With a sudden-ness that happens sometimes (often), when one is juggling more than three balls, (I’ve stopped counting) the wine grapes went from imminent to ‘Pick me right now’! These grapes are a Vidal Blanc and this is our third vintage. I only have 12 vines and I have decided this year that I need at least 6 more. We just squeaked through. So this spring I shall plant another row.
Anyway with no time to call for help, (and very few weekends when I have any help) Our John and I set to work to pick and crush the 2013 tiny vintage.
I took these preliminary shots ..
But as I had to pick and de-stem this year I got way too sticky to pick Camera House up again. Production was down again this year, even with the peaheans locked up (they are free now much to their relief). But we were able to pick and crush just enough to fill the two demijohns. I say just enough because this year the juice is being divided. John’s half will be processed with the addition of a bought yeast. First he kills the wild yeasts then adds the controlled yeast. My half is going to go to work on its own, the organic way, using the wild yeasts. Our John is convinced that my half will end up being vinegar. But we will see. I have faith in the wild-ness.
It was a long day but we have two big buckets of juice in the distillery room beginning their year long journey towards my wine glass.
It is being called the Ladybird Wine because so many of the grapes had ladybirds living in them, and even though we were able to grade most of them out, they surely must influence the taste of the 2013 vintage and probably not in a good way. But once again we will see. I am a patient soul.
Now to our October challenge. Proposed by Sam my Senior Son. He would like me to start taking star pictures. Night skies. We are blessed with a sky that is completely uncontaminated by artificial light. Being far away for anyone. A brilliant sky not everyone has though i suspect many of you can see a sky like this too. So we are going to learn how to take shots of the stars and then shots of the moon. I have NO IDEA how to do this with a digital camera. So back to basics we go!
Naturally last night the sky was obscured by heavy clouds. But that gives me time to work out the basics. Star gazing. We can all do that! In and around our normal busy days and nights.
It rained in the night, a good rain for our thirsty gardens, and ripe grapes behave badly when they drink too much water, so we harvested in the nick of time.
You all have a lovely day.
your friend on the farm, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
47 responses to “Ladybird Wine”
I’m excited about your night sky photos. We get that milky way experience at my cabin because it’s very far from city lights. That’s going to be so much fun for you. 🙂
If you haven’t found a good source for identifying objects in the night sky, I suggest an app called SkyWeek (Android and iOS). It describes what, when and where to look for stars, planets and the Moon. For instance, “In the eastern dawn Tuesday morning, look for the thin waning crescent Moon forming a triangle with Mars and Regulus. Best view: at least an hour before your local sunrise.” (I’m much more apt to follow the viewing directions for late twilight and pre-dawn rather than those for midnight or 3 am!)
oooo I can see it now a “boutique wine” called ladybird…… got to be a seller!
Definitely “boutique wine”!!! 😀
I missed the pun! It should have been a “cellar” 🙂
Hee hee!! 😀
Ladybird wine…I love that name…how wonderful to be able to make your own wine and give it your own lovely names…I love wine…I drink it every day…my excuse…I’m Italian! 🙂 I don’t think there is anything more magical than being able to stare up into a star filled sky unencumbered by light pollution. I can’t wait to see your starry starry night photos! I too make wishes but only when I see a shooting (star)!
I have a suggestion for a new challenge for all of us in the Fellowship…most of us sent in our back or front porch views, which was so lovely to see where everyone lived, so I thought wouldn’t it be nice if we could all see each other’s faces?? I think it would bring us all even closer together…it’s always nice to have a face to go with a name! But, they would have to be somewhat current…no photos of us when we were 20 somethings…unless of course, you are a 20 something! 🙂
What do you think Cinders? In the future I see a gathering of us at the Farmy…how big did you say the Coupe was?? 🙂
Perfect name for your wine….my parents live in a place where you can see the stars ( pitch black and only the stars and sky!) and last year we were all there visiting and we saw the “Perseid” show that always occurs around the first week of August.( upper illinois in Galena which was beautiful!)…oh you are so right, to see the stars out there at night is something you don’t know you miss until you see them! A memorable moment that I hope to see every year first of August!
Ladybird wine, sounds so elegant and suitable for long stemmed fine crystal! I look forward to the sky at night through your camera lens.
The words ‘beginning their year long journey towards my wine glass” sing to my wine loving soul 🙂
Now those grapes are making me long for Napa Valley again!
let me know.. i will come too!! c
Celi – looking at the grapes it almost seems the beginning of botrytis [noble rot in this case] is there? You have not had frosts so don’t know how close to a sauterne, tokaji or your beloved ice wine you’ll get, but good luck and keep us posted! Love the name and since you obviously can grow grapes in your micro climate, hope you have room to put another few rows in actually 🙂 ! Yes, poor peacock/hens at a certain time of year, but a glass of what you love is more important!!!
I thought at one point that i did smell botrytis but it has been so dry..but wouldn’t that be nice! c
Celi: the ‘good’ botryis, to the best of my knowledge, does ‘happen’ after ‘dry’ – after wet it tends to be just ‘nasty’ mould??? Oh what extra fun tho’ and I do NOT think yours will turn into vinegar!! A learning experience anyways . . . 🙂 !
Ah, that is a bonus then, we might have some good botrytis, I did see traces of a while mould, but i only remember the smell, not what it looked like, i will look it up! Love the learning and now off to bed for me.. ni ni darling girl.. c
Ah, wine! That definitely sings. Love it. And one of the reasons we moved out of North Jersey to Maine was to be able to see the night sky in all its glory. I really want to be able to take photos like this. Good luck! We will be watching with you :*)
Good luck with the wine… lady bugs and all… can almost taste it from here…
Ladybird wine! You are so good at naming things, and I’m very interested in the experiment. I love the October challenge. Star gazing is dear to me, and is one of the pleasures of being at the bach, far from city lights. Of course you won’t have the southern cross in your sky (sigh) but I’m sure there will be plenty of unknown exotic stars for the kiwis to enjoy. Good luck.
The skies are very clear here too and it is not too cold yet to be standing outside for a goodly length of time. Our john has a telescope and is fairly conversant with the stars so maybe we can get to name some as well.. c
Some names would be great!
My mum and dad make vast amounts of wine every year from grapes they buy and have delivered from Italy and never add yeast. It’s a dry red wine and is greatly enjoyed by all – so I have every faith in you. They “take it off” and decant it according to the moon, happy to find our more if it helps! We are off to England at the end of this week but here Up the Mountain have some amazing starry nights. I will have to see if I can follow Mad Dog’s advice and take a snap before we leave. Mind you, Down by the Sea, we get some beautiful starry nights too but there is street lighting there 😦
That darned street lighting! Maybe take shot of that after dark, all night shots intrigue me. c
I had to use a fungicide on my hollyhocks this summer (helped with the hollyhocks) and early next spring before my Blue Valiants leaf out I am going to use a fungicide on them. It has been really dry here. Drought conditions for two planting seasons now. I have found that the humidty with 90+ heat is the culprit with this particular grape and of course the hollyhocks. I shouldn’t have watered. I just didn’t know how deep they would find moisture. We have sandy soil. I hate to use chemicals…sigh…I will probably have to use it on my rosa rugosa as well. I may just pull up the Valiants.
You are truly a patient soul, always waiting for dough to rise, crops to be “just so.” The night sky shots will be terrific! We have too many lights here, and rarely see stars. I can’t wait!