Rhubarb Wine 2021 - First Bottle (1), 9th January 2022

This could be the best rhubarb wine that I have made. It is light, refreshing and has a pleasant fruity taste. Its colour is the palest of pinks and it is absolutely clear. Unusually, it is rather better than the Rhubarb, elderflower and mint that I bottled today as well.

My day was one of pottering and wine making and was exactly how I wanted to spend Sunday. In the evening Claire served a sausage and bean casserole with roast Jerusalem artichokes and mash, and we continued with The Killing (which holds up well on second viewing). During this I adulterated the last of the rhubarb wine with the last of the ginger wine. The ginger was dominant, but it was a good mix.

The Rhubarb Wine (I think - possibly Ginger!)

Prune & Parsnip Wine 2021 - First Bottle (B4), 3rd-5th February 2022

When I bottled this, I noted that Prune & Parsnip 2021 was a poor vintage. It is pleasing, therefore, that the wine seems to have aged well. This bottle was entirely like Prune & Parsnips that I have known. Possibly it is lighter in colour, but I cannot detect a difference in taste. As always, it has the essence of a semi-sweet sherry.

I opened it on Thursday and we finished it on Saturday. In between, we had Book Group (proper face-to-face Book Group) where we discussed The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: mostly enjoyed with Catherine dissenting.

A not very interesting photo taken on 7 February

Ginger Wine 2021 - Second Bottle (4), 8th-9th January 2022

There is a reason that the last time I performed with Alan and Audrey at Leeds Music Club I came away swearing "Never again". I was reminded of that reason on Saturday night where, against my better judgment, I performed with Alan and Audrey at Leeds Music Club. Never again. We were playing humorous and relatively straightforward arrangements of The Nutcracker. Within three bars of starting, Audrey was lost and playing notes from several bars ahead. Alan and I ploughed on as best we could until we recognised where she was and joined up with her. A bottle of wine couldn't come soon enough. This hit the spot splendidly.

 

Wiggy on 8th January

Ginger Wine 2021 - First Bottle (1), 7th-14th October 2021

I opened this bottle of ginger wine very quickly after rejecting a bottle of Apple & Strawberry as being simply unpleasant. This wine, though, is excellent. Perhaps it is just that little bit sweet, but the ginger flavour fights through that. It would be a fabulous base for a whisky mac.

The only reason that it stayed open for so long was that on the few nights we weren't out, we drank real wine. One of those nights was Book Group round our house where we discussed Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. Beautifully written and an overall Hit.

Taken on 7th October

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2020 - Third Bottle (B5), 5th February 2022

Angie & Phil had an impromptu wine, cheese and games evening so we grabbed Blockus and this bottle of Xmas Tutti Fruti and walked the 200 metres to their house. It was a wonderful, drunken evening and the first time in an age that we stayed up past midnight. I am really quite poor at Blockus - and it is a vicious game with tactics I have yet to grasp. The wine went down nicely, with Phil and Angie having the lion's share. We (Claire and I) took the opportunity to drink more real wine than was sensible.

Taken on 30th Jan - I haven't any more recent!

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2020 - Second Bottle (A5), 15th January 2022

I took this bottle to York with me, where we had a lovely weekend with my parents. Mom cooked 'Biochemist's Lamb' and we spent the evening drinking and chatting. Pop had several helpings from this bottle so I think he enjoyed it. Rightly so! It is a light, fruity red with a touch of fizz.

On Sunday I went to the Unitarian Chapel with Mom & Pop and quite enjoyed it. I have little spirituality, though, and had to suppress that. The best element was the music: there was a terrific pianist who played Piazolla, Janacek and Lionel Bart!

Taken on 15th January

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2020 - First Bottle (A4), 25th December 2021

This is a light red wine with a warmth to the back of the throat as it slips down. There is no dominant fruit, although the wine is distinctly fruity. It is not as good as 2019's vintage but it is close (and close in taste too). Maybe maturation time is required.

Our Christmas meal was venison and was superb. Andrew did most the cooking, and at one point to dramatic effect. He opened the oven door and a sheet of yellow flame erupted out. Sooz, who was in a different room, said that she knew something had happened from a noise of general commotion and my cry of "Do we need the Fire Brigade?". Happily, we did not.

A picture for Christmas 

 

Jam Wine - First Bottle, 4th-6th November 2021

This wine is very much a dessert* wine. It has a fruity sweetness to it that would make it a poor one to go with many meals but which could be shared afterwards by a roaring fire. Perhaps the flavour is a little 'one note' but it is not a bad wine by any means. Claire described it as "Better than expected"^. We drank most of this on Thursday, which was an unremarkable day: working at home, followed by blue cheese & spinach quiche (I should have taken a photo - it looked fantastic) and a joyously silly episode of Taskmaster.

Taken on 1 November - the River Aire

* Claire inserted "last resort"

^ Claire changed to "Not as nasty as I expected"