Blackberry Wine - Thirteenth Bottle (B4), 27th-28th April 2013

After four margaritas and a bottle of pinot grigio, one might argue that half a bottle of Blackberry tips the evening into excess. However, as this was all shared between four, I would suggest that it remains within the bounds of 'reasonable'.

The Hepworth Gallery

Claire and I took Bob and Judith to Pinche Pinche for a Mexican meal after having spent the afternoon at the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield. Both experiences were well worth the effort. The Hepworth building itself is fabulous - jutting out where a canal meets a river - with huge white rooms and enormous windows. Some good art too.

We finished the bottle on Sunday while watching Doctor Who: the episode was the best of a pretty shaky recent bunch. I have yet to fall in love with the companion.

Elderberry Wine - Eighth bottle (A1), 26th April 2013

This was our second (and - for the sake of propriety - final) bottle of the evening. With Claire's parents and my mother round, Claire cooked a feast of curry and I judged that elderberry would be the right bottle, with its near-sweet and biting taste. And what a feast. We had a fabulous mutton rogan josh (which for me was the highlight), a dall, a spinach and onion curry, and one involving black-eyed beans in a yellow sauce. All of it was wonderful, and there are disappointingly few leftovers.

In a change to tradition I tackled the washing up rather than leave it for Saturday morning, though I did have to tell Bob to stop bringing in more dishes from the table as it was not helpful.

Crab Apple Wine - Final Bottle (B3), 26th April 2013

It was Parent's Evening round at 3 Acacia Avenue* last night. Bob, Judith and Mom were all in attendance to check Claire's culinary skills and the progress I had made in wine-making. I opened my final bottle of Crab Apple for the occasion to universal acclaim. It fizzed nicely and distinctly apple in taste. It lasted the time taken to eat our starter and then retire to the sofa while Claire beavered away in the kitchen.

The starter was patra and salad in a tamarind sauce. Patra is wonderful stuff, even though all you need to make it is a tin opener - and I don't really know what it is. Some green leaf, filled with something spicy which has substance. Other than that, I am lost.

And so this batch of wine comes to and end, and I have yet to bottle 2012's version. For the moment we are crabappleless.

*This is not my real address.

Prune & Parsnip Wine - Fifth Bottle (A1), 23rd-25th April 2013

We are expecting an influx of parents tomorrow evening, so I have spent the last half glass from this bottle doing some badly needed housework. The low point has been donning a pair of unfeasibly tight pink rubber gloves to wash away ancient cat vomit. Prune & parsnip was a welcome tonic with its dry sherry taste.

Claire opened the wine on Tuesday night after a failed attempt to find the last bottle of Tea wine. I had half a glass on my return from Madeleine's quintet while washing up. Then we had a bit more on Wednesday after a noisy and unsatisfying WYSO, and again whilst I was doing the dishes. There seems to be a theme to this bottle, and not one which sets the pulse racing.

Christmas Tutti Fruti - Fifth Bottle (B3), 21st April 2013

This bottle of wine was forced upon us. On our return from York I noticed that the cork was a little high above the rim. An hour later it was higher still. Therefore it was our duty to drink it. Claire acted as Bomb Disposal Officer, opening the bottle carefully with a large glass to hand. Despite the pop and fizz she managed to spill not a drop.

We didn't mean to drink the entire bottle - we are off to Waddington tomorrow for Granny Rita's funeral - but somehow we did. After eating a full chicken roast and apple crumble as a late lunch in York (at which Myles was centre of attention), we drank this bottle to soda bread and a boiled egg. I had forgotten quite how satisfying a soft boiled egg can be.

Strawberry Wine - Fifth Bottle (4), 20th April 2013

On the strength of this bottle I am certain that strawberry wine improves the older it gets. This was one of my best bottles and I wish I had the self-control to keep flavours like this away from the corkscrew.

We are in York, meaning that I shared this bottle with Mom, Rachael and Paul - Pop being in Missouri, and Myles (at 13 weeks) being just that little bit young for a taste. Before opening this bottle Rachael, Myles and I went to Morrisons. In the supermarket I pushed the baby and kept on trying to put groceries on top of him. Rachael pushed the trolley and kept on trying to rock it to sleep.

Rhubarb Wine - Eleventh Bottle (A6), 17th-18th April 2013

On the whole, I like cats. Aesthetically they are very pleasing. They have their own distinct characters, and a cat's purr is one of life's most comforting sounds. However, when an intruder cat comes into our house, eats all the biscuits and pisses in every space it explores, I am not so fond.

Having consumed a healthy dose of rhubarb wine on Thursday night, chasing the said beast around the house at midnight did nothing for my planned eight hours of sleep. I doused it with water (successfully) and flour (less so), and then let it escape. For the next few nights the cat flap will remain steadfastly on "in but not out".