Last night my husband and I sampled an ounce of our blackberry wine, not yet bottled but no longer bubbling in its airlock. I observed, took copious notes, and then turned to my husband to ask his opinion of the taste and whether it's time to bottle. We were both delighted with the flavor, warmth, color, aroma and complexity of this apparently simple wine. When you handle the fresh berries, either from cultivating your own or getting them from a local farmers' market, they become a part of you. Seeing the flaws of the wine may be difficult. The fact that grapes and berries turn into wine has its own mysticism. Any homemade wine has a kind of halo effect for me!
The timing surprises me. It's sooner than I thought this blackberry wine would be ready. Good wine, void of chemicals to speed the process, shouldn't be rushed. So, my plan is to head out someday soon with one bottle of wine, taken from the carboy before bottling the rest, to have a very honest but wine-loving friend give an unabashed reaction to this blackberry wine. I plan to post her comments which may be a few days away. The wine can wait with no damage to it. My husband and I both think it's ready. Will our friend? I know some of you would be willing to try it and give me your opinion as well. If so, let me know! I plan to keep on making wine for a long time and I love getting the opinions of others.
I took the bottle of blackberry wine and drove two hours to see my friend Jenny. What a delightful time we had! This has become a habit for us as I ask her if it's time to take the wine out of the carboys for bottling.
ReplyDeleteJenny studied the glass, then took a full sip, swished it around, smiled when she swallowed and said, "It's very good! I love the little bit of crispness at the end. It's like an exclamation point! It's ready."
I'd love to try it! I haven't found a good wine in a while. I seem to pick all of the bitter dry wines (not on purpose).
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