This was a celebratory bottle of wine. The reason was simply that it was the first night this year where we have had time to have a roast dinner. Every other weekend evening in 2012 either we have been doing something or one of us has been ill. So it has been wonderful to have a day where nothing particular has been planned.
I spent most of the day making orange wine (details to be posted shortly) and some it shovelling horse droppings in the sleet. But the space to be able to do this has been pure luxury.
We drank this bottle to a full chicken roast, shared with Julia, whom we invited over on a whim. Both wine and company were excellent. The chilli in this wine makes all the difference: it provides a lift, making a good wine fabulous.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Orange Wine - Bottle B1, 3rd March 2012
On my first sip I thought that this was the best orange wine I have made. There is no hint of bitterness and it has an open, floral taste. Half a bottle later (Claire having had the remainder) I now wonder if it is just a tad too sweet. Still, it is an excellent bottle: distinctly orange in flavour but without any taste of industrial cleaner. The test will be feeding it to Richard.
It has been a lovely evening - which itself has followed a lovely day. The day involved pottering around and making both soup and scones - neither of which I have done before and both of which proved fabulous (if I do say so myself). Then it was Music Club, where Pat, Peter and I played Piazolla trios which went Very Well Indeed. And then this evening Claire and I took the opportunity simply to chat and eat scones. Would it be too corny to label it a night of Wine, Woman and Scone? (But this only works if you pronounce the last word to rhyme with 'gone' or 'shone' - which is, of course, the correct way.)
It has been a lovely evening - which itself has followed a lovely day. The day involved pottering around and making both soup and scones - neither of which I have done before and both of which proved fabulous (if I do say so myself). Then it was Music Club, where Pat, Peter and I played Piazolla trios which went Very Well Indeed. And then this evening Claire and I took the opportunity simply to chat and eat scones. Would it be too corny to label it a night of Wine, Woman and Scone? (But this only works if you pronounce the last word to rhyme with 'gone' or 'shone' - which is, of course, the correct way.)
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Elderberry Wine - Bottle B4, 28th February - 3rd March 2012
Claire and I both had a night in on Tuesday, which is a rare enough occasion to justify opening a bottle of wine. However, when Claire requested elderberry I pulled a disapproving face. We had already had an elderberry in February. Even as I was vocalising this thought I realised it was pathetic (and not a little controlling) so elderberry it was.
We drank it slowly through the week, not finishing it until tonight - Saturday - and it deteriorated from really rather drinkable on Tuesday to just on the right side of 'rank' for the last glass. Wednesday night's glass was (as is usual for a Wednesday night) after a WYSO rehearsal. I am really enjoying Peter and the Wolf; it is clever, engaging music too easily dismissed as a novelty for children. The cat has the best tune, which is no surprise.
We drank it slowly through the week, not finishing it until tonight - Saturday - and it deteriorated from really rather drinkable on Tuesday to just on the right side of 'rank' for the last glass. Wednesday night's glass was (as is usual for a Wednesday night) after a WYSO rehearsal. I am really enjoying Peter and the Wolf; it is clever, engaging music too easily dismissed as a novelty for children. The cat has the best tune, which is no surprise.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Redcurrant Wine - Bottle B4, 24th-26th February 2012
The remedy for dealing with musty wines, based on the experience of this and the previous bottle of redcurrant, seems to be to leave them in their bottles longer. Whilst I would be lying if I said this had no taste of mothballed fur coats whatsoever, it was not a prominent flavour and the wine rated as 'nearly acceptable'.
I drank much of it on Friday night when Claire was out playing chamber music. I tried watching a film called 'Severance', billed as a 'comedy horror', but had to switch it off after half an hour. My 20-year old self would have enjoyed it, but I have become soft. The prospect of seeing seven people meet a gruesome end was not appealing. And the 'comedy' element was unsubtle and infrequent. This was no 'Shaun of the Dead'.
Instead, I watched an inconsequential yet amusing gameshow ('Pointless' - well named) and then entertained myself by watching reviews of Doctor Who on sfdebris.com.
The bottle was finished tonight after our return from a weekend in York and a day of mostly eating sausages.
