Rhubarb Wine - Ninth Bottle (C4), 9th-12th November 2017

On Thursday night, while on a train from London to Leeds, my phone buzzed. A text from Claire read "I have opened a bottle of wine". I sent one back suggesting that she may have chosen Peach & Banana, but was informed that it was 'nice', thus ruling out that flavour. When I returned, several glasses of wine ahead (travelling First Class is marvellous), I found this bottle of rhubarb in the fridge - so poured Claire and I another half glass each. Claire was right; it is a good bottle of wine.

We left the remainder in the fridge whilst we spent the weekend in Newcastle, celebrating Bob & Judith and Richard & Dianne's 50th Wedding Anniversaries. This involved a Barn Dance and lots of beer. I dosy-doed, swung and stripped the willow like a good 'in, driving back to Leeds on Sunday morning with a headache. Half a bottle of wine between us on Sunday was plenty.

Blackberry Wine - Third Bottle (C4), 7th-9th November 2017

I am writing this several days after this bottle was emptied and consequently can remember little about it. Claire was suffering from existential angst on Tuesday and wine generally helps with that. We drank Tuesday's share (about half the bottle) to a fabulous, if I do say so myself, beef stir-fry - using up some of Sunday's roast. Then a glass each on Wednesday after WYSO (where Tchaik 5 is starting to get some sort of shape) and Claire finished the bottle on Thursday as I was returning from London. The wine was alright - not as disappointing as I had remembered. And there is praise indeed.

Xmas Tutti Fruti - Fourth Bottle (A6), 13th-14th May 2017

My phone buzzed whilst I was at a Turkish restaurant in London at a 25-year University Reunion Meal. "Have opened a bottle of Tutti Fruti" it read. I approved of Claire's choice - it has been a while since we drank one of those. While Claire spent the evening with the wine and an episode of Midsomer Murders I was recapturing my Warwick days. It was joyous seeing Sue & Caroline again, and being in Kings Cross Station at midnight, having it to ourselves, was magical.

The bottle had half its contents when I returned, but that was soon remedied. We drank it chilled while wandering round the garden, inspecting our holdings in soft fruit and columbines.

Rhubarb Wine 2017 - The Making Of...

The end result

King's Cross Station, after midnight, is a magical place. It is a huge domed space, empty of people save for a few late night revellers returning home. Last Saturday night I was one of those - reliving my youth after a 'Quarter of a Century Since Graduating from Warwick' reunion. Being in the station with Caroline, Susan and Stuart was only a short moment, but my favourite of the weekend.

Four people in their late 40s pretending to be 22 again

On Sunday 14th May I came home to find nearly 7 lbs rhubarb waiting for me to make into wine. Nick had dropped this off from his allotment on Saturday and in return was rewarded with two bottles of last year's rhubarb wine. This strikes me as a good deal which makes everyone happy. I made the rhubarb up to 9 lbs from our garden, which is the right quantity for a triple batch.

Some of our rhubarb - with flowers (which one is meant to avoid)

All the rhubarb was washed and cut up into slices - none more than an inch and most considerably less than that. I put the sliced rhubarb into my bucket and poured 20 pints of boiling water over it, releasing a wonderful scent of stewed rhubarb. My recipe requires 9 lbs of sugar for a triple batch, but I only had half of that. It being a Sunday evening after an exhausting weekend, I couldn't be arsed to go round to medium-sized Sainsburys to get more, so I put in what I had and made the rest up on Monday. I can't imagine this two-staged approach will affect the wine.

On Monday morning before work (and so before the second application of sugar) I added the yeast and a teaspoon-and-a-half each of nutrient and pectolase. By Tuesday this was frothing nicely.

Rhubarb frothing nicely (plus my foot)

I put all the liquid into my three demijohns on Friday night, 19th May. As with most wines, I removed the bulk of the fruit with a collander and then proceeded with the sieve-jug-funnel method, leaving a gap at the top of each demijohn to avoid explosions and filling a bottle with some wine for later topping-up purposes. By the time I had finished this it was eight o'clock and Claire & I were both hungry. We left the wine, pale pink and bubbling, and had a fabulous Turkish meal at 'The Olive Branch'.

