Xmas Tutti Fruti 2020 - First Bottle (A4), 25th December 2021

This is a light red wine with a warmth to the back of the throat as it slips down. There is no dominant fruit, although the wine is distinctly fruity. It is not as good as 2019's vintage but it is close (and close in taste too). Maybe maturation time is required.

Our Christmas meal was venison and was superb. Andrew did most the cooking, and at one point to dramatic effect. He opened the oven door and a sheet of yellow flame erupted out. Sooz, who was in a different room, said that she knew something had happened from a noise of general commotion and my cry of "Do we need the Fire Brigade?". Happily, we did not.

A picture for Christmas 

 

Mixed Flower & Nettle Wine - First Bottle (3), 30th May 2021

I had expected this wine to be one of my failed experiments. From its ingredients we have nicknamed it 'Compost Wine'. On the basis that it was likely to be horrid I took it to Newcastle so that we could share the pain. It is with some surprise, therefore, that I can report that this was Quite Good. It has a smoother taste than pure dandelion. Sooz said it was akin to sherry that is not Croft Original (the only sherry permitted in the Taylor household) - so not a total success. Andrew and I had the lion's share.

Sunday was an excellent day, starting with a visit to the South Tyneside coast. It was shrouded in mist whilst the rest of the country enjoyed blazing sunshine. In the late afternoon I went on a sunnier walk with Judith over the Town Moor and in the evening we feasted.

The South Tyneside Coast on a misty day

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

Rose Petal & Orange Wine 2019 - Second Bottle (2), 11th September 2020

We are in Newcastle! This is the first time that we have stayed away from home since late March, but we thought spending time with Claire's family before an inevitable second Lockdown occurs was important. I brought one of my best wines with me and we drank it to a take-out curry. This flavour was possibly overpowered by the spices and heat of the food, but still excellent with its buttery smoothness. It was just lovely sitting round the table with Bob & Judith - and tomorrow Sooz and Andrew will be with us too.

The entrance to Gipton Woods, taken on 11th September

Elderberry Wine 2017 - Seventh Bottle (A5), 31st May - 1st June 2020

It was Sooz's birthday on Sunday and to celebrate we had a Taylor family Zoom meeting, though Andrew didn't make it - Zoom not really being his thing (I imagine). I haven't seen any of the Taylors since Christmas and it was lovely having an hour or so with them as we got gently sozzled on cocktails and then elderberry wine. Afterwards Claire and I ate lasagne but did not quite finish the bottle. That was saved for Claire on Monday, but the last half glass was rejected: the wine had developed clots that reminded her rather too much of the blood samples she receives at work.

Nascent pears - taken on 31 May

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2014 - Final Bottle (A2), 25th December 2019

Merry Christmas to one and all. I had left this bottle for several years because I think it is absolutely the best wine that I have ever made. But I didn't want it developing that sherry taste that fruit wines can get if left too long. Therefore Christmas Day, five years after it was made, seemed a suitable occasion. 

We are hosting festivities in Leeds this year, with all Taylors down to stay, and it has been a lovely day. Claire and I started it at the Park Run in Roundhay Park: she was running and I most definitely was not. There were hundreds of runners there - many in costume. The Taylors arrived at about one (I was still sweeping) and from then on the day was full of laughter, food and rather too much to drink.

Waiting for the Park Run to begin

Ginger Wine 2019 - Second Bottle (2), 11th January 2020

Claire has blue hair. It is really very blue indeed. Pretty much the colour of the Tardis. She has been planning this for over a year as a way to mark her 50th birthday. I shrieked when I saw it and then laughed and then decided that it looks fabulous.

Once she had come back from the hairdressers we went up to Newcastle where this ginger wine was the first bottle of the evening and enjoyed by all. Claire's family reacted to her blue hair as one would expect. Andrew asked if she was having a mid-life crisis and Claire replied that now was the time to have it.

