Taste from my past..

Over the years I have really missed the beautiful taste of fresh grapes, the grapes of my youth, freshly picked from my Uncles and Aunts vineyards in Henderson and Te Kauwhata, and the house grapes that my Dida (Grandfather) grew. These grapes were used for making red wine and were always big, purple, sweet and juicy.

Today, one of my work colleagues, brought me a punnet of Te Kauwahta grapes. She had assured me that these would be the grapes that I remembered, and she wasn't wrong.

Organically grown, and full of the sweet, musky flavour that I remember. As soon as I popped one in my mouth I was immediately taken back to those days over  late Summer/ early Autumn when we would be sent to run through the vines to chase the birds away, while my father played cards and drank wine with my Uncles in the Wine Cellar. We were never allowed in the Wine Cellar as children, but when I could I would sneek into that cool, dark room full of Oak Wine Barrels and take in the aroma of the wine in the barrels fermenting.

When the picking started we would eat as many grapes as we could. One of my favourite things to do would be to pop them into my mouth, squeeze the flesh from the inside of the grape, and store the skin in the side of my cheek. When I couldn't fit anymore grapes in my mouth I would chew all the skins up. By the time that I got to this stage the taste had changed from sweet and juicy, to musky and my lips would be stained purple-red from the skins.

I wish that we had" taste-a-vision", because this photo does not do them justice. Tomorrow I am going to go and get some more.