We made wine = blackberry champagne or peach wine in the 1970's. Both tasted like a spatlese; and yes, they had higher alcohol content.
A demi- john of a plum wine became too dry for our palates, so we bought and peeled lots of small onions, added pickling spice then our dry (pink)plum wine into a tall, old fashioned sweet bottle: We left the wine till the following summer; the onions were crisp and moreish.
We grew a giant blackberries at the bottom of our garden; I can't remember the botanical name unfortunately. They were lush. The first year we made sufficient to fill two demi johns. We stored them in our bedroom on the floor.
Months later DH commented on the odd colour of the walls and ceiling. We looked curiously around, then noticed the up turned light. It held a dark pink liquid. We rushed upstairs to find the water traps had been ejected by pressure, allowing the sticky wine to trickle its way through a gap in the floorboards, downwards onto the light fitting downstairs, down it trickled downwards, onto the light cable and finally into the upturned light shade.
We made parsnip wine which was robust and very alcoholic. We served it
on Guy Fawkes night in 'pony' glasses. They're probably called shot glasses now.
In 1976 DH and the Managing Director took turns to oversee the factory; three days on duty, four off, during a hot summer. We sat on a hot, Sussex pebbly beach while staying at my mother's flat. She was away, holidaying for six months in Brisbane. I'll never forget that summer; our elder son learnt to swim and snorkel .
Looking back, we stopped our DIY wine production when our sons became teenagers. We either bought wines from a supermarket then later from Peroth.
We were both working and didn't have time to make alcoholic wine, beer or a fruit champagne.
Any anecdotes or expertise you care to share on the above topic?
Stabbing at a school in Wales this lunchtime.
Why Are Blokes Obsessed With Noisy Gadgets??
Well Labour’s “patriotism” didn’t last very long, did it? 🇬🇧