grape juice

We have a grape vine on a trellis in front of our house and also one along the fence in our driveway. The vine in the driveway gets picked clean by critters but they seem to miss the one up front. Last summer we didn't do anything with the grapes. This summer, the grape vine went crazy and actually destroyed the trellis under the weight of all the fruit.

I went out last Sunday afternoon to "hurry and pick the grapes". Three plastic bags later... this is what I hd soaking in the kitchen sink:

I didn't have the first clue as to what to do with them so I put them in a strainer and smashed them with a big ladle. Two hours later, this is my reward:

The entire time I kept thinking.... "there has got to be a better way to do this....".
It did smell wonderful though! -and tastes amazing.

Admist all the drying foliage popped this little beauty: a random late bloomer in my wildflower garden.