I drank much of it on Friday night when Claire was out playing chamber music. I tried watching a film called 'Severance', billed as a 'comedy horror', but had to switch it off after half an hour. My 20-year old self would have enjoyed it, but I have become soft. The prospect of seeing seven people meet a gruesome end was not appealing. And the 'comedy' element was unsubtle and infrequent. This was no 'Shaun of the Dead'.
Instead, I watched an inconsequential yet amusing gameshow ('Pointless' - well named) and then entertained myself by watching reviews of Doctor Who on sfdebris.com.
The bottle was finished tonight after our return from a weekend in York and a day of mostly eating sausages.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Blackberry Wine - Bottle B2, 25th February 2012
I have discovered that my father still has the capacity to embarrass me. This is something that I thought had ended with my teenage years. For reasons that must remain obscure, he said, loudly and clearly "Mostly Fellatio" whilst we were sitting in Yorkshire Sculpture Park's café, next to a family with many children. I covered my face with my hands. Anyone would need a bottle of wine after that.
We spent the rest of the day in York. Quin goes back to Nebraska in less than three weeks and I think this is my last opportunity to see him before his return. The evening's activities consisted of alternately having intense conversations and looking at lists of 'Top 100' (or 'Top 200') books. I came away feeling rather less well-read than I had earlier in the day.
The wine, of course, was superb - better than the red wine we had drunk earlier in the evening.
We spent the rest of the day in York. Quin goes back to Nebraska in less than three weeks and I think this is my last opportunity to see him before his return. The evening's activities consisted of alternately having intense conversations and looking at lists of 'Top 100' (or 'Top 200') books. I came away feeling rather less well-read than I had earlier in the day.
The wine, of course, was superb - better than the red wine we had drunk earlier in the evening.
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Crab Apple Wine - Bottle A3, 19th February 2012
For reasons that seemed logical at the time, Claire declared that British Summer Time had begun today. Consequently this bottle was opened at what otherwise would have been a quarter past five. I had half a glass and Claire had a whole one. It was all because we ate ridiculously early in preparation for Bradford Music Club - which began at 7 p.m. Madeleine, David and I played the Beethoven Trio again. This time I did not get lost, but I came away disappointed. There was nothing specifically wrong with the performance, but it felt leaden. I missed my very first note, which musically did not matter but it altered my whole attitude. Immediately my mouth dried and I spent the entire time just playing notes trying to get to the end, without concentrating on the music. So, a frustrating experience. And it required a decent quantity of crab apple wine in a short space of time to make things better. Hey ho.
Oh, entirely unrelated to this wine, and because I am a show off ("No, really?" I hear you cry), click this link here for a lovely review of my book. I understand it is available on Amazon.
Oh, entirely unrelated to this wine, and because I am a show off ("No, really?" I hear you cry), click this link here for a lovely review of my book. I understand it is available on Amazon.
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Strawberry Wine - Bottle 6, 18th February 2012
It was a choice between Strawberry and Crab Apple wine to take to Richard & Linda's for a meal. Because it has bee Richard's birthday this week and as strawberry wine is the better of the two, it seemed proper to take this. Richard said he felt honoured and, indeed, he was. It is an excellent flavour and I think this vintage is one of the best I have made (he said, modestly).
The meal, as ever, was fabulous. We had a tomato soup with carraway-seed buns to start, a pasta dish involving mozarella and baby broad beans as the main course - accompanied by a colourful salad of spinach, parmesan shavings, carrots, mushrooms and radishes, and finished with a mandarin orange tart with custard and creme fraiche. Richard was apologetic that he had made the custard from powder rather than first principles, but Claire pointed out that when she made it with eggs it tasted no different.
The meal, as ever, was fabulous. We had a tomato soup with carraway-seed buns to start, a pasta dish involving mozarella and baby broad beans as the main course - accompanied by a colourful salad of spinach, parmesan shavings, carrots, mushrooms and radishes, and finished with a mandarin orange tart with custard and creme fraiche. Richard was apologetic that he had made the custard from powder rather than first principles, but Claire pointed out that when she made it with eggs it tasted no different.
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