We used to live in a part of Canada that had snowy cold miserable weather from October till April. So I love this weather.

I don�t think I�d want to give up on winter altogether like moving to Florida or something awful like that. So this place is perfect.

The grape growers will be able to pick their frozen grapes soon to make Icewine. The grapes have to freeze on the vines before they can pick them. The idea is that the longer the grapes stay on the vines during cold weather the more concentrated the sugars become. They actually need a couple of days at -10 degrees Celsius before they can pick.

It�s a hell of a job. Every grape has to be picked bye hand. The giant picking machines won�t work in those temperatures. And all the migrant workers have gone home to Trinidad and Guatemala and places like that. So the families and friends of the growers get to freeze their asses off in the fields for a few days. Some of them throw pretty good parties though.

Well...we�re a long way from having to shovel snow out there yet and it�s still a long way from -10 degrees C, so we�ll just have to wait and see how much global warming will effect our climate. Those vintners are dead without Icewine.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER

OK, so we won't have a white Christmas. That dusty little snowfall has melted and the temps are warming.