Blackberry Wine 2020 - Sixth Bottle (A3), 19th September 2021

Blackberry Wine feels like a proper Sunday night bottle. One that you can relax into like a favourite sofa. It had been a gentle weekend full of entirely pleasurable nothing much. On Sunday that involved walking the suburbs of North Leeds in search of elderberries and making both bread and a ginger & marmalade cake (note to self: the marmalade was a flavour too far). Then in the evening we had a Padian chicken curry, drank this wine and watched The Crown. The curry involved me sucking on a chili by mistake. Emergency yoghurt was required.

Ginger & Marmalade Cake

 

Ginger Wine 2020 - Third Bottle (1), 18th June 2021

Baked fish requires a citrus wine, and ginger very nearly fulfills that role. The wine was perhaps a little robust, but there was no struggle involved in finishing it. Nor in finishing the current book: Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. I picked this up from one of the Little Free Libraries dotted around Leeds, expecting it to be trashy, badly written yet fun. It only matched the last of those - perhaps not Great Literature but extremely engaging and written with knowing humour. It was not what I expected - more Romance Structure and less Murder Mystery than anticipated.

Rhubarb Wine 2017 - Final Bottle (C5), 28th February 2021

Sunday felt like the second day of Spring. There were blue skies all day and it could have been late April. It was a perfect day to walk 13 miles, taking in Newlay Bridge, the Leeds-Liverpool canal and Kirkstall Abbey. The population of Leeds was out, enjoying the release that good weather brings.

Once home I made a chocolate cake and we spent the evening eating fish pie and watching The Crown. A bottle of rhubarb wine figured, and during this Claire floated the idea of maybe drinking real wine more often than we do might be nice.

Kirkstall Abbey behind a carpet of crocuses.

Prune & Parsnip Wine 2021 - The Making Of...

Saturday 6th February was a dismal day. I woke to heavy rain and it did not let up throughout the lighted hours. When Claire suggested that I drive to collect the week's groceries rather than walk to Chapel Allerton, I took little persuading. Whilst I prefer to buy my parsnips from the independent Fruit Stall, carrying home 4 lbs of them together with my other shopping in a downpour would have been entirely miserable, so I drove to Sainsbury's instead.

Prunes and Parsnips

I left the wine-making until Sunday, 7th February, which was a much more productive and happy day. I managed to have a 5 mile walk, do a modicum of bassoon practice, make a 'Fly Leg' cake (no flies were harmed in the process) and make my Prune & Parsnip wine. The wine making was done whilst listening to the whole of Hansel and Gretel on Radio 3 - such a fabulous opera, and I know nothing else by Humperdinck.

Parsnips, sliced and in the pan of water

Anyway, to make the wine I sliced 4 lbs of parsnips into small bits and put them into 16 pints of cold water, bringing this up to the boil and then simmering for 20 minutes. (This was done in two lots.) Meanwhile, I snipped up 1 lb of prunes, each prune into 4 or so pieces, and put these in my bucket along with 5 lbs 8 oz sugar. When the parsnips had boiled their 20 minutes, I poured the water into the bucket through a colander and threw out the vegetables.

An enthusiastic fermentation

On Monday morning I added a teaspoon of pectolase, a teaspoon and a half of nutrient and two teaspoons of yeast (though I started the yeast first in a jug with a bit of sweetened water, because I am suspicious of this yeast brand). The wine fermented enthusiastically in its bucket until Saturday morning, 13th February, at which point I put it into its two demijohns, this time listening to Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite. The wine is far lighter, far more golden, than it has ever been before.

The wine in its demijohns

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2018 - Eleventh Bottle (B2), 20th December 2020

Claire requested a light red for our meal, which was 'The Egg & Pepper Thing', and Xmas Tutti Fruti fits the bill nicely. Blindfolded, you probably couldn't tell that it was a red wine. Still tasty, though.

Sunday was a relaxing day where I did very little but struggle with the Guardian Prize Crossword and go for a 6 mile walk to Shadwell and back. But after the week that I have had, a relaxing day was welcome.

On the path leading from Shadwell

Gooseberry Wine 2019 - Third Bottle (3), 25th September 2020

I opened this bottle after a monumentally busy day. I had 12 completions, plus 3 exchanges and all my other work besides. There was never a feeling of being overwhelmed, however, and I came away with the sense of a job well done.

I opened this gooseberry wine to the news that Leeds has gone into a local Lockdown. This is depressing - we will not be able to go to Cambridge in a fortnight's time (which in itself was a replacement for a holiday in the Netherlands) and I won't see my parents for several months. Still, the gooseberry wine had a real taste of Chardonnay, so it wasn't all doom and gloom.

