Julia's Wines - Elderberry 1993, 15th February 2020

I took this bottle over to Ros's, where we were planning the music for Alex and Vicky's wedding this September. The bottle was only three-quarters full and by the time it had spent half an hour's walk in the rucksack, it appeared to be fizzy. Things did not bode well. However, and with much surprise all round, this was rather drinkable. It had that cross-between sherry & port feel that wines this age tend to acquire - but it hadn't gone off. We all had a glass - raising them to Julia.

A photo taken on 16 February

 - a greengage tree being planted

Julia's Wines: Elderflower 1993 - 16th February 2019

It has been a long time since we opened a bottle of Julia's ancient wines. When this one was being made, I was sitting my Law Society Finals and would not meet Claire for another two years.

I took the bottle to Ros's for an evening of Board Games and hilarity, and it was appropriate that Julia was represented. The wine looked beautiful and had an attractive scent. We all raised our glasses, toasted Julia, took a sip and poured the wine down the sink. It had not aged well.

Kiwi Fruit Wine - Final Bottle (4), 14th-16th April 2017

Sooz claimed that she could taste Kiwi Fruit in this wine. Neither Claire nor I could. Having left the wine four years since making, it has developed the flavour of generic home-made wine that has stood around too long. I get the same taste from Julia's wines. It was still drinkable, but 'drinkable' does not translate as 'pleasant'.

We drank most the bottle on Good Friday, which was a lazy day interspersed with a trip out to Saltaire and plenty more booze. The wine was then untouched on Saturday, and finished after we had drunk the good stuff on Sunday. Easter Day was another relaxed day - it is a less frantic holiday than Christmas - in which Jayne came over, Claire finished crocheting a hare's head, and I decided not to make Kiwi Wine again.

Julia's Wines - Raspberry 1995, 28th May 2016

With apologies to Julia, this wine was godawful. It had an interesting smell of jam but the taste was synthetic and nasty. There was only the barest hint of raspberry. I managed to finish my glass and Ros said it wasn't the very worst wine she had ever had (without elaborating what was). Otherwise everyone else had one sip and the bottle was emptied into the sink. It was a wonderful evening, though - Game's Night at Ros's, and six of us were there. We played four games - Pit, Saboteur, Ex Libris, and Ticket to Ride. All were great fun and I won the first and last. (Not that I am at all competitive or care deeply about these things.)

Julia's Wines - Redcurrant 1995, 20th September 2015

We finally buried Julia. On Sunday her ashes were interred along with those of her mother and Mrs Soots the cat, beneath a weeping lime. It was a glorious morning - crisp early autumn filled with light. Madrigals were sung and Steffan read The Dorking Thigh. We covered Julia's ashes with rose petals, rosemary and a helping of Sam Smith's Ale. At the end of the ceremony a frog hopped its merry way through the grass. Of course I opened a bottle of her wine that evening. It is what she would have wanted.

Julia's Wines - Cider (Undated), 18th June 2015

I wanted a bottle of something that Julia had made on what would have been her 63rd birthday. What I had not planned to do was kick over the glass holding two thirds of a bottle of cider after only having had one sip. Our carpet now smells of apples. Oh well - this was one of Julia's lesser efforts: thin, dry and vinegary.

Julia's Wine - Redcurrant 1995, 14th March 2015

This was a thin, sherry-like wine, and more than that I cannot remember. Oh, there were large lumps in the bottle, which meant the wine was not finished. The reason that I struggle to remember is that we were having a Feast at Christian and Kate's, and between us had drunk far too much wine already. Certainly the six of us had polished off three bottles of Prosecco before the starter. It was a wonderful evening with fabulous food and great company. However, it all remains a bit of a blur.

Julia's Wines - Elderflower 1993, 7th February 2015

Not one of Julia's best. This wine was drinkable but was thin and not very interesting. The elderflower taste was hardly there. I apologised to Julia (in absentia) as I reached for the Prosecco instead. The evening as a whole was fantastic, though. Claire cooked many curries and we feasted with Ros, Emma, Christian and Kate. There was much laughter, plenty to drink and we ended the night playing Ex Libris. Which I won convincingly (he said, smugly). Claire and I did not get to bed until well past midnight, and that never happens. We already setting dates for the next get together.

