Elderberry Wine 2019 - First Bottle (B3), 4th September 2021

I left this vintage two years before opening the first bottle. As a consequence I have avoided a disappointing thin and metallic elderberry wine. This bottle was a fine elderberry: rich and dark, with a hint of real wine.

Duncan and Rachel are here: our first overnight visitors since the Before Times, and our house is tidy! We had a lovely evening which started with negronis and ended with bush tea. Then tomorrow we go to Aysgarth to begin a 52 mile walk round the Herriot Way. Wish us luck!

Taken on 5th September - at Aysgarth Church

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

Elderberry Wine 2018 - Seventh Bottle (A5), 8th August 2021

Some of this elderberry wine ended up in an onion gravy. Ordinarily I would use Madeira but I was staying in a holiday cottage in Wales and whilst it was equipped with a hot tub, there was no Madeira to be had for love nor money. Elderberry wine, though, made an excellent substitute.

The cottage was in the Brecon Beacons where I spent six days with Rachael and Myles with Mom and Pop there for the first three. My drive over had been hellish - so the elderberry wine was more than welcome. The setting is lovely: mountains on one side and a wide vale on the other. It was the beginning of a terrific holiday.

Stuck on the M62 - part of the hellish journey

Elderberry Wine 2016 - Final Bottle (B4), 26th September 2021

This wine accompanied a roast dinner, where nut roast was the star. Then we had Golden Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake, which was truly fabulous. The wine was a little disappointing in comparison: okay without being special, despite its age. Many Taylors were here and it was a delightful weekend. Unlike the previous two times that we have seen Bob, there was no requirement for an ambulance!

The Cheesecake - an overview

Elderberry Wine 2017 - Thirteenth Bottle (C1), 24th July 2021

It is not many bottles of wine that result in five people dancing to a mix of Abba and Tchaikovsky in the garden after dark. This was one such bottle. Actually, it was one of many that evening, but it was a glorious night. This was the first weekend since the Covid restrictions had been lifted and we spent it in Cambridge with Rachel & Duncan (Howard was our fifth). 

Earlier in the day we had helped out at a Food Hub, which was itself an interesting and enjoyable thing to do, but it is the evening that will stay with me. One of those magical times where my own universe is full of joy. The wine wasn't bad either.

Rachel at the Food Hub

Elderberry Wine 2018 - Sixth Bottle (B2), 2nd May 2021

Our week's holiday is nearly over and to mark the occasion we drank a bottle of elderberry wine with Toad in the Hole and onion gravy. Earlier in the day we ate sausage sandwiches in Bedale after planting an apple tree. The day had clearly been sponsored by the Sausage Marketing Board. 

The wine was excellent - everything elderberry wine should be with no metallic taste. We then watched the final episode of Line of Duty which ended on a moment of reflection rather than the fireworks the Nation expected.

An apple tree planted in Bedale

Elderberry Wine 2017 - Twelfth Bottle (C5), 17th-18th March 2021

Oh, I was in a bad mood on Wednesday. All my plot sales seemed to go wrong at once. No-one wants to complete before Easter and there is little I can do about it. I don't know why I care so much, because there is no personal effect on me. Claire argues that it is good that I do - being in a job where one does not care would be soulless. She prescribed me this bottle of elderberry wine, and she is a doctor after all, so why would I refuse? Well, it was lumpier than ideal, but we are blessed with sieves.

Poetry pinned to a Park Notice Board on 17 March

Elderberry Wine 2018 - Fifth Bottle (A4), 24th January 2021

Claire still thinks that this elderberry is a little young. I'm not certain that I agree. There is a hint of fizz, which is never that positive an attribute in red wine. 

A panorama from my walk

Sunday was a fabulous day, despite an under-par bottle of elderberry. I had a frosty 8 mile walk (bumping into Zoe), made a Victoria Sponge (I have decided that I now make cakes), played Scrabble with my mother, ate sausages, finished the bread & butter pudding, watched The Crown and had an hour's call with Paul.

