At this time of year, if you’re hanging out for some “hen bang e” grapes, Changhua County’s Dancun Township is the place to go.
Dancun was the first area to grow Japanese kyoho grapes in Taiwan. Although Dancun produces a large crop of kyoho grapes, the quality is excellent and many vineyards catering to tourists allow visitors to experience the fun of picking grapes for themselves. “‘Hen bang e’ is a homonym in Taiwanese for “pick-your-own,” says the smiling owner of Dreamer’s Tourist Vineyard, Lai Chang-jui.
To ensure visitors to his vineyard eat healthy grapes, Lai uses organic farming techniques, plant-based organic liquid compost and no herbicides. Lai also lets chickens and ducks, which feed on insects, roam freely on the farm to reduce insect damage to his crop. Also, due to a lack of rain, this year Lai says his grapes have grown particularly large and sweet; to eat, they are firm and chewy, fragrant and sweet.
Photo: Yen Hung-chun, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者顏宏駿
In the ten years Lai has run his pick-your-own vineyard, visitors have come from all over Taiwan including from abroad to have a go. Lai recommends fruit picking as a great interactive activity for the family, and says the grape picking season runs until approximately the end of July.
If you want to pick grapes, you can also go to Iku Vineyards & Gasthof Vitis. This vineyard also features over one hectare of kyoho grape vines and a guesthouse. Owner Lai Wei-chih also explains the science behind grapes with explanatory talks and guidance for visitors.
According to Lai, when picking kyoho grapes, it is not simply a case of selecting the biggest ones. Grapes should have a deep purple or redish-black color and luster, says Lai, and the more “bloom” — a powdery-white coating on the surface of the grape — the better. Lai also gives the tip that bunches with between 30-40 grapes on them will be the sweetest.
(L iberty Times, translated by Edward Jones)
「想要吃『很慢ㄟ』葡萄，在這個季節來彰化縣的大村就對了。」
大村是台灣最早種植巨峰葡萄的所在，不但產量多、品質佳，更有許多觀光葡萄園開放讓遊客體驗自採樂趣，「『很慢ㄟ』就是諧音台語『現採』的意思啦！」黑匠（峻茂）葡萄觀光果園老闆賴昶睿笑著說。
為了讓遊客吃得健康，賴昶睿以草生自然農法栽培，施用植物性有機液肥，不用除草劑，放任雞鴨在園區吃蟲減少蟲害，加上今年雨水少，葡萄長得又大又甜，而且果肉吃起來香甜有彈性。
賴昶睿說，開放採果十多年來，吸引各地甚至國外遊客採摘，也是最棒的親子交流活動，約可採至七月下旬。
想要採摘葡萄，也可以到雅育休閒農場。該農場除有種植一公項的巨峰葡萄，也有經營民宿。主人賴偉志還會幫遊客導覽解說認識葡萄生態。
他說，採果時不必挑選大顆，但須色澤深紫或黑紅，果粉愈濃愈好，每串約三十到四十顆甜度最佳。
(自由時報記者顏永欽)
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