Xmas Tutti Fruti 2019 - Ninth Bottle (A4), 19th June 2021

Having opened a sub-standard bottle of Apple & Strawberry, I opted instead for a Christmas Tutti Fruti. It was a Saturday night after all, and therefore an evening to have something nice. Also we needed plenty of alcohol to dissolve the heat from our meal - 'Devil's Curry', which was as blistering as it sounds. On finishing this bottle we reached again for the Apple & Strawberry which was, perhaps, a mistake. The rest of the night is a barely remembered blur.

My bassoon and reeds - taken on 19 June

Apple & Strawberry 2018 - Fifth Bottle (4), 19th-20th June 2021

After opening this on Saturday we decided that we wanted something rather better, drank a bottle of Xmas Tutti Fruti, and then returned to this bottle for extra room-spinniness. It isn't a terrible bottle of wine, but there is a hint of the bitter. There was a glass each remaining for Sunday - a day which I mostly spent in the kitchen making Delia's ragu (superb!) and a Rhubarb & Custard cake (rather less so). On the whole a quiet and gentle weekend.

Rhubarb & Custard Cake in the making

Strawberry Wine - First Bottle (4), 26th August 2018

Abbey Brew, the shop that sells me all my wine making stuff, had a tasting afternoon at which we were encouraged to bring our own creations. On the basis that I wanted to impress, I took a bottle of strawberry. And impress it did - lots of people said quite how good it was, though curiously did not have a strong taste of strawberries.

I spend much of the afternoon getting horrendously drunk, tasting all sorts of wine (mostly kit red) and a few spirits, with some beer and cider for good measure. I must not get that drunk again. But I also met some good people, including Glenda and Foz (Ian) who I have invited to November's wine party. I wonder if they will come.

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

Rhubarb Wine - Second Bottle (B5), 15th June 2018

A Friday night on Bentcliffe Drive, and this was the fifth bottle opened and finished between the six of us. I think I had more than my fair share of those bottles too, so I have not opened one for Saturday. It was an evening with our neighbours and the theme was 'Indian'. By the time we had finished our marmalade kulfi and gulabjam, it was clear that a Rhubarb wine was required. Liz says that it is different to hers, and we are now planning an evening dedicated to alcoholic rhubarb. I still have bottles left from 2015 and 2016, and we have rhubarb gin in the cupboard. This plan has potential.

Ginger Wine - Final Bottle (4), 30th December 2017

What a marvellous bottle of wine - though my judgment may have been clouded by the large Margherita that I had immediately before it. The ginger wine was dry, gingery (though not too much) and delicious.

We are in Cambridge staying at Duncan and Rachel's for New Year, and that always involves excessive alcohol and good food. Between us we got through a large slab of baked salmon, a jug of hollandaise sauce with grapefruit shavings and two further bottles of wine. Feasting is my favourite part of this time of year.

Blackberry Wine - Fifth Bottle (C3), 26th-27th December 2017

This vintage of blackberry is growing on me and maybe that is down to it aging beyond 'Very Young'. It is gaining in complexity. I wasn't, however, in the best position to judge when it was opened. In terms of Christmas Excess, this bottle fit right in at the end of Boxing Day after I was already three sheets to the wind. The 27th was even more alcohol fueled, if anything, but I started with this.

Strawberry Wine - Second Bottle (4), 21st October 2017

This wine came third at my Wine Party, with an average score of 3.92 (out of 5) and more people trying this flavour than either of the winners. It was my personal favourite of the evening. Matthew noted that it was 'squashey' and I have no idea what that means.

The Wine Party was excellent. There were 17 people there and it went on until past midnight. If you include the two bottles of Prosecco at the end but discount the Chardonnay at the beginning (which was only a third full) we got through 14 bottles.

Crab Apple Wine - Nineteenth Bottle (D3), 16th July 2017

Drinking the entire bottle tonight may have been a mistake. I have work tomorrow and we started this evening with two glasses of real wine at David and Liz's. Because real wine is a rarity, I now find it surprising when the last glass of wine from a bottle is as clear as the first. The suspicion that drinking the whole bottle was an error was exacerbated by our lateness of eating. Our meal was not ready until 9:15. Whilst alcohol has plenty of calories, a bottle of wine on an empty stomach does not make one full, only pissed*. Still, it was a good wine - full of crisp apple flavour - and is not as if I am flat-out at work.

*This has a different meaning in the UK (drunk) to the USA (angry), and I know quite a lot of my readers are from the USA. I don't get angry when drunk - I'm a genial inebriate.

Blackberry Wine - Final Bottle (B), 9th-10th April 2016

On Saturday I went for a boozy lunch with Rodney. There is no other kind when Rodney is your dining partner. We went to Flying Pizza and I was only slightly concerned when he invited the maitre-de to choose our wine for us. Therefore, in the evening I was not in any need of alcohol, so handed the (500 ml) bottle to Claire. She complained that it was thin, and left a glass for me to have on Sunday. I agree with her assessment. Demijohn B from this triple batch of blackberry has been disappointing. It is odd how one flavour from the same vintage has so much variation.

