Vineyard tasting on the cusp of autumn, Lodi’s Mokelumne River appellation.
I don’t know if you noticed, but last Saturday summer quietly slipped out the proverbial backdoor, making way for fall of 2023. September 23 marked the Autumnal Equinox, when the sun veered over the equator, causing the day to last approximately the same amount of time as night. Henceforth, daylight hours will shrink by about a minute each day, until Winter Solstice (December 22), the shortest day of the year.
The other day I heard someone describe this time of year as the “brrrr” period. There will be some times when we’re not quite prepared for the sudden nip in the weather; especially at night, because most of us wait until we can’t take the shivering under the sheets anymore, before reluctantly clicking on the heater (sending our utility bill skyrocketing once again).
Hate to say it, but 2023 The Old Farmers Almanac (which has been advising citizens since 1818) is giving the West Coast a succinct yet dour prediction for this autumn: “Below normal temperatures with increasing precipitation.” Keep those puff jackets and waterproof shoes handy.
Autumn table setting in vineyard.
Reds from Mars, whites from Venus (rosés from somewhere between)
If you’re like me, you drink red wine through winter, spring, summer and fall. Since I prefer red wine to whites or rosés, it’s more a matter of mixing a few bottles of whites or rosés with reds during the hotter months, and eliminating them completely