Claire's blue hair - yes, really that blue

Damson Wine - Second Bottle (2), 28th November 2019

Damson wine is not going to get the chance to mature to a ripe old age. This is the second bottle drunk in the space of three weeks. I chose it as a Thanksgiving bottle because it is one of my best, and I wanted to treat our guests. As well as Richard & Linda, we had Andrew, Sooz and Cindy over to share the Thanksgiving meal. And what a meal it was - everything that is traditional about Thanksgiving plus a tricolor nut loaf and sprouts pan-fried with garlic and parmesan. The wine was, rightly, enjoyed by all. There is a deep plumminess to it that certainly was not present in the years that I made plum wine. Definitely a wine to make again.

NB - There is no photo that I have not already put up for the days around Thanksgiving. Sorry.

Halloween Wine - Second Bottle (5), 23rd-26th December 2019

My office closed for Christmas on Friday and for most everyone else the atmosphere was all rather jolly. I went in on both Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, therefore (which is not a usual bottle of wine night) we shared most of this wine. I was feeling exceptionally glum and anxious about getting the last contract exchanged on Christmas Eve, and Halloween Wine helped my mood.

We finished it, sharing small glasses with Sooz and Andrew, on Boxing Day. Once I told them that the difference between this and Xmas Tutti Fruti was the chilli they claimed that they could taste this too. I think it quite obvious.

Oh - I did get the exchange on the 24th!

A photo I took on Boxing Day

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2017 - Final Bottle (A1), 25th-26th December 2019

This was the third bottle of Tutti Fruti opened on Christmas Day and the least good of the three. But 2014's vintage is the best wine I have ever made and 2018 is excellent, so this is no criticism. Andrew said that it needed time to mature, which is a shame, seeing as this is the last bottle.

It was lovely having the Taylors to stay, even if Bob and Judith were both ill with hacking coughs.

The Park Run on Christmas Day

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2017 - Eleventh Bottle (B6), 29th November 2019

Claire requested Tutti Fruti as our second bottle of the evening, despite having had a bottle less than a week ago. Still, we had guests and this is a fine tipple - rich and fruity. After our meal we moved to the front room where a fire was burning and spent the evening listening to comic songs (Andrew's choice was the particularly sophisticated Detachable Penis) and singing along to Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat. Lots of fun.

A Photo I took on 29th November

Gooseberry Wine 2017 - Final Bottle (5), 26th December 2019

Gooseberry is a fine bottle of wine: as sharp as fruit wine gets with an absolutely distinct gooseberry taste. I decided that I should share my final bottle of this with company. We had a house full of Taylors and all the chaos that implies. It also implies a continual battle with the washing-up, which refused to stay done. So many mugs in such a short space of time!

A photo I took on the same day as this diary entry

Apple & Strawberry Wine 2016 - Fifth Bottle (2), 29th November 2019

Having half a turkey remaining after Thanksgiving meant that Thanksgiving II was required. Andrew and Sooz were staying and this provided an excuse to invite Jayne. I decided to open Apple & Strawberry on the basis that it is one of my best. Sooz preferred the dregs of Clove & Ginger to this, but then she preferred this to the bottle of real wine that Jayne provided.

Thanksgiving II was more of a traditional Sunday Roast than the original had been - and none the worse for that.

Horns of Plenty - nothing to do with this post

but taken on the same day.

Rhubarb Wine - Ninth Bottle (A6), 21st April 2019

On Friday, Claire made a rhubarb and ginger cheesecake, keeping back the liquid as a sauce. Whilst the cheesecake was polished off over Friday and Saturday, we made less impression on the liquid. This proved not to be a problem. Diluted with rhubarb wine, this turned into something rather magical. Sweeter than neat rhubarb wine, with the subtlest of ginger hints, it really was a glorious drink. A perfect way to round off an Easter Sunday. Our house, which had been full of Taylor siblings, now only had us. I love having guests, but not having guests is also good.

