We are spending the weekend near Solihull with Jo and Ian (and three noisy, good natured boys). Jo asked me to bring a bottle of Chilli Wine, and who was I to refuse? We drank it as one of many alcoholic drinks, started shockingly early, whilst playing board games. The best was like Pictionary, but Lego-based. Claire was in her element. Her Lego ice hockey rink was obvious once she had pointed out the individual elements.
The Bonfire Wine went down well. I think both Jo and Ian used the word 'delicious' several times. They each claimed to be able to taste the chilli. Tommy, aged not-quite-13, was allowed a little glass and becomes the youngest person yet to have more than a small taste of my wines.
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Crab Apple Wine - Bottle A4, 18th May 2012
This bottle of wine disappeared alarmingly quickly. It is an alcoholic fizzy pop, tasting of sweet apple juice, and is therefore very easy to drink. By the time we sat down to eat there was only a glass each left.
I had planned on spending the evening watching 56 Up. This is a documentary following a group of individuals at seven year intervals, and is something that I have been following since introduced to Seven Up in a sociology lesson aged 14. Therefore it was massively irritating to find that our computer stutters badly over 'itv-player' (whereas it is fine with BBC's i-player), making the programme unwatchable. I shall have to find an alternative solution. Because 56 Up is unmissable - I have literally been looking forward to it for years.
I had planned on spending the evening watching 56 Up. This is a documentary following a group of individuals at seven year intervals, and is something that I have been following since introduced to Seven Up in a sociology lesson aged 14. Therefore it was massively irritating to find that our computer stutters badly over 'itv-player' (whereas it is fine with BBC's i-player), making the programme unwatchable. I shall have to find an alternative solution. Because 56 Up is unmissable - I have literally been looking forward to it for years.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Redcurrant Wine - Bottle B1, 16th-17th May 2012
Claire and I returned from WYSO fired up about Scheherazade. It is a difficult piece and is just starting to sound good. Buoyed up, it seemed right to open a bottle. After rejecting all the nice flavours for being too good for a Wednesday, I opened the last bottle of Redcurrant 2010. And it was alright, though nothing more, with an overall taste of cherry lips.
I washed up and Claire made sandwiches, such is the exciting life we lead. But we did this companionably and each had an additional three-quarter glass beyond our ration.
On Thursday, when I returned from playing trios with Pat and Peter, the bottle stood empty on the counter, though I stole a few sips from Claire's glass. In full view of course. I don't think she minded.
I washed up and Claire made sandwiches, such is the exciting life we lead. But we did this companionably and each had an additional three-quarter glass beyond our ration.
On Thursday, when I returned from playing trios with Pat and Peter, the bottle stood empty on the counter, though I stole a few sips from Claire's glass. In full view of course. I don't think she minded.
Friday, 18 May 2012
Gooseberry Wine - Bottle 5, 13th May 2012
Richard and Linda came round for a meal last night, so I bunged a bottle of gooseberry wine in the fridge. This is a month earlier than I had been planning to start this vintage, but we wanted something sharp, fresh and white to drink with the (mostly) fish based food.
Our starter was squares of salmon topped with wilted chard and pickled plums. This was followed by home made ravioli crescents filled with prawns, garlic and herbs in a tomato sauce. Third course was cheese made by Claire (using a Home Farmer recipe, I think) garnished with chives on sour dough bread (which required a good deal of sawing). Just in case this was not enough, we had Almost Bakewell Pudding for the final course, where the jam used was crab apple and rosemary. Quite a feast, and the wine held its own. It is better than Gooseberry 2010, which itself was okay, and secures gooseberry's status as a Regular Flavour.
Our starter was squares of salmon topped with wilted chard and pickled plums. This was followed by home made ravioli crescents filled with prawns, garlic and herbs in a tomato sauce. Third course was cheese made by Claire (using a Home Farmer recipe, I think) garnished with chives on sour dough bread (which required a good deal of sawing). Just in case this was not enough, we had Almost Bakewell Pudding for the final course, where the jam used was crab apple and rosemary. Quite a feast, and the wine held its own. It is better than Gooseberry 2010, which itself was okay, and secures gooseberry's status as a Regular Flavour.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Citrus Wine - Bottle A4, 11th May 2012
Friday nights are made for drinking slightly more wine than is good for you.
I arrived home from a not entirely unstressful week at work to a stiff gin and tonic, which disappeared with unseemly haste. This was followed rapidly by a bottle of citrus wine, during which we listened to the News Quiz and the Archers, ate a satisfying meal comprising of bacon, mushrooms, onion, garlic, cream cheese and spaghetti, and chatted merrily about nothing important. I have spent the rest of the evening getting sticky with my 2012 batch of rhubarb wine, whilst grabbing the odd slurp from my final glass from this bottle. My head is swimming somewhat, but a quiet Saturday should fettle that.
