Blackcurrant Wine 2019 - Second Bottle (B6), 1st-2nd August 2020

This bottle has come at the end of a week's holiday. That week should have been one of hedonism at Rydal Hall, but for obvious reasons that was cancelled. It has been a good week, despite that - but by Saturday (when this bottle was opened) I was all walked-out. 

Mom & Pop came over for lunch and I spent much of the rest of the day harvesting redcurrants and watching Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists (and blackcurrant wine went well with this). We finished the bottle tonight, which has been another lazy day - but now I'm facing Work tomorrow. Eeek.

Redcurrants - harvested

Recurrant Wine - Final Bottle (A1), 15th-16th November 2016

When opening a bottle on a Tuesday night, one requires a 'Punishment Wine': that is, a wine which is likely to be slightly unpleasant so one can reflect on one's lack of temperance while drinking it. This final bottle of Redcurrant fitted the bill splendidly. It had the taste of a fruit wine that had aged too long. So, the base flavour was beyond subtle which meant that only a thin dryness remained. It was drinkable, but not with any delight. Still, that is this batch of disappointing redcurrant finished and (despite having a plant in the garden) I suspect it will be many years before I make another.

Redcurrant Wine - Eleventh Bottle (A5), 15th-17th June 2016

Redcurrant wine should be excellent and I think my first ever batch was. Instead, it is merely alright - thinner and less fruity than blackcurrant. Pretty colour, though.

I opened it on Wednesday and finished it on Friday. None for me on Thursday: I had spent the day being entertained by Walker Morris at a riverside bar. The excuse was watching  England play Wales in Euro 2016. I was there for the beer.

Redcurrant Wine - Tenth Bottle (B6), 10th-12th February 2016

I opened this bottle on Wednesday evening after WYSO and sat down to watch the Celebrity Great British Bake Off. Except it wasn't on. There was some football match instead. Rubbish! And Disappointing. But the bottle was open, so Claire and I had a glass each and went to bed.

I was out on Thursday playing unsatisfactory trios with Pat & Peter, leaving the wine with Claire. I finished what was left tonight. For some reason I began the evening feeling remarkably cross. One glass of redcurrant wine later (which is okay with little to be said about it) and my mood had improved.

Redcurrant Wine - Ninth Bottle (B5), 21st-22nd October 2015

No mice were harmed in the making of this wine. Despite previous bottles, this wine was entirely unmusty and free from its dead mouse flavour. Glorious colour too! I opened it after WYSO, where I was much happier with my playing (despite starting the first movement of Tchaik 4 on an A natural!). It is amazing what difference practice makes.

Thursday's glass and a bit was drunk while Claire and I were cooking together - baked trout, white sauce and an unfeasable amount of vegetables - and trying not to get in each other's way. It was a good evening.

A mouse in its coffin

Redcurrant Wine - Eighth Bottle (A4), 24th-29th June 2015

Not that I am a control freak or anything, but Claire put the wrong bottle of wine in the fridge. We had redcurrant the previous week. How could she not remember? This one was worse than the last, more musty, but that may have had something to do with my mood. On Thursday night I was Very Cross Indeed. I thought our solicitor had scuppered us buying the new house entirely. In fact, he hadn't, and things are okay again. We may even exchange tomorrow.*

*We didn't

Redcurrant Wine - Seventh Bottle (B2), 17th-18th June 2015

This was a typical post-WYSO bottle, put into the fridge on Wednesday after work in the anticipation that it would be ordinary at best. Actually, it was on the good side of ordinary and an absolutely splendid colour. I might make redcurrant wine again one day, depending on finding a source.

WYSO was disappointing for a second week in a row. We don't have enough upper strings and I am starting to feel worried about the concert.

Redcurrant Wine - Sixth Bottle (A3), 18th-19th April 2015

I see that I complained of mustiness for the previous bottle of redcurrant. This one was fine, with no hint of moth or dead mouse. It has a sharp sweetness that I like. I opened it after a particularly good Music Club in which Glenys sang in Danish and Pat & Peter's clarinet quartet played brilliantly. But having slept badly on Friday night, Claire and I only had half the bottle between us.

We finished it tonight after a busy day in which I made bread, went to the tip, washed up twice, started my mango wine, brooded about the carpet man, shopped at Sainsburys, cooked two meals for the week ahead, moved furniture, did some bassoon practice and kept Claire supplied with hot drinks.

