portes ouvertes

It's a dreary day, but we managed to get ourselves out the door for wine tasting at the Domaine de Mucelle. We left just in time for the main downpour of the day, but waited in an old storage barn for the heavy rain to pass before continuing the short walk through town. The rain hadn't dampened the festivities, so we started sampling the wines, enjoyed deep-fried apple rings, and learned a bit about the process and machines for growing, making, and bottling the wine, all done at the domaine. We also tried le moût, the unfermented juice hand-pressed from the grapes this past week.

Walking home to restock the cave with wine as local as it gets - we've got organic chasselas, gamay, pinot gris and noir, and a bubbly one.

more cowbell

This weekend, we watched the annual désalpe in St-Cergue, Switzerlad, where the cows are decorated with giant bells and fancy flowers, and led down from their summer grazing in the Jura to warmer fields and barns below. We remembered to wear rubber boots since the procession passes through narrow roads lined with excited spectators...close enough to get a good whack from a cow tail (that left a bit of a smudge).   

We're pretty excited for the parade of cows, dogs, and alphorns, before the final bell ringers gong through the street marking the end.

Then it's time for treats and enjoying a beautiful fall afternoon before making our way back.

Goodies for everyone.