precociously Perfect

August in Purple

We're starting August wearing Purple, shedding green youthfulness for maturity. We all go through it. Some, earlier than others. As you can see, here, some of the berries are more precocious than the others - like they couldn't wait. A shiny wine bottle is beckoning. The other, still-green berries, are hugging close by waiting for their moment. It's especially notable in Zinfandel. Banally called - uneven ripening. But it's still early. I dare you to chew on one of these grapes, just to experience what bitter acidity without sugar is like. But the sweetness, foretold, is but a few weeks away, swayed by sun and heat. Now, we just watch them glow and grow in their color. Soon they will be weighed down with the juicy sugars. That's when their irresistible charm will lure us back for harvest.

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