Turnbull -- on the way into work this evening, I passed a house that easily had 200 empty grape lugs on the curb waiting for garbage pick-up tomorrow. That's 3-1/2 TONS of grapes and that will probably yield 250-300 gallons.

Plaw -- because of the severe winters, the midwest is a notoriously difficult place to grow the grape varieties (vitis vinifera) typically associated with good California or imported wines, including zinfandel. So the grapes or juices used for winemaking are trucked in from California, usually from the Central Coast, or occasionally imported from Europe. The native grape varieties in the midwest are a different variety (vitis labrusca or vitis rotundifolia) or they're engineered hybrids which tolerate the climate, and other environmental factors, better than the vinefera variety.

Did you know the zinfandel grape is one of the few that can produce a white or red wine? The dark-skinned grape yields a clear juice when the grapes are crushed. Crushed and pressed immediately, you'll get a white wine or a blush. Crushed and allowed to ferment on the skins before pressing, the naturally occuring acids and the alcohol will extract color from the skins producing a rose or red wine depending on how long the fermentation takes place on the skins.

Sicilian Babe, look for the Caravello brand of Limoncello. They also make an orange (Orancello?) which is also very good. Limoncello poured over a Johnnie's Italian ice has become my personal version of an Italian lemonade! How is your husband making his Limoncello?

tony b.