European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 12, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 122007 stars and stripes Page 25 a growing american Retiree puts Down roots As the owner of a Spanish Vineyard by Kent Harris stars and stripes someone making their Way through the grape grow ing country North of Rota Spain might not blink an Eye if they were to hear that a Small piece of land is owned by some Guy named Marquez sounds Spanish enough Doest it in this Case though the Vine Yard owner is an american and Henry Marquez raised in Colo Rado didst speak much Spanish before his first trip to Rota in 1981 that was on a camping trip with his wife and kids while he was working for the government in Germany i ended up Here by Accident the 73yearold said in a recent phone interview i was working in personnel and i just thought id Stop by introduce myself and say hello the civilian personnel director at naval station Rota happened to have a vacancy offered him a Job and within two months he was Able to Transfer to Spain Marquez and his family didst stay in Rota Long after a few years it was on to Panama City then South Korea then Back to the states then Back to Germany but Spain had found a place in his heart he and his wife moved Back to Rota after he retired from government service that was his second retirement having spent More than 21 years in the air Force his daughter a former army Captain had married and lived in the states his two sons one an army major and the other a Petty officer second class in the elsewhere around the Globe so when his wife died of cancer he was left with a lot of time on his hands i got tired of playing Golf he said somewhat familiar with the area around Treb Jena he started asking around to see if there was any land for Sale he haunt done any farm work since he was Young but thought the Prospect of growing grapes might be interesting he eventually found someone at a local restaurant looking to sell that s How i became a Vine Yard owner he said that was a few years ago and Marquez said he has found plenty to keep him Busy just getting started was a lot of Effort he purchased about 7000 Square meters less than two acres a Small Vineyard by local Stan Dards and then discovered hed have to take out about half the vines and Plant new ones Spanish workers carry baskets full of grapes to a waiting trailer the baskets weigh about 35 pounds each photos Courtesy of Henry Marquez Henry Marquez right watches As a Spanish master Grafter shows him where to Cut the grape Cane for its Bud to be grafted onto the Root plants behind them the roots imported from the states Are resistant to pests and rot a Bud is grafted onto the Plant to produce grapes diced about 6000 bottles of wine with his younger vines maturing this year should double that but the Harvest season is months away with an Early Spring Marquez spent time in february and March trying to Clear his Vineyard of weeds it had rained too much for a tractor to Corne in so i had to Hoe it he said i haunt done that much hoeing since i was Young after that it was time to tie the sprouting shoots then retie As they grow even More he said the Harvest season is traditionally in september in the Region but last year it was in August and warm weather might make that the Case again he cant come close to Harvest ing All the grapes by himself so he hires local workers last year Peter and stripes since then Hes jumped fully into the business getting help from a few local experts and some friends at Rota about a 30minute drive away Marquez belongs to a Coop and that where Bis grapes Are taken and made into wine and Sherry he said last years haul pro Donna Domingo an Active member of the american military Community including Secretary of the retired american military iberian Council cuts a Cluster of Palomino Whites at the Vineyard operated by Marquez she is the Only american who helps him with the Harvest it took seven of them two Days to Harvest his Vineyard Marquez said that even though his Vineyard is a lot of work he  be doing anything else i love it he said it gives me a purpose in producing some thing that useful to someone else and it keeps me feeling Young Emai Kent Harris at