Taken on 25 September

Elderberry Wine 2017 - Tenth Bottle (B6), 6th September 2020

This was a fabulous bottle of elderberry wine. It was as smooth and rounded as I have ever had, with the rich earthy tones that elderberry does best. I had spent the afternoon picking elderberries and then stripping them from their stalks, so the evening's bottle was always going to be this flavour. We drank it to a chicken and prune casserole, which was also delicious, and started planning our trip to Newcastle next weekend - to be taken before Leeds goes into a localised lockdown.

Taken whilst picking elderberries

With this post, I have caught up entirely on my diary since the winter hiatus. Therefore, I am unlikely to be posting daily from now on.

Damson Wine 2020 - The Making Of

Since Lockdown started, I have been working from home. Whilst I thought that I would hate this, it is something that has definite advantages. I miss the camaraderie of office life, but there is a certain freedom in being alone at home with the cats and my own kitchen. To stay fit, I have taken a long walk every morning before work, and on Thursday morning, 20th August, this took me along Broomhill Drive.

Our damson tree - not enough damsons

I noticed several damsons on the pavement and grass verge of this particular street. Many were looking unblemished, so not having a bag with me, I filled my pockets. It is unfortunate that both pockets have holes, so I had to walk the remaining kilometre holding onto my trousers, occasionally feeling a damson roll down my leg. When I regaled Claire with this story that evening, she mentioned that there was a damson tree in Potternewton Park. Friday morning's walk was decided upon.

My disappointing first view of the damson tree

My first sight of the damson tree was disappointing: the fruit was impossibly out-of-reach. But then I looked at the ground: surrounding me were damsons with their blue-purple dusty covering, looking like eggs from an exotic, flightless bird. This time I had a bag and picked up the fruit that was still intact.

Like eggs on the ground

At home I weighed my haul - with those from Broomhill Drive, I had 5 lbs 9 oz, and I only needed 4 lbs of these for a batch of wine. I put the damsons in a bowl, freezing what was surplus, and covered them in water for 10 hours.

Damsons in my bucket

In the evening I mashed the damsons - they are surprisingly yellow inside - covered them in 2 lbs 12 oz sugar and poured over 6½ pints of water. (It turns out that 6 pints would have done.)

Surprisingly yellow

On Saturday morning I added a teaspoon each of yeast, nutrient and pectolase and, in the evening when I read about what I had done in 2018, I added a teaspoon of citric acid. Over the next few days I gave my bucket of liquid a stir, and then put the wine into its demijohn on Wednesday night, 26th August, sieving out the solids. This process (including the sterilising time) took not quite the whole of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, which was playing on Radio 3 whilst I did this.

Fermenting in my bucket

The wine is lighter than I remember from two years ago, but still a splendid red.

A splendid colour

If you want to see how this wine turned out, click here.

Blackberry Wine 2017 - Seventeenth Bottle (B6), 6th May 2020

I had a delightful walk today: into Leeds City Centre, along to Kirkstall Abbey and home through Headingley. The sky was cloudless and I wore my Hat and sunglasses throughout. The centre of Leeds was strange, though. Empty of people, every shop shut. There was far more activity along the canal path (and less room to manoeuvre around others).

In the evening I shared this bottle with Claire and it was suitably blackberry in flavour.

Leeds City Centre - a Ghost Town

Strawberry Wine 2020 - The Making Of...

Kemps Farm - the Pick Your Own

Six weeks ago it was not clear whether I would be able to make strawberry wine this year. With all but essential shops closed and everyone self-isolating to conquer Covid 19, it seemed unlikely that a Pick Your Own farm in Horsforth would be open. However, there has been a relaxing of rules since June, and from 4th July pubs, restaurants and hairdressers were allowed to trade again. Compared to these, squatting in a field, picking strawberries, strikes me as a low risk activity. Safety measures have been put in place, however. Entrance was by ticket only (at a cost of £2, which I do think is a cheek - but I am supporting a local business) and I had to book my slot so that the Farm could stagger its customers.

I chose 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, 5th July, and was the first to arrive (at about ten to). The farmer looked at my baskets, said "You look like a serious picker" and directed me to what he said was the best field. I had it to myself for about the first half hour and this year the fruit was far better than last. It was more plentiful and riper, and I did not feel like I had to fight for each strawberry. 

Picking strawberries for nearly an hour, watching clouds scudding across the blue sky, was a pleasant way to spend Sunday morning - though crouching for that length of time is never comfortable. Of course I picked far more than the 4 lbs I needed for this recipe and 1 lb for a wine later in the year.

Back at home I washed the strawberries twice, hulling them in the process. I put 4 lbs in my bucket, mashed them and poured over 4 pints of boiling water. On Monday I sieved the fruit out, putting this into a separate bowl (the liquid stored temporarily in a demijohn) and covered the fruit in 2 pints of cold water. About an hour later I drained the fruit again - keeping this liquid for the wine - and I put the fruit pulp on the compost.

