Wine-infused antique hunt

This past weekend, the Round Top Antiques Fair wrapped up its fall show in and around Round Top, Texas. The government is shut down, but this show always goes on. 

I found a few things I liked. 

On Saturday, I came across a booth in a field between Warrenton and Round Top that was peddling a unique product. Wine bottles house wine-infused candles, handmade in South Carolina by Rewined Candles.

 

I found another treasure in a field nearby that is an example of the ingenuity inspired by this show.

 

Do you have an industrial chemical carrier that you're not using right now? You can put some wine in it!

The weather held up for the most part and there were so many people at the fair — it seems like there are more and more people each time I go.

I can't wait until April.

Taking the show on the road

Last week the daytime population of Round Top grew from 90 to thousands. 

Dealers are lined up along Highway 237 that runs from close to Carmine through Round Top and on to Warrenton and traffic is stacked like rush hour in a major metropolitan area starting at about 2 p.m. each afternoon as visitors try to navigate from show to show or head back to the bed and breakfast.  

At every show, you see many of the same dealers who have been coming to the same spot for years.

There are certain dealers I visit each time, like this one.

You can find some interesting garden art that you can use in your garden beds or your containers. 

I picked these glass flowers up for $4 each. If you ever found something like that at your local nursery, it would probably cost 3 or 4 times that much.

I like to use insulators in the garden and on the patio.

I've seen a lot of serious insulator collectors on the Internet and prices can range into the hundreds of dollars. You can pick these up on the dollar tables at flea markets like Round Top. The bigger ones can cost from $3 to $10.

The green and blue tinted glass picks up the sun and they are a nice addition to your garden or patio with some stones or succulents added or even just sitting empty.

And then there's the food and drinks, something to keep you occupied as you walk through the different shows.

The food there is great — not good for you — but great anyway.

Barbeque brisket and pimiento cheese sandwiches at the Legal Tender Saloon are about the best I've ever had.

You can also get good Tex-Mex and just about anything fried you would care to try.

And of course, there's wine.

The wine is good — not great — but good.

There are several places along the way to pick up a glass or two to enjoy as you walk by the dealers' booths. 

My favorite is Zapp Hall; there's always something going on there.

It's almost the weekend again. 

I can see that winter is holding on in much of the country, but I hope you're able to get out and do some winegardening this weekend.

I know I am.

The Wine Gardener goes to the flea market

In my last post I wrote about the plumerias I had been overwintering and how I had picked some of them up at a flea market. 

Plumerias at a flea market. 

 A couple of the plumerias I have now were the size of those in this box (left) when I bought them.

You take them home, fill a container with dirt, stick them in the dirt, give them a little water and sunshine and in no time they're growing.

Very low maintenance — and by mid-summer you will really enjoy them.

Speaking of flea markets, I'm headed to the Round Top Antiques Fair this week in Round Top.

Round Top is one of the largest flea market/antique shows in the country. The show is held every spring and fall, rain or shine, but it looks like the weather is going to be great the rest of this week and into the weekend.

If you have a chance to go some time, it's definitely worth it.

Yard and garden art, plants and containers, antiques and collectibles, so many things you never knew you needed. 

At Round Top Antiques Fair, you can find all kinds of accessories for your garden.

And there are shops and stands in many locations throughout the show that serve up great food, music ... and wine.

In my last blog I mentioned i was trying a new Malbec, Alambrado.

I opened it Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a glass while I was arranging all the plants I brought back from my storage space.

I generally like a red wine that is on the dry side of the taste scale — this one was perfect.

I'll bring some pictures of my flea market finds back next week and let you know if I run across any tasty new wines.

If you've ever been to Round Top I'd like to hear about your experiences there.