Julia's Wine - Redcurrant 1994 - 15th November 2014

There were only two wines served at my wine party that achieved a higher score than 4 (out of 5). I did not make either of them. Julia's Redcurrant came second with 4.108, and I imagine she would have been delighted. Her wine did not taste much of its base fruit and, as I imagine happens with all aged country wines, appears to have turned into sherry. It was lovely, though, and the guests agreed. Those that got a taste. Ros, Alex and Vicky confessed that they were responsible for this being the first empty bottle of the evening.

Julia's Wine - Redcurrant 1996, 1st August 2014

It is the last night of Rydal and therefore an entirely suitable occasion for one of Julia's wines. I think she would be pleased to have made a contribution to the frivolities - some of which involved me spitting hotdogs into a bucket. I made sure that several people had a glass and we toasted Julia, for she is much missed.

The wine was definitely drinkable. It was too sweet for my liking and there was no taste of redcurrant. Leo enjoyed it, though, and compared it to a sherry.

The view from our bedroom window at Rydal Hall

Julia's Wine - Gooseberry (?) of Unknown Vintage, 19th July 2014

This bottle had neither flavour nor year marked upon it. I checked that it was still liquid and took it with us to Christian and Katie's in Hebden Bridge. They have a wonderful house, looking north over the town and to a hill with dry stone-walled fields and a Victorian mill. If it wasn't for the commute, I would move to Hebden Bridge in an instant.

We drank a toast to Julia, and the wine was really very good. I think it was gooseberry - it had a similar taste to the first of her's that we opened. Sherry-like. This was my second glass of the evening, at which point I staggered off to play in a concert. It was the sort of concert where a pissed bassoonist could only help.

Hebden Bridge Centre

Julia's Wines - Cider 2013 (?), 18th-19th June 2014

It was Julia's birthday on Wednesday and therefore obligatory to have one of her wines. I picked an unlabelled bottle, which must have been made recently, judging by the amount of dust it wasn't covered in, and put it in the fridge. Turned out to be cider, and pretty vinegary at that. Claire didn't drink her glass, but Emma and I finished ours. Its most positive attribute was its clarity. On the whole a 'miss'.

Julia's Wine - Gooseberry 1996, 3rd-4th June 2014

We opened another of Julia's bottles on Tuesday after doing a 'top to bottom' inventory of her house with Ros, Emma and Alex. This was to check if there was anything else we wanted. I came away with a book about ferns, a Tom Lehrer CD and twelve more bottles of wine.

It was quite depressing seeing all this stuff. There was so much that Julia collected over the years to put to use on a day that never arrived.

Anyway, this bottle of gooseberry was not as good as the last but still perfectly drinkable with a taste of sherry. I wonder what will be next out of the box.

Some of Julia's wines (with authentic dust from her cellar)

Julia's Wines - Strawberry 1994 - 27th May 2014

Ros came over for a meal tonight, partly to discuss Julia's funeral and partly to have a meal. I thought it would be a suitable occasion for one of Julia's wines so plucked strawberry from the box.

This was remarkably unsuccessful. It hardly poured at all, and what did come from the neck was solid. What I have is a bottle of rancid strawberry jelly and I'm not sure quite how to dispose of it.

Notice how the wine pours

Julia's Wines - Gooseberry (Unknown Vintage), 10th-11th May 2014

The first bottle out of the box was a litre of gooseberry wine. It is not marked by a year, but judging from the others it will have been early nineties.

Claire took the first sip and I asked her "Drink or down the sink?". It was a definite "Drink" and irritatingly far, far better than my bottle of gooseberry that we had just finished. It was sweeter, more rounded and with a hint of sherry. Remarkably drinkable. If this is any indication of the remaining bottles then I have struck gold. Julia - thank you so much for everything.

A Pyramid of Arts creation - the charity that Julia began

Julia's Wines - an Introduction, 10th May 2014

I am going to dedicate some posts on this blog to Julia's wines.

Once when Julia cooked a Feast - possibly road-kill pheasant - she disappeared into her cellar and brought up a bottle of Dandelion Wine, made at least twenty years earlier. It was the finest home made wine I have ever had. She also brought up a bottle of redcurrant that was foul.

Julia died two days ago. Late this afternoon I ventured into her cellar and have retrieved thirteen bottles of wine. There are many more and, whilst not mentioned in her will, she has bequeathed them to me. I will record each one in this blog.

A Pyramid of Arts Creation, with Julia in the middle distance.