All liquid went into the bucket with 3 lbs sugar and a teaspoon each of yeast, nutrient, pectolase and tannin. On Friday 10th July it all went into the demijohn and is a pleasing light red.

Apple & Strawberry Wine 2016 - Final Bottle (4), 3rd-4th May 2020

Claire was at work the two nights that I drank this wine and that was partly why I chose it. I had remembered it being thin and uninteresting: my memory had not let me down. My days were excellent, though. On Sunday I walked most of the Meanwood Valley Trail and watched Jesus Christ Superstar. On Monday I walked a circle that took in Kirkstall Abbey. This 'being on holiday' lark is quite good.

Kirkstall Abbey

Magnolia Petal Wine 2020 - The Making Of...

After last year's Magnolia Petal Wine was a surprising success, I decided to repeat it this year. 

St John the Baptist's Petals

Since the Great Covid 19 Lockdown of 2020 began, I have been going on hour-long walks early every weekday morning, and many of these have taken me past Angie and Phil's house. I noticed that their magnolia tree was not as prolific with its petals as last year, so on these long walks I have been trying to spot magnolia trees elsewhere. One of these was outside St Edmund's in Roundhay, where I surreptitiously gathered fallen petals (which remain in our freezer). Another was at St John the Baptist's Church in Adel, which was the halfway point of my 7-mile walk on Good Friday. This magnolia tree was of the 'small, delicate' petal variety which meant an age gathering enough to make it worthwhile. But I can think of worse ways to spend a sunny Bank Holiday.

Magnolia Petals outside Phil & Angie's

That evening, Angie came past our house on her run and stopped to tell me (at a safe distance!) that her tree was now discarding its petals and I was welcome to collect these at any point. This I did on Saturday morning, 11th April. I meant to make the wine that afternoon and evening, but instead Claire and I cut each other's hair (I am now completely bald!) and then she seduced me into drinking a bottle of champagne rather than make wine. Therefore, I have made wine this Easter morning whilst listening to Classic FM's Hall of Fame.

I measured 6 pints of petals and put these in my pan with the thinly peeled peel of two lemons and one orange. I poured in 7 pints of water and put this onto boil. When the water was getting close, I added 2lb 8 oz of sugar and once it reached the boil I let it do so for 20 minutes.

Petals that I used

I squeezed the orange and lemons and put the juice into my bucket along with 500g of minced sultanas (yes, I am mixing Imperial and Metric, for which I make no apologies). I then poured the contents of my pan (petals now brown and sludgy) over this and stirred it all around.

The mixture in its bucket

Later that night I put in the yeast and a teaspoon each of tannin, pectolase and nutrient. On Friday night, 17th April, whilst Claire was out processing Covid 19 samples, I put the wine into its demijohn. It is a murky beige.

 

An arty shot of the demijohn.

Having racked this on 7th June, I cannot tell whether it is going to be good or not. It has yet to clear properly. I fit 2 oz sugar and three-quarters a pint of water into the demijohn.

If you want to see how this wine turned out (and for a comedy photo!), click here.

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

Gooseberry Wine 2019 - First Bottle (2), 2nd May 2020

I am really happy with this Gooseberry Wine, and as it looks like it is going to be another bumper year for gooseberries, I will make it again in a couple of months. It tastes absolutely of gooseberries and is sharp, dry and refreshing. It will be an ideal summer drink to have with mackerel. On Saturday we drank it with stuffed tomatoes and asparagus in filo pastry. The day had been spent on a sunny 12 mile walk from Roundhay Park to Thorner and back as part of my Lockdown Walking Holiday. I was exhausted by the end of it and my current average step-count for May is phenomenal. 

My lunch spot on 2 May

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

Rhubarb Wine 2019 - First Bottle (B2), 1st May 2020

Today we were meant to start our annual walking holiday, this year in Ludlow. The cottage was booked in January and the usual crowd were all coming. Instead, I will still have a week's walking holiday, but all that walking will be done in North Leeds. The 10 of us who should have been on holiday, though, met up for Zoom Cocktails, and that was lovely. Not as good as all being in the same room but still a virtual party. Because Nick was there I opened this rhubarb wine, which has retained its pink colour but has yet to absolutely clear. Other than lack of clarity, it was an entirely acceptable rhubarb wine.

On my walk on 1 May, round Eccup Reservoir

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

Orange Wine 2019 - First Bottle (2), 29th March 2020

I have made a rather decent vintage of Orange Wine. It may be a tad sweeter than usual and it has plenty of orange flavour without any bitterness. I must have done a better job this time of avoiding the pith.

