Blackberry Wine 2019 - Eleventh Bottle (C4), 26th-27th March 2021

Blackberry 2019, on the strength of this bottle, is a fine vintage. It is a wine that is deep and round and delicious. Therefore it is unusual, and shows remarkable restraint, that we have stretched it out over two nights. Friday was a result of having too much to drink on Thursday. Tonight, though, has been Decided By Claire. I quite fancy a whiskey but we have had a Manhattan already and she is probably right. Claire would replace "Probably" with "Definitely"

Our Rhubarb is starting to come through.

Rose Petal Wine 2018 - Seventh Bottle (B1), 10th-11th August 2020

Having not had any alcohol on Sunday, we felt justified in opening a bottle on Monday (and then finishing it on Tuesday). The major event is that Claire is back at work. Her Proper Job, rather than waiting for Covid 19 samples to process. Therefore the wine was a celebration of sorts (though was not quite good enough to deserve that label). It also marked the passing of Cornelia Gruntfuttock, Claire's alter-ego on Facebook. The Facebook authorities have caught up with her and deleted the account, which I think is mean. Claire is less upset than I would be in similar circumstances - and has returned with a vengeance as Fanny Taylor.

A photo of some bracket fungi taken on 10 August

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2017 - Tenth Bottle (B4), 22nd-23rd November 2019

This bottle was one of those rare creatures that we opened on a Friday and finished on a Saturday. Even more unusual, unless one counts a Negroni each on Friday, we didn't have anything else to drink either night. This is mostly explained by the presence of a WYSO concert on Saturday. I didn't want a hangover on the day and by the time we finished it was rather late.

The concert went brilliantly and I was stood up for particular applause for the bassoony bit in Alborado del Gracioso by Ravel. In case you hadn't noticed, I thrive on being centre of attention.

The altar in the church we performed

 (and taken on 23 November 2019)

Prune & Parsnip Wine - Third Bottle (A3), 11th May 2019

After our week's holiday in Kelso, we have decided to cut down our alcohol intake. Therefore we had no cocktails before sharing a bottle of wine between us. I think that is the very definition of moderation.

It has been an excellent holiday but, as always, it is good to be home. Being in our own bed and surrounded by cats has much to recommend.

The bottle we had was prune & parsnip, which is a reliably good bottle. We drank it to dall and rice - the holiday has involved a lot of meat and plain vegetarian food is now the order of the day.

Apple & Strawberry Wine - Third Bottle (3), 12th April 2019

After last weekend's excesses (particularly Friday) I decided to have a week off alcohol. I managed Sunday to Wednesday. But, Thursday was Cornelia Gruntfuttock's birthday, so a bottle of champagne was obligatory. Then Friday night wouldn't be proper without at least part of a bottle. We had a whole bottle instead.

Have I mentioned how good apple & strawberry wine is? It is so light, so refreshing and the fruit flavour is present without being overwhelming.

Rhubarb Wine - Third Bottle (B4), 15th July 2018

Friday and Saturday nights were both uncharacteristically sober for me (concert on Friday, driving back from York on Saturday) so I was not going to let Sunday escape without emptying at least one bottle of wine.

We spent the early evening in David and Liz's garden drinking Kirs and then came home to a bottle of rhubarb wine. It needed to be white to accompany Actively Delicious Tofu - and rhubarb is the closest thing I have to a real white wine. The evening was as lazy as the day had been. Sundays on hot July days should be nothing other.

Blackberry Wine - Ninth Bottle (A1), 19th May 2018

A small glass of this wine was my first alcohol for eight days. I don't think I have gone that long without drinking since my 20s. This week I have been playing in the pit orchestra for Into the Woods every evening, which has meant not getting home until shortly before 11. Hence being alcohol free - and I am relieved that I didn't really miss it.

