The TallyCast

The love bugs are here, the local colleges are making weekends crazy in town with their football madness, and the swamps are up again, thanks to Fay.  Of course the standing water has encouraged the mosquito population.  The ladies are hungry and looking for tasty human blood.  Some people think that the mosquito ought to be the official Florida state insect.

Along with the mosquitos and rain, late summer also marks the local grape season.  Around here, the grapes are vitis rontundifolia; locally known as “muscadine” grapes.  Now muscadines aren’t what people in most of the rest of the world are used to and some newcommers turn up their noses.  They are missing something wonderful.  Muscadine grapes are sweet, juicy, healthy and they grow right here.

A great place to get accquainted with our local grapes is Windy Hill Vineyard.  It’s out on US 90 East between Tallahassee and Monticello.  It’s close to the Leon-Jefferson County Line.  At Windy Hill, you can find muscadine grapes in all sizes and colors.  Personally, the sweet yellow “Carlos” variety is my favorite, but a lot of folks like the big white Fry grapes better.

A trip to Windy Hill is a nice outing.  The staff supply picking buckets and are happy to point you toward the varieties you are interested in.  Go early and bring comfortable shoes.  In addition to grapes, Windy Hill offers U-Pick strawberries and peaches in season.

Vineyard sign courtesy of Windy Hill Vineyard.