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Time has a way of sneaking up quickly! I had meant to participate in this month’s “Wine Blogging Wednesday,” the theme of which was to buy a wine based solely on the attractiveness (to you) of its label.

But alas, with all sorts of activities including Christmas planning, snow shovelling, working and winemaking, the 7th of December rolled by with me forgetting about heading out to the LCBO to find a pretty wine label.

Derrick of Obsession With Food has December’s Wine Blogging Wednesday Wrap Up, here.

Lance, an experienced home brewer, has provided the second part of his article on liquid yeast. This one is entitled “Extending the Life of your Liquid Yeast” and is well worth a read if you’re interested in using liquid yeasts and getting more yeast life for your buck.

I have an awesome eldest son, who through no fault of his, lives about 5 hours car drive from me. We don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like but I’m very proud of him, and I also have to say that I am very proud of the job his mother has done as well.

Alex and I have a lot in common – we both love to debate, argue, and think about reality, yet at the same time, we also enjoy the sensuality of music, appreciate emotion, and tonight after chatting with him on MSN, as on previous occassions, we both know there is a “link” to each we just “know.” He’s my eldest, and I’m proud of him. Even when he tries to turn my arguments upside down, and take some joy in proving me wrong – but I also know, just as my Dad did with me, I’ve always got something in my back pocket that I know he has not thought about – and can challenge him with.

Even though he has under achieved in some areas, where I know he could have done better.. well.. who am I to be critical? I did the same.. underachieved in areas I know I could have done better.. but that’s no excuse, I know.

Years ago, I wrote a poem. I’ve shared it with Alex, and I hope one day, he puts it to music, or rearrages so it can be put to music. It was a wine induced poem, while thinking about love, loves past, loves future, loves present. Stuff that Alex may never totally understand, but I have an idea that as he grows older, he will understad.

Here’s one of those wine induced poems:

I watched a Robin the other day
Making a nest it was the first of May
I listened to its song, its chirp did raise
My spirit from the winters grave.

I watched the sun set in the west
I knew it would soon be time to rest
The ruddy colours in the sky
There is beauty when the day doth die

I saw the daffodils so yellow in bloom
In a garden its keeper so carefully did groom
Its life from seed that has sat in soil
To become in Spring the Flower Royal

I spoke to the rushing river yestrday morn
And spoke in happy tongue, yet forlorn
I spoke of life all anew and love that is found
Fate knows the river to its banks are bound.

I heard the cry of coyotes, wondering
At what there howl was offering
Perhaps a wail for some missing kin
Or joyful yelp for new love found ag’in.

I smelled the spring time atmosphere
While walking through the forest near
My heart was happy, yet heavy still
And so I sat upon the yonder hill.

As I sat upon the rocky crest
I became aware of the beating in my breast
I felt my shoulders, they were bare
Pleading for fingers of one so fair.

I dwelled upon all I had seen and heard
I looked to the West for some sign or word
Of when my soul would feel complete
Fate, I know, me it will not cheat.

My heart cried like the coyote call
Her kiss wrapped round like winter shawl
Is what I want, is what I need
My soulmate is for all I plead.

My soulmate to talk to the river
With me, parting from me never
My completion, my rose like Seal’s
In front of her I need to kneel.

To dance together like Northern Lights
Creating our own colored love rites
To know, to feel, to love and admire,
Oh Fate, come, come lift me higher!

*************

Ok, so you think it’s silly. Wait till you read my John Donne immitation.

As mentioned in a previous post, I’ve got NO room for even walking in my winemaking area. And I’ve got a bunch of wines that need racking from primaries to secondary carboys.

I’ve got one spare carboy, but no extra bungs and airlocks. Don’t you just hate it when that happens, when you want to do something, but you don’t have the right equipment? Guess another visit to Winemakers is on my schedule.

But I did make a little room, bottling the Granache that I started back in August. 19 litres – just over 24 bottles. It already tastes quite yummy!

Then, I racked the Liebfraumilch I started last week – the specific gravity today was right on 1.000. I used a Mexican style carboy – which are a bit stouter than the traditional Italian style carboys, and about a half cup less in capacity. With that, I didn’t have to top up at all.

So that was my wine making day. Tomorrow, there is going to be a lot more work, as I rack the fruit wines I started last week, pressing the fruit bits and pieces through cheesecloth first. While I think about it, I’m going to just go and stare at the hypnotizing sight of the bubbles and bits of dried elderberry flowers rushing to the top of the carboy of Liebfraumilch while I sip some wine.

That’s my son. His name is David, and he’s an awesome son. Recently, he and I went on a little “adventure” together, just him and I. It was time to pick up our Baco Noir juice from Lakeview Vineyards, near Beamsville Ontario in the Niagara region.

The picture above is David, after spending almost two hours in the car with me, falling asleep, and me waking him up when we arrived at Lakeview. David is kind of like his dad – waking up from sleep is not the most pleasant thing but once awake, watch out! David wanted to jump around on the steps, pick crab apples, and explore. But I needed to pick up my juice!

