Cellar Updates

Do you feel that? A certain languid summer air that whispers and hints of harvest?

With the 2019 grape harvest beckoning in the coming weeks, it’s time to get the cellar organized. And by cellar I mean 1/2 of the garage and 1/4 of the kitchen.

Garage is swept. Buckets de-spidered.

And the wine that’s been waiting so patiently for bottling has my full attention. Moving all of the aging wine out of storage and into bottles allows you to fill up the newly emptied space with – wait for it – new wine! Admittedly this is something of a vicious cycle – and one where I’m a willing participant. Last year’s Merlot is still sitting. Will keep that set aside for another few months space permitting. However, the apple wine is oh-so ready!

Spent the day using my new wine pump racking and stabilizing.

Hear that humm?? Happiness!

Should be ready to bottle in a few short weeks.

Also trying to clear my ginger wine. This is a potent brew using a recipe from 1770 that will find its way into holiday gift baskets in a few months. Yummy. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any other ginger wines to top off the carboy after racking, so I used some of the apple wine.

But that created a domino effect.

Not wanting to risk the leftover headspace in the apple wine, I topped it off with two bottles of a crisp Pinot Grigio. The apple wine definitely got an upgrade.

Fun day working wines. 

If you’re curious, I would highly recommend The Joy of Home Wine Making as a starter guide. It’s the gateway wine making book. You could be enjoying a lovely dry apple wine in about 3 months – pairs perfectly with grilled meat!

More Fun Discoveries

• Resolutions on Temperance: “To Uphold Every Vice and Iniquity in the Land…” ~1866
• Grapes, Thus Packed, Will Keep 9-12 Months ~1856
• Frowzy Wives and a Foretaste of Purgatory ~1886