The Taylor Siblings

Blackberry Wine 2016 - Fourteenth Bottle (A6), 19th-20th April 2019

Another bottle of disappointing blackberry bites the dust. This really has been a dud vintage. There is little that is actively wrong about it, but it is far from interesting and has no depth or bite.

Apart from the glass that I had on Good Friday (which really was a glass too far), this bottle was shared with Andrew, Sooz and Claire for Saturday lunchtime (shocking!) sat in the shady part of the garden enjoying the spectacular weather we are having. This is how Easter Saturday's should be spent.

Our Garden

Dandelion Wine - Second Bottle (1), 19th April 2019

On a day that I started my next batch of dandelion wine, which was Good Friday where Andrew, Sooz and Jayne were all here, it seemed right and proper that we should drink this year's bottle of dandelion wine. This was after having an early (and floppy) gin and tonic, followed by Cosmopolitans in the garden. The weather has been idyllic over the last few days (though we do need some rain quite badly, just not this Easter weekend).

This wine was good without being outstanding: a medium-dry sherry with a definite hint of lemons. I wonder how next year's bottle will be.

Cosmopolitans in the garden

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2016 - Eighth Bottle (A1), 25th-26th December 2018

Looking back on my description of this vintage's first bottle, I think that Xmas Tutti Fruti 2016 has matured splendidly. This wine was better than the 2017 variety, and that was decent in itself.

We waited until the food was on the table before opening this bottle, and what a splendid meal it was. Judith was the chief cook with Andrew and Claire playing the role of sous-chef. It was, of course, the traditional Christmas meal and there was barely enough room on the table for our plates. By Boxing Day we had eaten less than half, so had it all again and this time finished the wine.

Xmas Tutti Fruti - First Bottle (A5), 25th December 2018

After a couple of Christmas Day cocktails (only one of which involved a Brussel Sprout garnish) I opened my first bottle of 2017's Xmas Tutti Fruti, serving it between all Taylors and me. I am pleased with this vintage. Whilst it does not reach the heady heights of 2014, it is still rather good. There is a slight fizz and it is both dry and fruity. On occasion, Tutti Fruti can be thin, but that is not apparent in this bottle. By the time we sat down to eat, this wine was a distant memory.

Elderberry Wine - Third Bottle (A2), 1st April 2018

Judith cooked an enormous slab of beef for our Easter lunch, and I opened a bottle of elderberry wine to go with it. The food was superb and the wine was passable. This is not my best vintage of elderberry. Andrew's adjective of choice was 'frunty' and I have no idea whether that is a compliment or not.

The weekend was excellent, starting with a lovely visit with Keith and family (we taught Ellis how to play 'Cheat'), going round Craster to buy kippers, watch the waves crash against the pier and get thoroughly cold walking much of the way to Dunstanburgh Castle, and finishing the Guardian cryptic double crossword.

Apple & Strawberry Wine - First Bottle (1), 23rd November 2017

Well, I liked this bottle of wine. I thought it light and fruity with subtle flavours of both apple and strawberry. It was entirely clear and its colour was white with an edge of pink. Sooz said that this wine would aid in not drinking too much. Harrumph.

It was a Thanksgiving bottle, and the evening was lovely. Andrew, Sooz, Richard, Linda, Mary, Claire and I fit round the table and ate more than was sensible, managing to leave enough leftovers for a week. Happy times!

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

Rose Petal Wine - Sixth Bottle (A6), 26th December 2016

We had a raucous time on Boxing Day E'en whilst drinking rose petal wine. Claire, Sooz and I went round to Andrew's with alcohol and games - a winning combination. We played Exploding Kittens and Sabateur, sat by the stove and filled the room with laughter. Things got particularly silly when Andrew found a pipe and we all had a go looking like Edwardian gentlemen. I couldn't get the pipe-hold right and only succeeded in looking exceedingly camp.

The rose petal wine was only a minor part of the evening - neither Sooz nor Andrew had realised it was rose petal until the bottle was finished and I mentioned it. Claire only had a sip as designated driver.