The occasion of my glass from this bottle as a street party where everyone was encouraged to bring food and drink. The road was closed at both ends and the neighbourhood children played in the highway. It was an excellent occasion made all the better by fabulous weather. I pretended the party had nothing to do with Harry & Megan.

Into the Woods as performed by Brass Neck Theatre in Yeadon

Orange Wine - First Bottle (B6), 15th-16th March 2017

I think this orange wine is a touch too bitter and could have done with more sugar. It has the taste of unsweetened marmalade - all peel and no juice. Claire disagrees, which is good as there are another eleven bottles. She thinks it would go well with food - curry particularly.

This was the first alcohol I had drunk for nearly a week (if one discounts a bottle of clove & ginger) and was to celebrate having finished my antibiotics. I made a cake to go with it whilst Claire was at WYSO - and continuing the theme, it was Delia's Marmalade Cake. Maybe I should turn my hand to baking: the cake was rather more successful than the wine.

If you want to see how I made this wine, you can either look at the post before, or click here for the actual version I made in 2016

Crab Apple & Strawberry Wine - Fifth Bottle (1), 23rd July 2016

This was our third bottle of the evening, and between the four of us that is one too many. In our defence, the first was a German white, which had a lower-than-average alcohol content and was too sweet. Also, we retained a veneer of respectability by waiting until we ate before opening this wine. As penance, I have not opened a bottle tonight (Sunday), so moderation rules supreme.

The wine was as good as ever - Rachel picked up a floral taste - and we had a hearty Czech cabbage stew to go with it (and that is nicer than it sounds).

Dandelion Wine - Third Bottle (2), 14th May 2016

For the first time since our honeymoon in the Grand Canyon in 1998, I have gone a week without alcohol. Then it was forced upon me by antibiotics and a swollen face. This time it was through choice, after a heavy week of drinking in Cornwall. I found it surprisingly easy, and I am pleased about that.

Dandelion was a good choice - it is a wine drunk rarely and it just gets better with age. Browner too, but never mind. There is little difference between this wine and a commercial sherry, and I did a taste test to prove it. I think I will save my next bottle until May 2017. Check back in a year!

Obviously not me, but this is how I looked on my honeymoon

Blackberry Wine - Seventh Bottle (B4), 3rd-8th March 2016

Ordinarily it does not take five days to get through a bottle of Blackberry Wine. That is reserved for the most horrible of my brews. However, I abandoned Claire on both Thursday (curry with Darren and Nigel) and Friday (a Brooke North reunion to say farewell to Stuart) nights. This left Claire alone with a bottle for company - and she showed remarkable temperance by not finishing it. I had the final glass on Tuesday night: just to make sure there was nothing wrong with it, you understand. There wasn't.

Rhubarb Wine - Eighth Bottle (B2), 13th-15th February 2016

A good bottle of rhubarb, which this was, is a delight. It has a dry complex flavour that could be mistaken for wine of the grape variety. We drank most of it on Saturday to Chinese roast pork, having spent the day buying unexpected flooring and curtains, and dressing up as builders.

It is a rare Saturday that we do not finish the bottle, and this was one of those occasions. The last glasses were drunk tonight, Tuesday, after an intense visit (is there any other sort?) from a Wesleyan Financial Advisor.

Us Dressing Up as Builders

Clementine Wine - First Bottle (5), 9th January 2016

Claire's take on this flavour was "Mildly unpleasant" and she did not alter her opinion the further down the bottle she got. I thought it better than that - if I was to award it a degree, it would get a mid 2:2. There is a hint of bitterness to it, but the citrus taste of clementines is distinguishable. One to drink when there is nothing at all to celebrate.

This was my first bottle of wine for over a week, and drunk on a Saturday when the main activity was buying unimaginative birthday presents for my wife.

If you want to see how I made this wine, click here

Blackberry Wine - Third Bottle (C4), 16th October 2015

Claire and I showed the height of moderation by only drinking one bottle between us on Friday night. We both felt we could manage more but made do with bush tea, Pringles and chocolate instead. This is the epitome of a healthy lifestyle.

