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The vines at Pellegrini Vineyards in Cutchogue on Aug. 14, 2016. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

I snapped the above photo at Pellegrini Vineyards in Cutchogue today while checking to see if the grapes had undergone veraison.

Veraison marks the onset of rippening, when the grapes go from a floral green color to a deep, dark purple, and usually occurs around this time of year. But while looking for the darker grapes I couldn’t help but be reminded of another picture I took in the same vineyard some six months ago.

The below photo was shot after a snow storm on January 24, 2016. It was taken with my iPhone 6S and is not filtered and unedited (I swear!)

Sleeping vines at Pellegrini Vineyards in Cutchogue. (Credit: Vera Chinese)
Sleeping vines at Pellegrini Vineyards in Cutchogue on January 24, 2016. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

The juxtaposition of the two images, taken roughly in the same spot and the same time of day, reminds me of the cyclical nature of life and the consistency of the seasons. Also, even though the January shot was taken on a frigid winter’s day, it made for a more beautiful scene with the sun reflecting off the untouched snow.

When I visit Pellegrini this time I did find a few grape that had undergone veraison. Soon they will be picked and pressed, put in a tank or barrel, and aged until they are ready to be released and drank. And shortly after that, the vineyard will be covered in white again.

But before that happens, enjoy the summer scenes below.

Your North Fork Sunday Scene features weekly snapshots of life on Long Island’s top fork.

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