After picking up the juice, I asked the staff for permission to walk around their grounds, partly so I could take some pictures, and partly so David could expend some energy. Permission was granted, and David and I checked out the vineyard.

David regularly helps Daddy with wine making, and especially enjoys helping with the bottling. He likes to hold onto the corks, and when the big floor corker needs another cork, David knows exactly what to do. The cork goes into the hole as Daddy places the bottle of wine underneath, and David reaches up, two hands on that corking lever, and helps press the cork down into the bottle. I’m sure the Ontario Labour Board wouldn’t approve, and we’re probably breaking some safety regulation, having a three year old help with the wine corking, but neither David or I care much about that.

Regardless, David knows about making wine. So he was quite excited himself to run around the vineyard, and see “wine juice berries.” That’s what he called them, and what an appropriate name it is, don’t you agree?

David had an awesome time, running between the rows of grape vines, looking at them all. He even wanted to taste the grapes, but knew that we should ask permission first. He knew they weren’t his wine juice berries – and if we couldn’t find anyone to ask… well, we shouldn’t take any of the “berries” for ourselves. Amazing really, how children can have a sense of property rights when one teaches respect for their own property as well as others. So instead of eating the berries, we had fun exploring and looking at them all. And David had a lot of energy to expend as well!

That’s David, pointing to some “wine juice berries” high on the vine – I believe they are Pinot Noir grapes that we’re looking at. David ran up and down the rows of vines, exclaiming, “Look, Dad, purple ones!” And then when we came to some white grapes, the exclamation, “White wine juice berries, Daddy!” It was a wonderful adventure!

After taking a bunch of pictures of David, he wanted a picture of him and me. Good thing I have an older Nikon that swivels, and we sat together, me squatting in front of wine berry vines, while he sat on my knee, and we peered into the camera viewer to get a picture of both of us together. I was a bit .. rough looking, not having shaved for a few days, but David didn’t care. It was just awesome that the both of us were able to go on a wee adventure together, laugh, play, and look at “wine juice berries.”

I have no idea if David will ever enjoy my hobby of winemaking, and it doesn’t really matter. All I know is that it was wonderful for me to take him along to pick up my Baco, let him explore, and have a wonderful “adventure” together.

I hope you have as much fun as I do with your winemaking. Even if the wine doesn’t turn out as well as you had imagined, I hope that your memories are as good as mine, and the only thing that really matters, is spending time with that which you love.

Ah, it was a wonderful adventure, and we’ll be doing more of that as well.

So this evening I’m sanitizing and rinsing bottles so I can bottle up some Pinot Noir. Everything is going well, even though it is a bit of a mind numbing activity.

I’ve got a little pressure spray attachment on my faucet that when I press down on it with the mouth of the bottle, a good spray of water shoots into the bottle, rinsing it.

So merrily I’m going along, when all of a sudden, the whole darn faucet comes out of it’s fitting behind the sink! I’ve got hot water spraying up to the ceiling and all over me. Probably would have made a good cartoon or something, but at the time, it was a wee bit shocking with this hot water spraying all over the place.

Thankfully, I have a plumbing box handy, and managed to replace the o-ring that had completely split, and somehow the end of the faucet was able to slip up behind it’s retaining ring. So I did manage to get 35 bottles sanitized – but it’s 3:30AM, and I’m tired now.

Ah, what the heck.. Pinot into the bottles.. it’s Saturday, I can sleep in.

Ancient Roman Festival:

“The day on which people sampled old and new wine. It is, in fact, a harvest festival.

Meditrina roughly equates with the Greek goddess Jaso, but differed from Medetrina’s sister Hygieia (they, and Panacea, were daughters of Asclepius and Salus) in that while the Greek goddess preserved good health, Meditrina’s role was to restore it.

Jupiter as well, as a wine god, was honoured on this day. Feasting and games were in order for this and the next several days. September 30 (qv), October 3 and October 11 are given by some sources as the three days of the Meditrinalia.”

~ Wilson’s Almanac

It’s Saturday morning, I haven’t slept all night, but I just had a great idea. First though, why I haven’t slept: I drove into Toronto last evening to attend a Toronto “blogfest.” Not much wine was drunk I don’t think at “The Bishop & Belcher,” but a lot of beer, including Guiness by me, was had. Actually, I didn’t drink much at all as I knew I would be driving – so three pints over four hours. A good time was had by all – beautiful women, interesting conversation, and it was nice to put a face to some of the blogs I read.

But when I got home, I simply wasn’t tired! I ended up doing some things, and the next thing I knew it was 6AM. My 15 year old son is visiting with me, and I got to thinking that it would be nice to take him to Niagara Falls as he has not been there in sometime.

And of course, that’s a great excuse for me to visit some of the vineyards down in the area. I’m hoping to also pick up some juice as well. Of course, I’ll be taking my camera so I shall have some pictures to post for all three of my loyal readers

Have a great day yourself!