"Wine-ing" away

I made some rhubarb wine in 2008 from some rhubarb I had frozen the previous summer.  I think I had about 15 lbs or so of it to use for a batch of wine.   It was frozen in large, heavy bags of about 5lbs each and took what seemed like forever for it to thaw out.  Into the primary bucket it all went along with the yeast and other winemaking powders to help it along the way.  It started out fine - smelled great, in fact!

Then, life interfered and I got pneumonia.  As a result of this, I forgot to move it into the secondary after the allotted amount of time.  It sat there for a good couple weeks or so extra before I could work up the energy to filter it into the secondary and put an airlock on it.  I knew that it was still possibly salvageable but not a hundred percent sure.  I consulted with my local wine guru and he said it would either oxidize, which is one step or so away from being vinegar, or turn to sherry.  In other words, I could toss it or play the odds.  I decided to play the odds.

Now it is 2011 and we decided to crack open a bottle of that dubious "wine."   I rummaged around the basement shelves to locate it, dusted it off and carried a bottle of it upstairs with a little bit of trepidation.  We grabbed a couple wineglasses and cracked it open.  I took a sniff of the bottle and wasn't too sure what I was smelling.  I poured a couple glasses and let it sit for a few minutes before sampling it.  We both took a sip and realized that we indeed had sherry!  It seems really sweet on the first sip but this diminishes after a couple sips.  Unfortunately, it also has a kick like a mule.  The flavour is good though - definitely a nice surprise considering that I had no high hopes for it at all.  It starts out sweet but ends on a more wine-like note.  It is not at the commercial level by any stretch of the imagination but it was pleasant, especially after a glassful or two!  Mind you, with the amount of alcohol in it, after that glass or two it could taste like a glass of swamp water and be fine.  I am hoping in another year or so it will be really good - probably wistful thinking on that though.

Quilting buddies

I have been busy as usual trying to get too many things done in too little time. I swear that the days are getting shorter as I get older - somehow it just isn't fair - I have far too may quilts and stuff to do in this lifetime - I can't afford my days to get any shorter. lol

For the past about 20 years a group of us have gotten together to craft, quilt and just visit. It started with my friend Peggy and I going to an interior design class at Brandon University. We enjoyed our weekly night out so much we hated to quit after the class was finished so we decided to do something else - she wanted to learn calligraphy and I could teach her. Then our friend Louise joined us, and then Pam and then Joan and then Sharon and finally Judy - oh and sometimes Kinseley. It is a night out that I enjoy immensely and resent the same amount when anything interferes with it. We have made an abundance of wonderful, beautiful objects and some less than inspired ones as well. We all love to quilt and this passion has enveloped us all, even the one who shall remain unnamed and is our wonderfully reluctant but determined quilter. I think we especially enjoy our recent need to travel to the quilt shops nearby (within and hour and a half anyway) - close! We no longer have a quilt shop in Brandon so getting quality fabrics is a bit harder - so a road trip takes almost no persuasion....lol

The following pictures show Sharon's, Pam's, and Peggy's cuddly cobblestones rag quilts - they all turned out wonderful! It always amazes me how we can all start out with the same pattern and each looks so different when completed!

Judy is working on a raggedy jean quilt (above) that she is lining with red and white flannel - it is going to be wonderful when it is done - it will be worth all the time she put into it.

I think I have to work on picture placement - they just don't want to co-operate with where I want to put them. - the nerve!

I have put on two batches of wine for coolers this summer. They are a pink lemonade/rhubarb and a pink lemonade/lemon wine - should be interesting - they both were stuck initially but have finally taken off - I will move them to secondaries this weekend after I bottle some of the other wines in the other 4 secondaries. lol I think I will be bottling for a few hours. The rhubarb is great and ready to go. I swear that the stuff evaporates in the summer! Well - enjoy!