If you want to see how this wine turned out, click here.

Blackcurrant Wine - Eleventh Bottle (B6), 9th-10th March 2017

Whilst I was standing in First Class on my way back from London, I received a text from Claire. "Have opened a bottle of blackcurrant wine." This did not make me feel any better. My jaw was still hurting from last week's operation, it now having got infected. Being on antibiotics meant that I couldn't even look forward to a glass on my return. And the train I should have been on was cancelled due to overhead power-line collapse south of Doncaster - hence spending my journey stood up.

Claire and Rachel had very nearly finished the bottle by the time I finally got home - leaving just a mouthful, which I thought would be okay for my Friday night alcohol (notwithstanding the antibiotics) and which I anticipated with delight. On Friday I asked whether that mouthful remained. It did not.

A thoroughly unsatisfactory bottle.

Crab Apple Wine - Sixth Bottle (C6), 5th-6th October 2016

Hurrah! I am on holiday (sort of). Friday will involve a long drive to Pembrokeshire, which is an official day off work. Thursday was my unofficial day, when I went to London for a conference - and going to London, even if it is work-related, is always a little bit exciting. I managed 15 minutes in Tate Modern as my tourist treat.

As an anticipatory celebration I opened a bottle of crab apple wine on Wednesday - after baking a banana cake - and had my fair share of each, leaving Claire to polish off the bottle as I returned from the Capital.

Crab Apple Wine - Twelfth Bottle (C6), 9th-11th March

I came back from WYSO in a far better mood than had gone. On Wednesday I had been feeling headachy and run down all day, and I am worrying about an unsightly black lumpy rash on my back. But at WYSO I entertained myself by swapping mouthpieces between a French Horn and a bassoon, and all anxiety was chased away by laughter.

We opened the bottle on our return, and shared it over Thursday and Friday. In fact, I didn't need any wine on Thursday. I had spent the day in London on a course (taking time to visit Tate Modern) and came back on a first class ticket. Being plied with copious amounts of booze seems to be one of the perks of travelling first class. How the other half live!

Turns out it's Shingles and not cancer at all

Crab Apple Wine - Fourth Bottle (A1), 7th-10th October 2015

Walking through the door after WYSO, my first task was to open a bottle of crab apple wine. The second was to watch The Great British Bake Off  Final whilst drinking a little too much for a Wednesday night. I am delighted that Nadiya won. Not only was she lovely, and a deserving winner, but she is from North Leeds and civic loyalty demands that I support her.

We then left the bottle unfinished until Saturday night and in between times I went to London (always a treat), ate a vast amount in a Greek restaurant and dreamt that someone had stolen all my wine. It was one of those realistic dreams where I had to wake myself up to remember that this was vastly unlikely. Crab apple wine is tasty but low on the list of 'Things to Steal'.

Christmas Tutti Fruti - Ninth Bottle (B3), 13th October 2014

Even though it is a Monday, we are still on holiday and therefore drinking a bottle of wine is allowed. In fact, it is almost obligatory. We have spent the day returning from Harpenden in the rain. Happily this has involved sitting on a train rather than driving. There was a long wait at Kings Cross staring at the departure board, which was a little dull. Otherwise I have enjoyed the day off and it was lovely seeing the cousins.

We drank the wine to leftovers and then Doctor Who, where Peter Capaldi seems to be channeling Tom Baker. It was a relatively good bottle, if murky in the final glass. And now I'm drinking bush tea with a cat upon my lap, pleased that I am home.

Crab Apple & Strawberry Wine - Third Bottle (3), 19th-20th March 2014

Thursday was a long day. I spent much of it in London at a conference for lawyers working in house-building. That sounds remarkably dull, but really it wasn't. The talks were all well done and mostly both useful and interesting. The thrill, though, was being in London - and I do feel like the wide-eyed country boy in saying that. But I saw St Paul's, Tate Modern, the Globe, the Old Bailey and Tower Bridge. Despite my northern prejudices, it is an amazing place.

By the time I got home I was exhausted, but not so much that I refused a large glass of crab apple & strawberry wine. This has a slight fizz, is a wonderful colour but is just a little too dry. Still, it was welcome after a busy day and a crowded, hot train journey.