Growing hops

Have you seen the supersized trellis just west of Hillier? Inquiring minds are told it’s for growing hops.

While I knew that hops were vital to brewing beer, I had never seen how they are grown. (I also knew that, prior to the Middle Ages, bitter greens such as dandelion, marigold or burdock root were used instead.)

While later buying some Barley Day’s Beer, I had a serendipitous conversation with Chris Rogers at his brewery located just west of Picton. As a beer aficionado, he has a wealth of knowledge on the subject. He purchases local hops to use in the fall production of the Barley Day’s County I.P.A. He also explained that hops, like grapes, grow on vines and are susceptible to some of the same mildews that affect grapevines. All the same, the crop tends to be planted on flood plains where it thrives.

Chris visited Essex, located in the south of England, where men on stilts tend hopsvines. The hops harvest has historically provided work for migrant workers in the U.K. (W. Somerset Maugham eulogized their work condition in the book Of Human Bondage.) Around about 1910 a German by the name of Emil Horst developed a harvesting machine that separates the hops from foliage and stems. Needless to say Germany is the world’s biggest producer of hops.

It is a natural antiseptic. Put hops in your pillow as an effective remedy for insomnia. And next time you have a beer, toast the men and women who tend hops on stilts!

THIS WEEK’S PICK
I want to share a superb white wine that is crafted by Harwood Estate Vineyards. They have blended Vidal Blanc, Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer, with the end result of a delightful white wine, perfect as an on-thedeck- sipper to ease the transition to the lazy days of summer.

Harwood’s, 2012, Windward White, is a finely balanced blend that teases the palate with a fruit platter of flavour. Despite the small amount of Gewurztraminer, it shines through on the nose, with hints of rose water and lychee, and a crisp clean finish.

Windward White is only $20 a bottle and makes a great aperitif. Try it with some local Pickerel. Harwood Estate Vineyards is located on the 18908 Loyalist Parkway, just west of Hillier.