Blackcurrant Wine 2019 - Tenth Bottle (A4), 12th June 2021

A Saturday bottle of wine. The day had been lovely. I spent most of the morning making an asparagus and emmental quiche - which was a Triumph (he said, modestly). Then Richard & Linda came round for lunch, during which the Triumph was eaten with relish. We stayed outside enjoying a British summer's day and it was great to be entertaining again. Late afternoon I played Mom at Scrabble (always a weekly highlight) and in the evening we drank blackcurrant wine (another Triumph) whilst being disappointed with Gross Pointe Blank - far duller than I remember it being in 1997.

The Triumph

Xmas Tutti Fruti 2018 - Tenth Bottle (B1), 26th-27th November 2020

It has been an odd Thanksgiving this year. Rather than a houseful of friends & family, we celebrated alone. Actually, we had two Zoom sessions - one with the Taylors to mark the opening of Whisky Mac season, and one with Richard & Linda for Thanksgiving Proper. The other odd thing was no turkey. Claire roasted a guinea fowl instead, which is not strictly North American, but is rather better than the traditional bird. Also more suited to two. We washed it all down with a bottle of Tutti Fruti, which was as good as ever, but did not finish it. Friday was a working day and, as mentioned above, it was the start of Whisky Mac season.

Our Thanksgiving meal (plus wine)

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.

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.

Strawberry Wine 2018 - Second Bottle (1), 28th November 2019

On the basis that strawberry wine is Richard's favourite, I opened this bottle for Thanksgiving. As with the previous bottle, this one had a distinct fizz. Unlike the previous bottle, I removed its cork. It was with some trepidation that I asked Richard whether it was acceptable. Happily it was more than: it was actively nice. Rather drier than previous bottles of strawberry wine and perhaps a little less strawberry flavoured. The fizz is entirely beneficial, apart from giving the wine a tendency to explode.

Our Thanksgiving Table - before the food!

Ginger Wine - Second Bottle (3), 24th March 2019

I had expected to drink vast quantities of this bottle as an anaesthetic after Music Club Orchestra on Saturday night. However, my need for numbness was rather less than expected and it was late, so I went to bed instead. Ginger wine was therefore the flavour of choice at a fabulous meal round at Richard and Linda's. Only Richard and I were drink and I had more than was seemly (or so my head told me on Monday morning). It is a good wine, though. The lemon is a hint of a flavour, tempering the ginger.

Richard was chief cook and we had all sorts of delicious things: sardine and mushroom pate, cheesy risotto, Mary Berry's coleslaw (generally I can take or leave coleslaw, but this was great) and apple tart.

Rhubarb Wine - Thirteenth Bottle (B6), 10th March 2018

Richard & Linda came round for a meal, and what a meal it was. We started with a carrot & orange soup accompanied by walnut sourdough bread. Our main course was a smoked mackerel quiche with potato slices roasted in lemon juice and rosemary. We broke for a cheese course and then finished up with rhubarb fool and ginger shortbread. Claire made it all (other than the cheese) and my contribution was shopping and tidying. I feel I got the better deal.

I opened a bottle of rhubarb wine on the basis that Richard prefers dry whites. He was really impressed with this one - thought it was one of the best of mine he had drunk. A grand evening.

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.

Blackcurrant Wine - Fourteenth Bottle (B1), 20th May 2017

On the whole, Richard likes his wines white. I was too disorganised on Saturday to put anything in the fridge, so I took along a blackcurrant wine instead. We were eating at Richard & Linda's and were fed royally. It is not a proper evening there unless I come away clutching my sides, groaning "I ate too much". Saturday was a proper evening. Our starter was mackerel with a gooseberry, apple and cucumber salsa. For the main course we had a goats' cheese, red onion & asparagus pasta dish with home-made soda bread flavoured with carrot and parmesan. Finally, Richard served a honey, blueberry & lemon cake which he claimed was underbaked, but I had a second slice anyway. The wine, whilst nice, could hardly compare.

Crab Apple Wine - Tenth Bottle (A4), 28th January 2017

I must get into a better habit of writing up my bottles. It is now Tuesday evening and we had this bottle on Saturday. Consequently I remember little of its taste - though it being Crab Apple, I imagine it was very much like other bottles of this vintage.

The evening was excellent. Richard & Linda came over for a meal and we had a lovely time chatting about this and that - mostly families, cats and The Archers. They are our oldest friends from Leeds, having lived in the flat below when we moved here in 1997 (gosh - 20 years ago!) and an evening spent in their company is easy, comfortable and fun. Like a pair of comedy slippers.

Strawberry Wine - Second Bottle (6), 24th November 2016

Thanksgiving was at Richard & Linda's this year, so I took a bottle of Strawberry and Claire took the pumpkin pie (which was fresh from the oven - she had to wear oven gloves in the car). Richard thought the wine was drier than previous years and had more body to it , and I think both observations were correct. It is a lovely wine, and it is a shame I could only have a small glass.

The evening was excellent with two genuine Americans there (Linda and Cindy) and more food that would fit on the table. Everyone was sent home with a box of left-overs.

Rose Petal Wine - Third Bottle (C6), 13th August 2016

We were treated to an evening of experimental food at Richard and Linda's on Saturday night. The crab-cakes were so delicious; sweet, tender meat fried to perfection; that we ordered Richard back into the kitchen to cook some more. This was followed by aubergine, tomato and feta grilled in slices with a potato salad. Our pudding was a summer-berry cake with hazlenut icecream (home-made). I brought a bottle of rose petal wine to the table, forgetting that this has not been Richard's favourite flavour in the past. This vintage is superior, though, and Richard claimed to enjoy it.

