I got the idea for today's blog from Jack Frost's comment on my blog yesterday.
It was traditional in my family to make your own wine (also beer, and very occasionally spirits, but that's another story....)
So when Mr Penry and I got married, and were totally strapped for cash, we decided to make our own wine as a way of ensuring there was something alcoholic to drink at Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries etc. My father was a keen amateur brewer and wine-maker, and passed on a number of useful recipes. Some we used, others (such as upping the alcohol content by judicious addition of vodka and raisins) we didn't.
It must be said that sometimes our efforts went amiss. Once a demi-john of red wine over-fermented, shot its bung and sprayed the walls and ceiling. The living room looked like a maniac had been at work with a chain saw...
Once we made orange wine that knocked out everyone who ever drank it. Thank goodness we only made a few bottles of it or we'd probably have been arrested.
It had stopped fermenting early on, so we'd restarted it with more yeast and sugar, and then it became incredibly clear, like water. It was pleasant and dry to taste - if you remembered anything afterwards, that is. Most people didn't.
Mr Penry tried many times to replicate this wine, but never succeeded. Maybe the fairies sprinkled something in it...