Blackcurrant Wine - Ninth Bottle (C4), 19th December 2015

Our carpet has a red wine stain where Chris kicked over his bottle. I was most concerned about the loss of a glass of wine. The carpet is threadbare and stained anyway, and this is another reason to replace it. We shouldn't have opened this bottle, though - it was our third (between three) and seemed like a good idea at the time. Blackcurrant is delicious - Chris said so, so it must be true. Having so much to drink made for a poor night's sleep and a relatively sober Sunday.

Christmas Tutti Fruti Wine - Eleventh Bottle (B6), 5th December 2015

Third bottles are often regrettable when there are four of you drinking, and this was no exception. Delicious - a really good red and I think it is the rose petals that do it - but regrettable. Too much of a good thing is still too much. It was a lovely night, though. Rachel & Duncan came over and we shared a roast chicken. The evening remains a bit of a blur, however. I can't understand why.

Elderberry Wine - First Bottle (B4), 19th July 2015

Well, this was a disaster. Not the wine per se but the fact that I opened the bottle at all. It was not due to be opened for at least another two months. I have only just bottled it. But it was at that 'Tired and Emotional' end of the evening where I was fixated on finding an Elderberry for the assembled guests (we were having lamb, and Elderberry wine is virtually a legal requirement in those circumstances) and all thoughts of 'vintage' disappeared.

The wine itself was fine - but young with its usual metallic taste. I must be more careful with my selection in the future.

Christmas Tutti Fruti - Seventh Bottle (B2), 18th July 2015

This was the bottle that turned a tipsy evening into a drunken one and caused me to sleep badly. However, it felt like the right thing to do at the time, and led to my mother reminiscing about growing up in 1950s Nebraska. How about this for an opening line to the Great American Novel: "The only child I remember dying was the one that my cousin shot"? I'm already hooked.

We had meringues and soft fruit from the new garden to soak up the alcohol, but it did an inefficient job. I can't even remember how this bottle tasted. Rather good, probably.

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.

Crab Apple & Strawberry Wine - Second Bottle (4), 7th February 2015

I have just counted up. We got through seven bottles last night. Between six of us. No wonder my head is pounding. This Crab Apple & Strawberry was one of the early ones and the only one of mine. The occasion was a Feast for Julia - or at least for six of those who miss her. As well as us two, there was Ros, Emma, Christian and Katie.

We drank this bottle to the starters, which were puris filled with spicy potatoes and tamarind sauce, and a savoury cake made with yoghurt and gram flour, topped with chillies, coriander and mustard seeds. This was a tantalising hint for the food to come.

The crab apple & strawberry was a good bottle - dry and interesting, and I was gratified to see the guests having a second glass.

Peach & Banana Wine - Second Bottle (1), 25th October 2014

I took this bottle to Newcastle for a Rydal committee meeting at Nick Pears' house. This was mostly because Claire finds Peach & Banana disgusting, and the Rydal meeting presented an opportunity to have a bottle without her. She was there at the opening, though, and when Nick asked me to give him a 'slug' she said he might find that preferable. In fact, the drinkers - Jayne, Sabine, Matt Byrne and Nick - all thought the wine entirely drinkable. Not necessarily delicious (and curiously tasting not at all of peach and only a little of banana) but acceptable.

It proved to be a good and drunken night - we averaged on more than a bottle of wine each.

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.

Blackberry Wine - Twelfth Bottle (B5), 22nd-23rd March 2014

I drank far more of this bottle than was sensible on Saturday night. Richard & Linda were here, and it was a wonderful evening, so I just kept filling my glass. The wine was delicious and slipped down easily, but let to a poor night's sleep and that horrible feeling of dizziness on waking. Ordinarily this would not matter on a Sunday, but today I was playing bassoon quartets with Amy, Simon & Chris in Kirk Deighton Village Hall at nine, so it was an early start. In fact, two hours of bassoon playing was an effective remedy and I had a splendid time. Four bassoons make a terrific noise.

(We didn't have a drum kit but this is one of the pieces we played)

Obviously, this is not us.

Crab Apple Wine - Twelfth Bottle (A1), 23rd February 2014

I took this bottle over to Julia's for a feast, wondering whether I should have taken something a little less 'bog standard'. Julia's niece, Emma, is staying and as she is a violinist who has been convinced to come to Rydal, we played chamber music. There is very little that needs three strings and a bassoon so I ended up playing the flute for the first time in an age. I can just about still do it and semiquavers are easier on an instrument that diminutive.

Ros and Alex joined us for the food - a rabbit and chicken casserole - and we had plenty to drink. More than sensible for a Sunday night. The crab apple, in fact, was delicious, though it was the second or third bottle of the evening, which helped. Claire and I staggered home, getting to bed at too much past eleven.

Blackberry Wine - Eighth Bottle (D1), 24th December 2013

It has been a splendid Christmas Eve. The first part of the day was spent making sure a house sale went through at work. It was touch and go but was ultimately a success. This alone is worthy of celebration.

From late afternoon we have been in York and it has been just lovely spending time with Mom, Pop and Chris. We have chatted about the important and trivial, sat round the dinner table together and have been a family. I have also foisted a bottle of blackberry on everyone and it has been enjoyed. Amongst other drinks. Hic.

A Stonebridge Homes Estate