Redcurrant Wine - Fifth Bottle (A2), 25th-27th March 2015

After a couple of bottles of Redcurrant that were entirely drinkable, this bottle reverted to mustiness. It was not dreadful, but I would have sent it back had it been served in a restaurant. I poured a large glass for each of us following WYSO, which was entirely taken up with Mendelssohn. Claire had a good portion last night whilst I was playing trios with Pat & Peter. Then I pretty much finished the bottle tonight, leaving the chewy bits at the bottom, while listening to the News Quiz. All in all, an entirely unremarkable bottle of wine.

(NB - I have written some dull posts in my time, but I think that is the dullest. Many apologies.)

Julia's Wine - Redcurrant 1995, 14th March 2015

This was a thin, sherry-like wine, and more than that I cannot remember. Oh, there were large lumps in the bottle, which meant the wine was not finished. The reason that I struggle to remember is that we were having a Feast at Christian and Kate's, and between us had drunk far too much wine already. Certainly the six of us had polished off three bottles of Prosecco before the starter. It was a wonderful evening with fabulous food and great company. However, it all remains a bit of a blur.

Redcurrant Wine - Fourth Bottle (B4), 11th January 2015

Claire is recovering from a heavy cold and is struggling to taste things properly. This provided the ideal opportunity to have a bottle of Nasty Redcurrant. In fact the nastiness has disappeared and I declare this wine Quite Good. If you concentrate, there is still a hint of mustiness on the first sip, but otherwise it has a sharp, clear taste and the flavour is redeemed.

I have spent the day doing very little - writing an article for Wine Making Talk (which you can read if you click here) and reading The Witch of Exmoor by Margaret Drabble. A lazy Sunday can be a wonderful thing.

Redcurrant Wine - Third Bottle (B3), 5th-6th December 2014

Well, this was a surprise. I opened a bottle of redcurrant on Friday night because there was nothing to celebrate and I have to get rid of the remaining ten bottles somehow. Turns out that this was unexpectedly not nasty. The rank mustiness has gone (pretty much) and this is entirely drinkable. It was not a happy bottle, however. I was sat on the sofa, miserable and cold, and Claire asked me if I was alright. For no reason I started to cry. I wasn't alright at all, but I don't know why. Nothing is wrong in my life. Just a little low, I suppose.

Julia's Wine - Redcurrant 1994 - 15th November 2014

There were only two wines served at my wine party that achieved a higher score than 4 (out of 5). I did not make either of them. Julia's Redcurrant came second with 4.108, and I imagine she would have been delighted. Her wine did not taste much of its base fruit and, as I imagine happens with all aged country wines, appears to have turned into sherry. It was lovely, though, and the guests agreed. Those that got a taste. Ros, Alex and Vicky confessed that they were responsible for this being the first empty bottle of the evening.

Julia's Wine - Redcurrant 1996, 1st August 2014

It is the last night of Rydal and therefore an entirely suitable occasion for one of Julia's wines. I think she would be pleased to have made a contribution to the frivolities - some of which involved me spitting hotdogs into a bucket. I made sure that several people had a glass and we toasted Julia, for she is much missed.

The wine was definitely drinkable. It was too sweet for my liking and there was no taste of redcurrant. Leo enjoyed it, though, and compared it to a sherry.

The view from our bedroom window at Rydal Hall

Redcurrant Wine - Second Bottle (B1), 25th-28th June 2014

Cornelia Gruntfuttock - Claire's Facebook alter-ego - updated her status on Wednesday evening to read:

"I have just opened a bottle of redcurrant wine. It looks beautiful and jewel-like, crystal clear and dark reddish pink. It tastes of rancid old trainers and I am going to pour it down the sink and have whisky instead."

She got 16 'Likes'.

Redcurrant Wine - First Bottle (A6), 13th-15th June 2014

This wine is a delightful colour. It is a deep pink with a near metallic shine and it is entirely clear.

When I start a new flavour by praising its appearance, this is often a prelude to disparaging its taste. Redcurrant 2013 is just on the right side of drinkable, and that is disappointing. The initial taste is fine - sharp and sweetish - without being interesting. There is a delayed aftertaste of mustiness - though the delay is several seconds. Therefore, if you drink it quickly enough, you can store up a concentrated flavour of dead moth until the very end. I think I prefer to take my mustiness in stages. Not a great success.

