Crab Apple Wine - Sixteenth Bottle (A1), 24th February 2013

Sunday nights are to be cherished. They are the last of the weekend, a time to hold on to a slower pace of life. I avoid my thoughts turning to work - there is plenty of time for that on my Monday morning walk. And crab apple wine, tonight, has helped the relaxation process. Much of it was drunk to our evening meal - a pork and lentil casserole bulked out by elderly vegetables - though I spent some of this bottle on the sofa reading whilst Claire was knitting sea creatures. My book is Capital by John Lanchester and I am enjoying it immensely. It is one of those with many characters not quite colliding with several strands, all of which are gripping.

Redcurrant Wine - Fifth Bottle (5), 23rd February 2013

Richard liked this bottle. A lot. I don't think I have ever heard him as enthusiastic about any of my wine. And for someone who always says nice things about what I produce, this has two interpretations. The one I favour is that for Richard this flavour is a diamond amongst gems. Alternatively in the past I may have misinterpretted politeness for delight.

Anyway, we spent Saturday evening at Richard & Linda's eating experimental food, of which the goats' cheese risotto was the highlight, and hearing about their forthcoming trip to America to visit Linda's family. We also got to inspect Linda's current work in progress: a life size moose head made from felt.

Strawberry Wine - Fourth Bottle (2), 22nd February 2013

Tonight we have had a feast, mostly involving curry. It is Rachel's 44th birthday, and as Duncan is currently living it up in Boston, she has spent it here. Claire gave her a crocheted petri dish full of crocheted cacti as a present, and I gave her a bottle of strawberry wine. I say 'gave' but 'shared with' would be a more accurate phrase. It was the second bottle of the evening as we had already finished the pink fizz.

Strawberry wine goes surprisingly well with curry - and we had many varieties: fried patra, fish, dall, spinach and lamb together with a number of dips. I have a talented wife. Was it gluttony to finish the evening off with generous helpings of tiramisu?

Crab Apple & Strawberry - Fourth Bottle (2), 19th-21st February 2013

This flavour would not, ordinarily, be a mid-week bottle. However, Claire wanted something nice to open on Tuesday. She had missed out on Monday when Julia took over a Chinese restaurant in Oakwood, partly as a delayed 60th birthday party. I was designated drinker, allowing Claire to drive. So on Tuesday, whilst I was out playing quintets at Madeleine's, Claire opened this bottle.

We each had a glass on Wednesday after a quick yet irritating monthly Sainsbury's shop. This usually puts me in a bad mood, and expectations were fulfilled. The wine helped a little but I still maintain it is too dry.

Claire finished the bottle on Thursday because I had already downed two gins before seven.

Elderberry Wine - Sixth Bottle (B3), 17th February 2013

We had haggis again on Sunday. Combined with mashed potato, onion gravy and cabbage, only the deepest, darkest red wine will do.

I did the cooking because Claire had spent all afternoon at a Music Club committee meeting. She came back irate about the length subjects were talked around with absolutely no decisions being made. I suggested a gin and tonic to make things better, but she plumped (plumbed? both look wrong) for viola practice and a sherry chaser instead. By the time we were eating haggis and drinking elderberry wine, life was a little rosier.

At the end of the evening I was all for leaving some wine in the bottle but Claire thought that a daft idea. I did the manly thing and helped her polish it off whilst finishing The Accidental.

Rose Petal Wine - Fifth Bottle (5), 16th February 2013

I am besotted. Much of this evening has been spent holding Myles. He has not been entirely delighted at the experience throughout. But on the whole he has wriggled without crying, and I call that a success.

We are, of course, at York and I brought a bottle of rose petal wine with me. It went down well, with everyone agreeing it was both interesting and tasty. Rachael was concerned about its percentage, as she did not want to give Myles a taste for alcohol at five weeks old. This is Responsible Parenting in action. I told her it was probably about 12%, without having any evidence to back this up. And I'm sure that rose petal wine flavoured milk can only be a good thing for babies.

Christmas Tutti Fruti - Third Bottle (A6), 15th February 2013

Tonight I have discovered that Claire and I hold chopsticks differently. I go for the 'thumb and two fingers' approach, whereas Claire uses her entire hand. I like to think that my method is the more authentic. Claire, however, can also do chopsticks left handed, whereas in my left hand they are simply sticks.

We have been drinking this bottle of Christmas Tutti Fruti to a meal of corn flour and pepper covered stir-fry pork in a broth of mushroons and noodles and I am currently wondering if there is any pudding (there isn't). The wine is alright - drinkable and fizzy, to the extent that it maintains a frothy head which is aesthetically a bit wrong - but it is on the bland and dry side.