Wine

The grapes on my vine are approaching peak sugar levels,to judge by fairly regular sampling,so today was a good time to drag out two big containers of as-yet unbottled wine- one an attempted kiddush wine from 2004,the other a slightly-suspect brew from last year that I decided to let sit until it decided which way it was going.Using my new and delightful pipette from a chemical supplier in Haifa,I sampled both batches;they seem fine,so I filled 22 bottles of kiddush wine,and will try to get to the other batch on Sunday.
It has been a tremendously hot week,even without the odd crystal kiln,but blessedly peaceful.This will be our second Shabbat since the ceasefire,and it has taken/is taking me a long time to recover;I guess I must be more attached to my suffering than I thought...
People have returned to Safed- both locals and even some tourists; I found myself blowing the dust off my credit-card machine on Wednesday for an intrepid American- but I think it will take a while before we're back to the heady days of early July,when even the Safed gallery-owners had a smile on their faces.
Youngest son Eliav is currently in New York,seeking fame and fortune; among other things,he is helping at forthcoming Art Fairs featuring [and supporting]Safed artists,due to take place in Manhatten mid-September and later in N.Y. area.If any of you live in New York,check local press for details,or contact me by email [flatauer@yahoo.co.uk].I'm not sending work to these events [I want people to come to Safed] but there will be some interesting work on show.Shabbat Shalom....