If you want to see how I made this wine (!) click here

Crab Apple Wine - Seventeenth Bottle (A5),11th May 2014

There is a lot to do when someone dies, and doing it helps with the grieving. While you are filling in Probate forms and discussing funeral arrangements, it is all to do with the person you are missing so, so much and therefore includes them in the process. Most importantly within these tasks, Claire and I netted Julia's redcurrants on her allotment. The person who takes over will benefit and I have hope that I might too. It felt like the right and proper thing to do. Claire donned a bee-keeper's uniform and told the bees on the allotment that Julia had died. This, apparently, is what one does.

I opened a bottle of crab apple on Sunday night and it was a good evening, if busy, with cooking, washing up and making Vanilla Wine.

And you may be relieved to hear that I should stop banging on quite so much about Julia over the next few posts. But it has been a traumatic experience which filled every thought.

Julia's redcurrants last year

 

Julia's Wines - an Introduction, 10th May 2014

I am going to dedicate some posts on this blog to Julia's wines.

Once when Julia cooked a Feast - possibly road-kill pheasant - she disappeared into her cellar and brought up a bottle of Dandelion Wine, made at least twenty years earlier. It was the finest home made wine I have ever had. She also brought up a bottle of redcurrant that was foul.

Julia died two days ago. Late this afternoon I ventured into her cellar and have retrieved thirteen bottles of wine. There are many more and, whilst not mentioned in her will, she has bequeathed them to me. I will record each one in this blog.

A Pyramid of Arts Creation, with Julia in the middle distance.

Redcurrant Wine 2013 - The Making Of ...

Several weeks ago I helped Julia net her redcurrants. She thought they looked promising but knew that without a net they would serve only as bird food. This was a wise thing to do. The redcurrants are abundant.

Ruby clusters

I made arrangements to meet Julia on the allotment this morning, Sunday 14th July. It being fabulous weather - we are getting a proper summer, the first we have had for years - I forsook my beloved Broadcasting House and turned up with Claire at 9:30. Despite the early hour it was already hot and we needed suncream.

The picking was easy. Redcurrants hung off the bush in ruby clusters. I stood in one place and filled a container and then a bag. There was no effort involved. If I thought I was coming to the end of a spot, I only needed to look at a slightly different angle, and a whole new redcurrant seam would be revealed.

I had only intended to make a single batch of wine, but we came away with enough for a double, enough for recurrant jelly and a few more besides. Claire weighed out six pounds while I was out picking strawberries. On my return I washed them and put them in the bucket, without stripping the fruit from their stalks. Crushing the redcurrants took very little time. I boiled twelve pints of water with five-and-a-half pounds of sugar dissolved in it (but in two stages) and poured this over the mix.

Six pounds of redcurrants (and some camomile)

On Monday morning I added the yeast and a teaspoon each of pectolase and nutrient. Ordinarily wine takes 24 hours or more to show signs of fermentation. Not in this weather. It is bubbling away happily 12 hours later.

I sieved out the fruit, putting the wine into its demijohns on Thursday 18th July. This was a quicker process than I had feared, and it needed to be. Tonight has been a busy evening - what with rescuing Claire from a house that would not lock and doing a spot of emergency tidying. The wine's colour is a fabulous magenta.

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

Redcurrant Wine - Final Bottle (6), 24th-25th May 2013

Much of Friday was spent looking round Stonebridge Homes' sites - those that we are in the process of buying, and those in the process of being developed. This should have been a fun day out - seeing the physical manifestation of what work is all about. Instead, it was bitterly cold and wet. My site plans turned into soggy tissue paper. It is late May. Surely by now we should have left winter behind. I decided during the heaviest rain and muddiest field that I would open something nice when I got home. The last bottle of redcurrant was a good choice. It is a fabulous colour and has a sharp, fruity taste. The flavour was on trial, after the 2010 batch, but the six bottles from 2011 have passed with flying colours and when I get a chance, I will repeat this wine.

There was still a glass left for tonight - and today the bad weather is a distant memory. It has been sunny and warm, and my right arm has gone pink - indeed, the colour of this wine.