Betty Van Dykes' apricots

[tanabutler]

Dear Randall,

Sunday past, I was seated at a table in Bill Denevan's apple orchard with the lovely Betty Van Dyke and her husband. Also Jack (the Intel guy who knows you). Your name came up, of course, because the topic was wine and the farm dinners*. (Paul Draper had just addressed the table. More on that in a bit.)

Betty is the first lady farmer I've ever met, with the exception of Kristie Knoll—both of whom are such wonderful woman. She told us that, about fifteen years ago, you'd bought her entire apricot crop for some kind of experimentation. She didn't know what you'd produced with them. I got very curious, as I don't remember any apricot in your product line.

So...what did you do with the apricots?

I want to join in with the throngs who adore the Muscat Canelli. Paul Draper served a sweet late harvest Zinfandel with dessert (cheeses, walnuts, and apple tart tartin), which made the woman next to me purr with delight. She was new to dessert wines, and I directed her to Shopper's Corner to get your Muscat Canelli. I know she will be over the moon.

*Note to eGulleteers: Randall Grahm and Bill Denevan have each participated in four of the farm dinners that Bill's brother, Jim, created and which I photograph.

Thanks for the continued enlightenment and entertainment.

Tana

[Randall Grahm]

Dear Tana,

We made a wonderful product from the Van Dyke's apricots called Prunus, which was an eau-de-vie of apricot, cherry and prunes. (It only took 7 years to sell through our inventory; another case of being a little too ahead of our time.) I'm sorry to have missed Paul's wine dinner; I'm sure that it was fantastic. Cheers, R.