Strawberry Wine - Fourth Bottle (5), 6th March 2016

When visiting Richard & Linda, it is only polite to take a bottle of strawberry wine. We had meant to go sometime in February but failed to co-ordinate diaries, and all Saturdays in March were discounted too. Hence we found ourselves eating a goats' cheese & rosemary bread & butter pudding on Sunday night. Sounds weird, tastes fabulous. I was told that whenever we come for a meal, Richard will always work goats' cheese into it because Claire is such a fan. This is why I generally take a bottle of strawberry to Richard - it is his favourite, and with good reason.

The evening was lovely, and Linda looks happy again.

Incidentally, I am not sure where to put the apostrophe in the phrase "goats cheese" [sic].

Pineapple Wine - Final Bottle (4), 26th-28th February 2016

Pineapple wine is definitely on the 'dessert' spectrum. It has a sweet, full taste that would not go well with a delicate fish. On Saturday we had delicate fish. Turbot fillets (at great expense) in a lemon sauce with courgettes fried in dill. Happily, I had chilled a bottle of Chardonay in anticipation.

The pineapple was opened on Friday evening after Linda's art show. She had made a crocodile (full size) from felt, which was both cuddly and sinister - an unusual combination, and one that was not dissimilar to this wine.

We finished the bottle tonight - Sunday - as an aperitif to the main attraction (elderberry). It has been a lovely weekend. I have cooked Spanish food, experimented with a piccoloon, been to an unlikely pond-selling smallholding in Garforth, shovelled horse poo (actually Claire did the shovelling) and ventured into the garden properly for the first time this year. As I say, lovely.

The Piccoloon

Dandelion Wine - Second Bottle (6), 26th November 2015

What could possibly say 'Thanksgiving' more than a bottle of homemade Dandelion Wine? This was our first bottle of the evening after a round of whisky macs, and everyone thought it a 'Hit'. It is very reminiscent of sherry, though sherry with a touch of vegetable, and I was told that even Claire's grandmother might have approved. It being Thanksgiving we had a couple of Americans over - Linda and Rory, plus Richard (of course), Andrew and Sooz. It was a lovely evening with too much food and lots of good conversation. And Linda's pumpkin pie was the best I think she has ever done.

Crab Apple & Strawberry Wine - Fifth Bottle (5), 29th August 2015

I took this bottle over to Richard & Linda's. They are going to America shortly and Linda thinks she is going to say goodbye to her father. It will be an emotional time for them. But she is in good spirits now and we had a lovely evening. Richard was chief cook and the food was fabulous. We started with baked camembert eaten fondue style. The main meal was a prawn risotto, a green salad, and olive and goats cheese hush puppies (no, I'm not sure what they are). A raspberry baked cheesecake left me feeling like I had eaten too much. The wine was good but neither distinctively strawberry or crab apple. It seems to have got drier in its maturity.

Rhubarb Wine - Tenth Bottle (A3), 20th June 2015

What a feast we ate on Saturday. Ros, Richard & Linda came over for no reason, other than it was nice to spend an evening with them, and Claire cooked an expanse of Balkan food. We had a savoury yoghurt cake, potato casserole, stuffed carp (actually 'river cobbler'), mushrooms sauteed with onions and vinegar, asparagus, prune balls and Dobos Torte - a many-layered cake topped with brittle caramel. All of it was fabulous and the evening was just a delight. This bottle of rhubarb was the first of three opened and enjoyed by all (except for Linda, who cannot drink alcohol). It is a delicate white with a subtle rhubarb taste.

The yoghurt cake

Dobos Torte - in tact

Dobos Torte - half eaten.

Strawberry Wine - Fourth Bottle (3), 31st January 2015

Strawberry wine is Richard's favourite. Therefore this was the obvious choice to take for an evening at Richard & Linda's. I had my one glass with the starter: slices of tomato, basil and home-made mozarella with olive oil and pesto. Our main course was baked salmon with a parmesan crust, a green salad and a dish of mushrooms and noodles with a mashed green chilli garnish. All of it was delightful. Just in case we had not eaten enough, Richard presented an orange and honey sponge, some home-made vanilla and pecan icecream and a toffee sauce. It was an excellent evening.

Crab Apple & Strawberry Wine - First Bottle (1), 27th November 2014

Thanksgiving is one of the many reasons that I am pleased to be half American. Any festival that is based around food ticks my boxes. This year it was Richard and Linda's turn to host and Claire's to make the pumpkin pie. My contribution was a bottle of 'Crabapple & Strawberry' - this being the closest to what I imagine cranberry wine would resemble.

There were seven of us round the dinner table: Andrew is visiting from Newcastle, and we were joined by Pippa and Jackie. It was a lovely evening, though I had to battle my falling eyelids. The wine was good - bone dry yet fruity and clear. It deserves its position as a Regular.

How the wine looks in its bottle

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

Rose Petal Wine - Sixth Bottle (B5), 15th November 2014

I am genuinely surprised that Rose Petal came second to last place at my Wine Party. And that is by adjusting Lindsay's score of minus five to zero. I personally think this is one of my best, and it was Catherine's favourite. She has excellent taste. Overall its score was 2.39 out of 5. Richard and Rick both commented on its bitterness. Matthew wrote "I feel like I'm drinking something my mum would wear."

By the end of the evening I poured all wine that was left into one bottle, and this was less than half full. I think that suggests a successful party.