I bought a pinot gris from Walmart a few years ago and it pretty much dies back to the ground each year. Last year it did produce one thing of grapes, which were about the size of sweet pea seeds. Someday with global warming I might actually get some grapes. This year I was thinking of ordering a grape collection from Vesey's (Valiant, Kay Gray and Minnesota78) or Dominion Seed (Somerset, Kay Grape, Montreal Blues). They say they are zone 3, although Dominion has my zone listed as 2 in their catalogue so I'm weary. Anyone have experience with those varieties?

LOL!! Well I remember what this Jersey girl thought when she went to college in Massachusetts and saw "package stores"... Packages of WHAT??? LOL! And in Minnesota they have "on off" stores....and just off stores! LOL! Iowa had state owned liquor stores until about 33 years ago. One store per county, had to have a book to buy and the book had to be stamped and that book cost money. Then the state legislators threw us to the wolves and OKayed beer in grocery stores....and now even Wally-World sells booze! I find that all liquors at Wal mart are over priced as compared to independent stores....but only they sell that $3 stuff! And Annie, Oak leaf is NOT Turning leaf....there is a difference of about $6 a bottle....and frankly I think the Oak leaf is better. Linda C

Hmmmm....I love being single and fully enjoy being "captain of the ship". Not that I wouldn't enjoy spending time with a compatible man, or having someone around to clean the gutters once in awhile, however my happiness is not contingent on this. The worst thing for me about being single is being misunderstood and subjected to other people's ignorant misconceptions about singlehood! For example, most people assume that because I am middle-aged, single, and never married "there must be something wrong with me". Perhaps I am too independent, but basically, I've never met Mr. Right and wasn't willing to compromise (and there have been many suitors). On more than one occasion, married women have assumed that because I'm single I am interested in poaching their husbands. Wow, the LAST man on earth I would be interested in is a married man, especially your pot-bellied, boring husband. What's more, do you know how many married or attached men have solicited me? Despite the fact that I do not give them the slightest encouragement nor do they get a toe in the door. Being single and alone, having the luxury to explore your own inner psyche, control your own destiny, and follow your own spiritual path unfettered - it is grossly under-rated.

Mostly white, but I do enjoy a good cab with a steak dinner, occasionally (both the cab and the steak, LOL). Try Pacific Rim Dry Reisling -- it used to be made by Bonny Doon Vineyards, but the owner wanted to take a new direction, so he sold the label (and presumably, source of grapes) to Pacific Rim. Don't be put off by the screw-top -- many white wines are going in that direction these days. I also like Fetzer Chardonnay and Cavit Pinot Grigio and a good sauvingon blanc. I once asked the manager at a BevMo why some bottles on the clearance table were marked down so much -- were they not especially good? He said, on the contrary, many were excellent but that they were not well known and hadn't sold well, and when finally down to just a few bottles, they had to clear them off the shelves to make way for new brand.