Nut didn't you use champagne bottles with thick glass? That was what my book said, and then the big corks to match, otherwise there would be a likelihood of the pressure of the carbon dioxide being greater than ordinary glass could hold, so your bottles could go off bang. TBH that was what put me off trying it, but maybe if you didn't do that, you were lucky and they didn't. Come to think of it, some of the wine I made was slightly sparkling by accident - the blackberry in particular, but I thought that was quite nice, especially by the third glass and that was just kept in ordinary bottles, so maybe thick bottles are just a precaution. Perhaps I should stick some gooseberry bushes in - rest of the family don't really like them though, so they would think me a bit weird. Not sure OH would be too pleased to see my winemaking career reinstated!! Easier to find gooseberry champagne online and have some delivered I reckon!
Artjak, your neighbour sounds just the type I saw on the forums I looked at! Please can I have your garlic pickle recipe? I have two beds full that will need dealing with in July, and it won't all store in ropes.
I'll pm you for that link, Dove, but where on earth do you find the time to be on other forums?
Nut, oakleaf sounds horrible, but years ago I had a mobile hairdressing client who made her own wine from ANYTHING, it seemed. I used to drop my car at home, and do her hair last on a friday afternoon. Many an hour was whiled away tasting wines like broccoli, heather, parsnip, cabbage, nettle, toenail (just joking!) and many things that sounded disgusting but tasted lovely. Needless to say, I had a good head start on girl's nights out. And Mum always knew where I had been! And got paid, too! Many a visitor wobbled out of that house!
Incidentally, she had a lovely collection of Pieris of different varieties, and I always think of her when mine flower or change colour.
Ah Bob - you've sorted that one out for us then! Nut it sounds like your wine was like my sparkling blackberry then - fizz a bonus! You know I've just googled it, and nobody seems to supply gooseberry champagne any more. All the links are to do with making it. And yet years ago a company made it and supplied it to the restaurant. I wonder if it's due to some form of regulation somewhere? - I can't imagine that there would be no market for such delicious stuff. Especially in this day and age. Ah - maybe it's cos you can't use the word 'champagne' - will try 'gooseberry sparkling wine'.
Allium I think you will have to, because even googling that I only got ordinary sparkling wines with 'gooseberry notes'. It is the one flavour that would tempt me towards my old wine-making box at the back of the shed.
Bee, I think no-one can call anything 'champagne' any more unless it's from that area of France. "Sparkling gooseberry wine" finds a supplier via google - now sold out but making more soon!
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Nut, once I've got the hang of fruit ones, I might try like Mrs Meekins, my old client. Who'd have thought there was enough sugar in oakleaves? Don't remember trying that one with her.Mind you, I probably wasn't in a fit state to remember what she plied me with So I suppose other treeleaves can work, as long as not poisonous?
Bob, your post must have crossed with mine! been thinking of gooseberry bushes for a while now. Now I have an extra reason to shoehorn them in! Which do you recommend? have to be good to eat from the bush without cooking (although one cooking one would be good, for me) as the kids will eat them as soon as they think they are ready.
Busybee, blackberry sounds wonderful, but only expect my first crop this yr from garden. Another excuse for hedgerow picking! And the alcohol should pickle the little wanderers that won't just drown on washing!
It's not just gardening that gets your head spinning on here. You end up slavering, too! Cakes, wine, chocolate, marmalade, jam, pickles. Anyone out there make cheese, crackers or crisps? Then my life will be complete
Posts
I didn't add extra sugar Bob, the secondary ferm was natural and surprised me. Very nice
In the sticks near Peterborough
Nut didn't you use champagne bottles with thick glass? That was what my book said, and then the big corks to match, otherwise there would be a likelihood of the pressure of the carbon dioxide being greater than ordinary glass could hold, so your bottles could go off bang. TBH that was what put me off trying it, but maybe if you didn't do that, you were lucky and they didn't. Come to think of it, some of the wine I made was slightly sparkling by accident
- the blackberry in particular, but I thought that was quite nice, especially by the third glass
and that was just kept in ordinary bottles, so maybe thick bottles are just a precaution. Perhaps I should stick some gooseberry bushes in - rest of the family don't really like them though, so they would think me a bit weird. Not sure OH would be too pleased to see my winemaking career reinstated!! Easier to find gooseberry champagne online and have some delivered I reckon!
I just made gooseberry wine Bee. I wasn't expecting extras
In the sticks near Peterborough
Artjak, your neighbour sounds just the type I saw on the forums I looked at! Please can I have your garlic pickle recipe? I have two beds full that will need dealing with in July, and it won't all store in ropes.
I'll pm you for that link, Dove, but where on earth do you find the time to be on other forums?
Nut, oakleaf sounds horrible, but years ago I had a mobile hairdressing client who made her own wine from ANYTHING, it seemed. I used to drop my car at home, and do her hair last on a friday afternoon. Many an hour was whiled away tasting wines like broccoli, heather, parsnip, cabbage, nettle, toenail (just joking!) and many things that sounded disgusting but tasted lovely. Needless to say, I had a good head start on girl's nights out
. And Mum always knew where I had been! And got paid, too! Many a visitor wobbled out of that house!
Incidentally, she had a lovely collection of Pieris of different varieties, and I always think of her when mine flower or change colour.
Ivy, let us know how the Marmalade goes?
Ah Bob - you've sorted that one out for us then! Nut it sounds like your wine was like my sparkling blackberry then - fizz a bonus! You know I've just googled it, and nobody seems to supply gooseberry champagne any more. All the links are to do with making it. And yet years ago a company made it and supplied it to the restaurant. I wonder if it's due to some form of regulation somewhere? - I can't imagine that there would be no market for such delicious stuff. Especially in this day and age. Ah - maybe it's cos you can't use the word 'champagne' - will try 'gooseberry sparkling wine'.
Oak leaf was lovely, light and fizzy. Very young oak leaves, not old leathery ones.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Gooseberry sparkling wine sounds lovely.... Maybe need to consider purchasing a gooseberry bush next
Allium I think you will have to, because even googling that I only got ordinary sparkling wines with 'gooseberry notes'. It is the one flavour that would tempt me towards my old wine-making box at the back of the shed.
Bee, I think no-one can call anything 'champagne' any more unless it's from that area of France. "Sparkling gooseberry wine" finds a supplier via google - now sold out but making more soon!
Nut, once I've got the hang of fruit ones, I might try like Mrs Meekins, my old client. Who'd have thought there was enough sugar in oakleaves? Don't remember trying that one with her.Mind you, I probably wasn't in a fit state to remember what she plied me with
So I suppose other treeleaves can work, as long as not poisonous?
Bob, your post must have crossed with mine! been thinking of gooseberry bushes for a while now. Now I have an extra reason to shoehorn them in! Which do you recommend? have to be good to eat from the bush without cooking (although one cooking one would be good, for me) as the kids will eat them as soon as they think they are ready.
Busybee, blackberry sounds wonderful, but only expect my first crop this yr from garden. Another excuse for hedgerow picking! And the alcohol should pickle the little wanderers that won't just drown on washing!
It's not just gardening that gets your head spinning on here. You end up slavering, too! Cakes, wine, chocolate, marmalade, jam, pickles. Anyone out there make cheese, crackers or crisps? Then my life will be complete