Sometimes, well most of the time, when I smell and taste things I smell or taste them imagining the scents as a barcode. Each smell or taste (and they always work together) has big flavours and little flavours and hints of this and bangs of that. These all line up in my mind like a barcode with those wide and thin stripes in a line but not in any order. And then I subconsciously label the stripes. Though since I noticed I was smelling in barcodes it has become a damn nuisance as I discover stuff about people that I do not want to know. Man that sounds crazy.
On Christmas night we bottled a little bit of wine from our own grapes. The Vidal Blanc. So we got to have the first taste. And the barcode went wild. The wine is still very young and has a ways to go, but initially my bar code said bangs of grapefruit and banana lumps, with hints of kerosine. I tasted rain and ants. The ants were a sub note. Yikes. And a little early compost. Hmm. The swallow really was citrusy. A bit too citrusy actually as this is supposed to be a sweet wine. Wait, it was horrible. What was going on? 
However my wine was still in shock. After the trauma of bottling, the wine needs to settle. Bottle shock will disturb a lot of flavours. So I had to wait. The colour is good though. I think it really is too young to take out of the carboid. But there is dissention in the ranks. John likes to get the wine off the sediment earlier and let it age in the bottle and I would rather leave it in together with the dead yeast for a few more months, so this is our compromise. I will take notes and we will do a blind taste test in the late summer.
I poured another glass of the newly bottled wine last night and stuck my nose in it and it really is rounding out a lot better after 24 hours of sitting and chilling. The banana taste has shifted to a banana pineapple. The compost has become earthy and the ants have gone. (I hate the smell of ants) The rain is still there though and the kerosene has backed off. Still not very sweet. I was hoping for amber honey notes to go with its colour.
Vidal Blanc wine can sit in a bottle for years so it still has some maturing ahead of it. The next cask will be left for another three months. Then we will taste it and maybe bottle it too.
Bottle shock or not. I know for sure that I picked too early. Even though the sugar levels were right in the grapes they can go higher. Next season I will leave them on the vine longer. Once again impatience got the better of me!
Snow this morning and just above freezing so not too cold. The dawn is white on white. I had better rug up and start feeding out.
c
PS Mama was let out into her field again and had a nice lie down in the sun for a few hours yesterday afternoon. On the mend. I know she hates to be alone but she has done better since I put Mia back in with the calves. Mia is such a space cadet and never sits still. Not conducive to convalescence! Ok time for me to get out there and see what they are up to in the barn. c
The Kitchen's Garden 
66 responses to “Bottle Shock – (there’s a song in that!)”
Wow, too cool that you’re bottling your own wine, Cecilia. I’m impressed! Im sure it’ll definitely get better as time goes on. 😉 So, so jealous that you have snow. I absolutely love that photo. x
Thank you caroline, i am jealous that you had a cooking lesson that resulted in those fab shrimp cocktails! yum! c
This is such an interesting post, Celi. Although there was some wine-making done in my family, I believe it was before my time because I have no recollection of any of it and the pressing of the grapes was done in a family friend’s basement. So, seeing the process detailed here is quite a treat. Thanks for opening yet another window to your world.
You are welcome John, it is a slow process though!! c
Well as you know I am not a wine connoisseur, but I have to say I think you will produce such a wonderful wine. I know that because you have an amazing farm so I know this wine will be a hit years from now 🙂
yeah, probably years from now, there is a lot of learning to do..Thank you Kay.. have a great afternoon! c
Knowing when to harvest the grapes is tricky – but sounds like you’re on your way to famous.
Just wined and dined would work for me!! And yeah, I am like a child, i have to learn by experience! c
Gosh this post brought back memories; not that I have ever made wine mind. But years ago when I worked in the wine trade I did a number of exams and learned a bit about viniculture and viticulture (mostly now forgotten). Anyway enough of my personal digression, I hope your wine recovers from its bottle shock and mellows into sweet liquid gold.
Go back and look at your notes! i want that sweet liquid gold! and mellow – I want that too!! c
How do you taste kerosene and ants?
Oh dear, I do understand the question. More of a smell than a taste, but you know all about that rumpy, dogs live to smell! And ants have their own barcode, all kinds of smells in ants. I wish I could see what dogs smell. c
I really got the flavour from your description – to the extent that I was wanting to spit out before you’d finished. As an artist, I like to draw smells – it’s great fun. Have never come up with a barcode though; now that’s original! I hope the wine can gently mellow and recover from its bottle shock.
Well it is getting a little better as the days pass. but soon my test bottle will be gone and then we will have to wait MOnths to try it again, and possibly spit! drawing smells is great.. hmm. c
Great description of the flavors – thus you obviously have a gift. Thanks for sharing!
Since you like your own productions, here’s one for you.
Enjoy!
thank you frank, i shall drop over in the morning for a cuppa! and have a read! c
There’s so much to learn about wine-making!
Intrigued by the barcode ‘method’. Can you then compare aromas from different foods, or the same food across time, using the relative length and thickness of the different bars?
One more thing, ‘I discover stuff about people I do not want to know’. Does that mean that simply noticing that you barcode their aroma makes you more aware of it (their smell notes)?
I can smell where people have been, even who they have been talking to sometimes. Who they have been cuddling. Certainly what they have been eating. I try NOT to notice most of the time but supermarket checkout queues and classrooms can be a bit of a trial. Animals have different smells. Classrooms full of damp kids was enough to send me round the bend. None of my students could hide anything from me! They thought I had an eye in the back of my head. I can smell who has come through the door. Yes you can compare across time, definitely. I wish I had a list of what labelled scents though as some aromas have no name. I recognise them but I have to name them myself. It is weird.. But i don’t think about it much. Until today. I thought I just had a good sense of smell. c
So maybe you have to wait till next year for Cru Celi ?
I am sure that every year will be better, I need more grapes though! We will plant more this summer.. c
I’m in the midst of working myself out of a viral ooz that left me in bed yesterday, so you’ll understand that when I read grapefruit and banana lumps with hints of kerosine, rain and ants … well, I nearly heaved. I’m not much a drinker; now I know why. Grapefruit and bananas are a deadly combo, although the kerosine, rain and ants have possibilities when served on ice. (burp)
Oh no i am so sorry. I should have explained the banana further. In NZ we have a candy called banana lumps, chocolate covered soft yellow marshmallowy stuff (oh no now you are going to gag again).. so really it is a fake banana scent. It is a powdery fake banana scent. Once again I wish I could label the scents better. I know, milkshake banana flavouring. More like that. And the grapefruit is an old grapefruit, I am hoping it will mellow to a fresher grapefruit. You see? It is hopeless. Just think rain. Cold Rain is nice! c
Oh, yes, cool rain. I like that. 🙂 A glass of water, right?
Yes probably best you settle for a glass of water!.. Good thinking.. c
How exciting to bottle your own wine! and how fun to taste along the way as it develops! Beautiful snow show…as always you have a great eye!
Thank you spice!!.c
Hint of kerosene and ant sub note, lol. I am impressed you guys are making your own wine
I would be more impressed if we could make tasty wine, ah well early days yet!
c
It looks gorgeous, like the very finest of wines. With a bit more time it will taste like it, too.
It really does have a lovely colour doesn’t it! We will need to think about labels one day! c