Bumping into Zoe

Elderberry 2017 - Eleventh Bottle (A4), 13th December 2020

Sunday was Christmas Card Day - a day that I always dread. The principle of Christmas Cards is one that I wholeheartedly support, and I do enjoy getting them. Therefore, why is writing them such a pain in the arse? Rather than write simply "To X, from Ben & Claire', I put a different snippet of news in each (difficult in 2020). So it takes an absolute age. Still, I managed to do them all, and we drank a rather lovely bottle of elderberry wine (lovely despite the bits) as a reward.

Lovely, despite the bits.

Elderberry Wine 2015 - Final Bottle (B3), 8th November 2020

Claire cooked duck on Sunday night and that required a special bottle of wine. I offered to go to the shops to buy something made of grapes, but decided to open this ancient bottle of elderberry instead. And it really was special: rich, smooth, delicious. The duck was superb as well - crispy skin, pink middle.

My day had been one of idleness - I didn't step outside once. My planned five mile walk did not materialise - it was foggy and dank all day. Much better to spend the time indoors with the woman I love.

Jam Jars taken on Sunday - all will be revealed as to why.

Elderberry Wine 2018 - Fourth Bottle (B5), 1st November 2020

What a fabulous bottle of wine! This elderberry is smooth as velvet and dark as midnight. We drank it to a venison sausage casserole towards the end of a proper Sunday. I listened to Broadcasting House in the bath, had a long yet local walk, played Scrabble with my mother (she won) and did a modicum of bassoon practice. Then in the evening we ate and drank well, ending the night in front of the fire watching Line of Duty. This is definitely how Sundays should be spent.

A tree with a heart, encountered on my walk

Elderberry Wine 2018 - Third Bottle (B4), 7th-8th October 2020

I think that this elderberry wine is now ready to drink. It will continue to benefit from aging, but it has lost that 'Too Young' feel to it. We drank it over the last two nights before our October holiday (which will be another one spent at home) and though I worked later than I would have on a normal working day both nights, it was not by much. There is a satisfaction in shutting down the computer, knowing that your in-box only has 5 ancient emails to deal with. It will be somewhat different on my return, but that is a problem for later.

Taken on 7th October

Elderberry Wine 2020 - The Making Of...

Sunday 6th September, despite being earlier than previous years, was really my only opportunity to forage for elderberries. Next weekend we are in Newcastle (before Leeds is put into quarantine) and the weekend after that would be too late. I had planned to go in the morning, but we were entertaining Jayne in the garden instead. Here I use 'entertaining' to mean 'making polite conversation and enjoying each other's company' rather than juggling fruit and eating fire.

Elderberries that made it into my bag

I drove to my usual parking spot and walked down Kennels Lane, noticing that there was little fruit in the hedgerows on either side. When I got to the field I always use, I discovered that it had been gated: the right of way has been diverted elsewhere. This, though, was not going to stop me! I climbed over the gate and picked the few elderberries there were along the previous right of way. My haul was clearly insufficient, so I wandered along the field side adjoining Kennels Lane, which was far more successful. Every now and again I head a tractor in a nearby field and I kept my eyes open for irate farmers, but my surreptitious plucking remained undetected.

A view across the field 

As usual I came away with two plastic bags three-quarters full, and this translated into 7 lbs of elderberries. It took a very long time to translate them, though - over 2 hours. During this time I listened to many episodes of Punt P.I., learning about Emile Zola's death and a mysterious low hum that certain people hear constantly. Separating elderberries from their stalks is a dull job.

7 lbs of elderberries, successfully stripped

I put 6 lbs of elderberries into my bucket and mashed them with the potato masher. These were covered with 5 lbs 8 oz (which is nearly exactly 2.5 kg) of sugar and 12 pints of boiling water. Next morning I added a teaspoon and a half of nutrient and a teaspoon each of yeast and pectolase.