We drank the wine to tuna fishcakes and ratatouille and then I fell asleep on the sofa whilst trying to concentrate on Morse. Earlier in the day my timetable read like an exercise in self-improvement: I wrote a proper letter (pen & paper) to Bridget and family, started Mansfield Park (the only Austen I have yet to read) and went on our one Government-sanctioned walk to Meanwood Park and back. This isolation and social-distancing lark isn't entirely awful. Yet.

Dead Nettle in our Garden (30th March)

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

Prune & Parsnip Wine 2019 - Third Bottle (B5), 30th April 2020

I am on holiday! Until 11th May! I shall, of course, be spending it at home.

We were meant to be having our annual 'hire a cottage somewhere in Britain and go walking' holiday - this year in Shropshire, but Covid 19 has rather scuppered that plan. Instead I shall have a walking holiday in North Leeds.

I spent some of this bottle choosing which walks to do - and by adding in the walking from our house to the start of the guided walk, some of these will be Very Long Indeed. Possibly a bottle of Prune & Parsnip (lovely - lighter than usual) gave me Dutch Courage in making my selection.

Some houses in Leeds: a photo taken on 30 April

Prune & Parsnip Wine 2020 - The Making Of...

This year I have decided to do a single batch of Prune & Parsnip, and consequently will do a double batch of Orange Wine next month. Whilst I am certain that I am not drinking less, it feels like I am drinking more proper wine, which means that the home-made stuff is accumulating rather.

The Fruit & Veg stall where I bought parsnips

I bought my parsnips on 8th February from Kirkgate Market. I was in town anyway because I had a WYSO meeting with Jude & Katie (which ended with me sitting in Leeds Town Hall listening to the BBC Phil rehearse the Romeo & Juliet Overture) followed by the last night of playing in the pit for Don Giovanni. So I went to one of the Fruit & Veg stalls and bought the 2 lbs of parsnips required for this wine. My server looked about 14 - and very probably he was. I think 14 year-olds are allowed to have Saturday jobs.

Prunes & Parsnips

Whilst I meant to make the wine on Sunday I delayed it until Monday 10th February, which I had taken off from work to recover from a week of Mozart. I cut the parsnips into small pieces and boiled them in 8 pints of water for 20 minutes (bringing the parsnips in cold water up to the boil rather than putting them directly into the boiling water).

Weighing the ingredients

I sliced up 8 oz prunes into three or four pieces per prune and put these into my bucket along with 2 lbs 12 oz sugar. Once the parsnips had finished boiling I poured the water into the bucket, leaving the parsnips to one side. Claire used a small selection of these to make a curried mashed parsnip dish, which was rather good.

Chopping the parsnips

In the evening, after an Airedale Symphony Orchestra rehearsal, I put in a teaspoon each of yeast, nutrient and pectolase and then pretty much ignored the wine until Saturday morning, 15th February. That was when I put the wine into its demijohn. As the only thing to sieve out was the prunes, I did not bother with a colander. It was not a long process. The amount of water used was just about perfect and I now have a demijohn full of the brownest of wines.

The brownest of wines

By racking on 12th April  2020, this had cleared beautifully and needed little additional sugar. I dissolved 1 oz in half a pint of water and poured this in.

If you want to see how this wine turned out, click here.

Apple & Strawberry Wine - Second Bottle (2), 26th January 2020

Carla is leaving Leeds for Oxford, having got a better, more prestigious job in Linguistic Facilities there.* It is hoped that she will receive more support and appreciation in Oxford than she currently gets in Leeds.

Of her many celebrations, Richard, Linda, Claire and I went round on Sunday night for a meal and I took this bottle of Apple & Strawberry with me. Rather cheekily, I asked Richard to give us a lift so that I could drink. The wine was okay, though a little thin - I should have taken something better. The meal was excellent: non-spicy vegetarian curries; and it was a lovely way to say 'Goodbye'.

I took no photos on 26 January, but here is

a dull one of some washing up drying taken

on 25 January instead. You're welcome.

*Names and details have been changed! I don't know if Leeds has a Linguistic Facilities Department, or whether that is even a thing. If it does, I am sure it is an excellent place which treats its staff wonderfully.

Blackcurrant Wine 2018 - Sixth Bottle (B1), 8th March 2019

What a literary weekend we have had: a Poetry Walk in Roundhay Park on Saturday and today an 'Adventure Walk' around Leeds where at points actors would perform monologues to us up close. I found it exciting, surprising, exhilarating. It was all part of Leeds Literature Festival. Afterwards we came home and drank a bottle of Blackcurrant Wine - smooth and delicious but not any of exciting, surprising or exhilarating - to a nut roast and onion gravy.

The Leeds Lending Library