The blackberry wine was finished by 8 o'clock, and I was a little disappointed with it. It was too dry and had less of a blackberry taste than usual. We then watched the final episode of Madmen's first series, which was excellent. Only another 6 series of 13 episodes each to go, then.

No mention of Pringles, chocolate or blackberry wine here.

Rhubarb Wine - Eighth Bottle (A1), 5th-7th February 2015

I had three days without alcohol and then ruined everything on Thursday by drinking nearly half a bottle of rhubarb wine. I mistimed the haggis, and as poor excuses go that is one of the worst. But it meant that I had a glass during the additional cooking time (haggises require one hour, not half as I had thought) as well as with the meal. Then half a glass settling down to watch Broadchurch.

We finished this bottle on Saturday, just before Katie and Christian were due to arrive for a Feast. There were still Things To Do and only 15 minutes in which to do them. A swift glass of rhubarb could only help.

Rhubarb Wine - Seventh Bottle (B4), 3rd-4th January 2015

Having had a massively alcoholic fortnight, I was adamant that I would have several days without a drink. I managed one. It was nearly two, in that I wouldn't have opened a bottle unless asked by Claire, and when I did I only had one glass (and it was a Saturday!). However, tonight I have reverted to type and am feeling a bit woozy. New Year's resolutions are there to be broken, and I didn't make any in the first place.

The rhubarb wine was pleasant enough, but needed a proper chilling before opening.

Blackberry Wine - Fourth Bottle (C3), 17th October 2014

I haven't had any alcohol since Monday and today is Friday. This is distinctly unusual, but I think I made up for it tonight with a stiff gin and the lion's share of this bottle. It has been a busy, noisy day, though. After a lengthy period of having little to do at work, today was frantic with section 106 agreements, facility letters, contracts to exchange and sales packs to prepare. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and felt that I had earned a drink after my not-quite five mile walk home.

This wine is fabulous - fruity, light and full of blackberry flavour. It has been a good Friday.

Elderberry Wine - Eleventh Bottle (B4), 22nd-23rd August 2014

This was the third bottle opened on Friday night while Ros was here, and that was a poor decision. Not because of its taste, which is full and red, but because of Saturday morning's headache. As hangovers go it was mild, but on the throbbing side of noticeable. Having indulged rather too heartily on Friday, we punished ourselves by only drinking what was left in this bottle on Saturday night. So Saturday - my parents' 50th wedding anniversary - was distinctly sober. It meant a good night's sleep, though, and I woke this Sunday morning bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Christmas Tutti Fruti - Sixth Bottle (A5), 26th May 2014

It has been the last of the Spring Bank Holidays today and I spent much of it cleaning windows. Cue George Formby.
This is not a task I enjoy and certainly not one I do with any frequency. I think the last time was more than two years ago and the only reason I did it today was that we returned from York yesterday to find a large amount of birdshit splattered against our kitchen window. The upstairs windows haven't been washed since we moved in - and that was 16 years ago. Many will view our lifestyle with horror.

Anyway, it being a bank holiday Monday, and therefore effectively a Sunday (and we didn't have anything to drink at all yesterday) I opened a bottle of Tutti Fruti. It has a thin, dry taste and is not one of my finest vintages. This didn't stop us finishing the bottle, however.

Crab Apple Wine - Eleventh Bottle (A4), 17th January 2014

It has been nearly two weeks since we last had a bottle of home-made. This is partly down to Claire's regime of only drinking during weekends of January and partly because last weekend we only drank the real stuff. Happily, Friday counts as the weekend so we had a bottle of crab apple, which is a dependable wine. There was nothing flashy or out of the ordinary about the evening and crab apple fits with that. Friday nights are a chance to catch up over the week, eat whatever is left in the fridge and sink slowly into fuzziness. All these aims were achieved.