineyard adventures. Thank you for reading this blog and be sure to pay the vineyard a visit! I guarantee you will enjoy it.
P.S. TRY THE CAMILLE BLEND PLEASE!!!