Putting this into its demijohns was a Friday lunchtime job, so that we could drive to Newcastle in the early evening. I had limited time and was as efficient as possible. Including sterilising my equipment, it took about half an hour. The wine is as dark as ever and is bubbling enthusiastically.

Elderberry wine in its demijohns

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.

Elderberry Wine 2017 - Ninth Bottle (A6), 16th August 2020

Sunday was one of those days where I felt that I had done very little with it. I am rarely bored - or more accurately I rarely have boring moments, though recently have had whole weeks which are dull - but Sunday was a day of tedium. At one point I forced myself to get away from the computer and go for a walk. Big mistake. I have rarely been so wet when fully clothed. The deluge was so extreme that all I could do was laugh. Three days later and my trainers are still damp. Anyway, we had a bottle of elderberry wine in the evening, which had lumps, and watched 'Line of Duty'

The weather (and this only hints at it)

Elderberry Wine 2018 - Second Bottle (A3), 19th July 2020

This elderberry wine is still too young. It retains a vaguely metallic taste and has yet to attain a proper depth. It is drinkable, nonetheless, and we did not struggle to finish the bottle.

The day's most notable feature was a long conversation with Paul. I don't think that I have spoken to him for about six years, but we carried on as if it was only yesterday. The circumstances - Ian's death - were tragic, but Paul was philosophical and surprisingly good humoured. He can't get to the funeral, of course, but will come to a future memorial service.

The years fell away as we spoke - as if we were still teenagers, still sitting next to each other in Maths. He (along with Bridget) is the best friend that I have ever had.

Taken on 19 July

Elderberry Wine 2017 - Eighth Bottle (B5), 2nd July 2020

Delia Smith's moussaka recipe requires half a glass of red wine, and I (correctly) identified that elderberry would be the right flavour. The resulting moussaka was fabulous - there were no leftovers - as was this wine (also no leftovers). That some of it went into the food meant that we had pretentions of respectability: we did not drink an entire bottle of wine on Thursday night.

Whilst making the moussaka, I was also playing (remote) Scrabble with Mom. I had terrific luck and my favourite words were RELATING, DILATION, SABOT and (best of all) HOMINIDS

Taken on 2nd July on my morning walk

This is the street on which we used to live

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

Elderberry Wine 2016 - Eleventh Bottle (B6), 17th May 2020

Another fabulous bottle of elderberry wine - this time drunk to a Sunday Roast Leg of Lamb. Claire did the best Yorkshire Puddings that she has ever done. Other than that, though, the day remains a bit of a blur (I am writing this on the Wednesday after). I had an excellent internet Scrabble game with Mom - by leaving my phone line open and hands free, I can chat away and it is nearly as good as being across the table from my mother. The best word of the game was BOUCLE. No, I don't know what it means, either.

I obviously made rhubarb wine

that day - this was a photo I took.

Julia's Wines - Elderberry 1993, 15th February 2020

I took this bottle over to Ros's, where we were planning the music for Alex and Vicky's wedding this September. The bottle was only three-quarters full and by the time it had spent half an hour's walk in the rucksack, it appeared to be fizzy. Things did not bode well. However, and with much surprise all round, this was rather drinkable. It had that cross-between sherry & port feel that wines this age tend to acquire - but it hadn't gone off. We all had a glass - raising them to Julia.

A photo taken on 16 February

 - a greengage tree being planted

Elderberry Wine 2018 - First Bottle (A1), 29th April 2020

It is generally advised to read through all ingredients of a recipe before beginning to cook.

On Wednesday night, I was making a vegetarian moussaka a la Delia and all was going swimmingly until I got to the bit about adding several tablespoons of red wine. Ordinarily I would use real wine for cooking, but I don't think we have any, so I substituted elderberry instead. And once opened, it would be a shame not to finish the bottle.

This wine is an excellent elderberry - as dark and earthy as you would want. Claire thought that there was metal in its taste but I did not. And it worked well in the moussaka too, which turned out to be the best moussaka that I have done.

A photo of some gorse,

taken on 29th April

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