I arrived home from a not entirely unstressful week at work to a stiff gin and tonic, which disappeared with unseemly haste. This was followed rapidly by a bottle of citrus wine, during which we listened to the News Quiz and the Archers, ate a satisfying meal comprising of bacon, mushrooms, onion, garlic, cream cheese and spaghetti, and chatted merrily about nothing important. I have spent the rest of the evening getting sticky with my 2012 batch of rhubarb wine, whilst grabbing the odd slurp from my final glass from this bottle. My head is swimming somewhat, but a quiet Saturday should fettle that.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Strawberry Wine - Bottle 4, 6th May 2012
Strawberry wine always seems to coincide with a good day. This bottle has been no exception. I spent this morning picking rhubarb in the sunshine, this afternoon playing bassoon quartets at a wedding in York, and this evening making wine, eating a fabulous chicken chilli and watching Life on Mars. Of all activities, it was the bassoon quartets that was best. I wore my frog waistcoat and lucky musical socks, and we played brilliantly, if one ignores the two clunking B naturals that I threw in by mistake. This evening I have had various bits of the repertoire dancing around in my head. Currently it is Mozart's Turkish Rondo, but before that it was The Teddy Bears' Picnic, interspersed with a sultry tango. Yes, four bassoons can do 'sultry'.
The strawberry wine went perfectly with today's mood, and though this is 2010's final bottle, I bottled 2011's vintage this evening.
NB - Apologies for going on quite so much about the bassoon quartets over the last three postings! This will be their last mention (as it all happened now over a week ago). The other NB is an article that appeared in the York Evening Press on Saturday this week about my Book. You can read it here.
The strawberry wine went perfectly with today's mood, and though this is 2010's final bottle, I bottled 2011's vintage this evening.
NB - Apologies for going on quite so much about the bassoon quartets over the last three postings! This will be their last mention (as it all happened now over a week ago). The other NB is an article that appeared in the York Evening Press on Saturday this week about my Book. You can read it here.
Friday, 11 May 2012
Rhubarb Wine 2012 - The Making Of ...
I am always pleased when May comes round. Not only is it the month that all trees put out their leaves, looking fresh and green, but it is the first proper month for wine making. One can do April wines - dandelion or nettle - but honestly, why bother? May marks rhubarb season, and that is always a winner.
Today, 6th May, it also marked 'wedding season'. I spent this afternoon playing bassoon quartets at a wedding reception in York. Most people will have a tasteful string quartet, if they have anything, playing Pachelbel's Canon. This bride showed originality and had four bassoons instead, playing Teddy Bear's Picnic and The Pink Panther. It was glorious fun and I hope we went down well.
Earlier this morning I went to Julia's allotment to pick the rhubarb. It was a sunny morning, but chilly for May. I helped net some blackcurrant bushes, to prevent the local pigeons getting fatter, and was then let loose on the rhubarb. I needed six pounds for a double batch and picking this amount proved little effort. I like the way rhubarb stalks come up with a slight 'pop' as the base separates from the plant. There were some very butch stalks and I came away with seven pounds - the remaining rhubarb is in the freezer, possibly awaiting a batch of 'rhubarb and elderflower'.
After the wedding I chopped the rhubarb into pieces of about one centimetre and put it into the bucket. I covered this with fourteen and a half pints of boiling water (I think - I may have lost count with the jugs of water). Six pounds of sugar, the yeast and one and a half teaspoons of nutrient went in the next day.
I put this all in its two demijohns on Friday evening, 11th May. This was a sticky process which took the entirety of Any Questions on Radio 4. Perhaps I should have listened to Radio 3 instead. Any Questions is a tedious programme full of self-important pomposity.
The wine is its usual little-girl-pink, and I have (as always) put one batch in a brown glass demijohn and covered the other demijohn in silver foil so as to preserve the colour. The amount of water I used proved to be just about perfect, though the frothy top of the wine is escaping through the air locks. Therefore, keeping the wine in the batch is justified on this occasion.
Today, 6th May, it also marked 'wedding season'. I spent this afternoon playing bassoon quartets at a wedding reception in York. Most people will have a tasteful string quartet, if they have anything, playing Pachelbel's Canon. This bride showed originality and had four bassoons instead, playing Teddy Bear's Picnic and The Pink Panther. It was glorious fun and I hope we went down well.
Earlier this morning I went to Julia's allotment to pick the rhubarb. It was a sunny morning, but chilly for May. I helped net some blackcurrant bushes, to prevent the local pigeons getting fatter, and was then let loose on the rhubarb. I needed six pounds for a double batch and picking this amount proved little effort. I like the way rhubarb stalks come up with a slight 'pop' as the base separates from the plant. There were some very butch stalks and I came away with seven pounds - the remaining rhubarb is in the freezer, possibly awaiting a batch of 'rhubarb and elderflower'.
After the wedding I chopped the rhubarb into pieces of about one centimetre and put it into the bucket. I covered this with fourteen and a half pints of boiling water (I think - I may have lost count with the jugs of water). Six pounds of sugar, the yeast and one and a half teaspoons of nutrient went in the next day.
I put this all in its two demijohns on Friday evening, 11th May. This was a sticky process which took the entirety of Any Questions on Radio 4. Perhaps I should have listened to Radio 3 instead. Any Questions is a tedious programme full of self-important pomposity.
The wine is its usual little-girl-pink, and I have (as always) put one batch in a brown glass demijohn and covered the other demijohn in silver foil so as to preserve the colour. The amount of water I used proved to be just about perfect, though the frothy top of the wine is escaping through the air locks. Therefore, keeping the wine in the batch is justified on this occasion.
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