The grapes in our garden are turning dark red and we can imagine what a stunning site it will be when the grapes are ripe in the whole town of Kareli. Our family has a grape stomping bath - it looks rather like a deep sitzbath - and they put on special boots for grape-stomping. Apparently this is the busiest time of the year for them, because, apart from the grape stomping, there are several foods to be preserved for the winter. Zoia, the housemother, makes grape juice, sour plum sauce, fig jam, and various other preserves, and apples and potatoes are stored in the cellar. Koba, our host father, produces 500 litres of wine (red and white). This is his estimate. Some of the wine goes to family members in Tbilisi, but most stays at home.