Semi sweet wines from Gruzia (Georgia)

Gruzia (Georgia) is an ancient country on the Black Sea it has
beautiful mountains, seashore, people and wine grown in it's Meditrean
climate.

Hafez' verse

Even though alone, I decided I shall "taste" life to its fullest.

It is nice to visit Quebec or Europe, but... 

home is where the heart is, and if we do not have the heart to feel at home where we are now, 

we will never be at peace.

I made apricot-and-date buns, good bergamot tea, and Shiraz wine and wrote matching poetry, oil lamp light... Bon appetite!




Shiraz.. she left tonight her ruby mark
My night's companion after dark
A crecent stamp on Hafez' verse
Of lover's longing well rehearsed
I dipped my lips in thoughts of love
soul-mates tonight like wings of a dove
Cross distance fast and have you near
My mind is calm, goodnight my dear.

"Children running" interpretation of Rumi

I used to be shy,
and You made me sing.

I used to refuse to eat,
now, I call for more wine.

I used to sit in somber dignity,
on my mat and pray.

Now, children run around
and make funny faces at me.

---------------

Rumi was a Muslim spiritual leader and this poem may raise some eyebrows;
alcohol is forbidden and prayer is utmost respected,
yet Rumi as a Sufi mystic is trying to make another point from a simple decadence.

His understanding of God's omnipresence transcends convention.
He understands and sees God everywhere, in love, in happiness and especially in children faces.
He does not limit God to self-restraint, fasting and the prayers.

No sticky labels

I finally got the motivation to bottle the remaining 3 gallons of
pomegranate/cherry wine (#0002). After coulple of hours of scrubbing
the labels of old bottles, which is really the worst of punishments, I
decided there must be a better way. I decided to use tags on the
string and wire, this way once a bottle is finished, I save the tag
for record keeping, wash and reuse the bottle. I also bought today 3
cases of new bottles and 100 new corks.

Now, all I have to ask is for people to return the label-less bottles
to me so I can reuse them.

I have another 15 gallons of wine making, but that is another day's
work.

No sticky labels

I finally got the motivation to bottle the remaining 3 gallons of
pomegranate/cherry wine (#0002). After coulple of hours of scrubbing
the labels of old bottles, which is really the worst of punishments, I
decided there must be a better way. I decided to use tags on the
string and wire, this way once a bottle is finished, I save the tag
for record keeping, wash and reuse the bottle. I also bought today 3
cases of new bottles and 100 new corks.

Now, all I have to ask is for people to return the label-less bottles
to me so I can reuse them.

I have another 15 gallons of wine making, but that is another day's
work.

pomegranate wine ...

Into secondary fermentation

This wine batch #0005 is milky yellow now, but in few weeks it will be
crystal clear.

#0001 Riesling Ice Wine

3 U.S. gallons

Saturday, December 13, 2008

• half way cleared
• racked clear top to about 4 bottles 
• added glass marbles (bad idea)
• added clarifying agent to the rest and set to the cooler place

Saturday, December 13, 2008

• only half way cleared
• leave until clear in the cool place

Saturday, December 20, 2008

• clearing went well, but i would not use marbles again
• not as clear as original top batch
• bottled and put away

final S.G. 1.046

#0004 Pomegranate, Cherry, Apple, Honey wine

day 1) December 4, 2008

• 2 US gallons of Apple cider - Indian Summer
• 1.5 quarts of honey
• 10 cans of Pomegranate Cherry
• add water to 5.5 gallons
• S.G. 1.076 10% potential alcohol
• add 6 Campden tablets
• mix 1 cup of warm water and 1 Tbsp of Bentonite
• wait 24 hours

day 2) December 5, 2008

• add yeast nutrient
• add Pectic Enzyme
• PH 3.8
• add yeast starter
• mix

day 9) Saturday , December 13, 2008

• racked from primary frementer to secondary carboy
• S.G. 1.000 (no sugar left)
• fermentation stopped

day 10) Sunday, Decemeber 14, 2008

• added 10 lbs. of sugar until S.G. 1.074 (very sweet)
• added the orange juice yeast starter
• leave until fermentation stops (alcohol content kills the yeast)

Output 6 U.S. gallons

First batch of wine ready

First batch of wine ready

Batch #0002 Pomegranate Cherry

December 12, 2008 - started clearification

• S.G. 1.018
• added 6 crushed Campden tablets to stop the fermentation
• added 150 ml of sugar
• added Kieselsol clarifying agent
• added Chitosan clarifying agent
• wait at least 24 hours and rack the wine to clean carboy

Saturday December 20, 2008

• bottled 3 gallons
• clarity excellent
• color red (like Cherry juice)
• taste excellent, sweet but not too much
• left 3 gallons in the small carboy because I had no clean bottles and corks

• sweet, 
• final S.G. 1.024
• very good wine

Clearing half way

This wine has cleared only have way. You can see the line of sediment in the middle.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

• racked clear top to about 4 bottles 
• added clarifying agent to the rest and set to the cooler place

final S.G. 1.046

Clearing of the Riesling Ice Wine

#0001 the fermentation is stopped and clearing started, in 12 days it
should be ready, you can see the yeast on the bottom

Pomegranate wine - secondary fermentation

#0002 after adding Polish blueberries, yeast and topping off with
pomegranate juice.

New wine mix

1 US. gallon of Apple Cider (Jewel)

5 lb of Clover Honey (SueBee)

420 ml of Rose Hip Syrup

1 L of Wild Strawberry Syrup (Polonaise)

Riesling ice wine

This picture was taken at the beginning of the secondary fermentation in the 3 U.S. gallon carboy.

You can see a smaller juice bottle on the left, I added the yeast from the primary (the silt left on the bottom), some more sugar and yeast nutrients to re-start the fermentation for the next batch. This is an alternative if the new yeast pockets are not available every time you make wine batch.

I dream about life away from the rut we live in.

I want to get away and rent a cheap apartment in an old house under a red-tiled roof.
At sunrise, I want to ride a motor-bike (or an old jeep) to the deserted beach, walk for miles, dive, run, be naked, make love, feel the life, then, on the big rock eat a baguette with tomatoes, salt and pepper, and cheese, drink watered-down wine.
Spend the afternoons in a small corner cafe, reading and writing books.
Spend evenings in front of the fireplace with a cup of traditional European hot chocolate.

poison, or ulcer?

I think I just poisoned my self, or I had a violent reaction of my stomach... I ate mashed patato and chicken, which has been in the fridge for a few days, and some water diluted wine (I cannot drink full strenght). Usually, I might have a hearburn after a wine, but this time I after just a bite, or two, my stomach just shut down. I had run to the kitchen to spit the wine, took a glass of water, but I could not swallow. Eventually, I managed to take two heartburn pills that I swallowed, but I still could not drink much water. For the next hour I was puking what seemed to be a foamy clear-watery substance (pill efect?). To make it worse my baby had a hissy-fit, everytime I left the room, she was screaming. So I was puking with the baby on my arm - how much fun! I was on the verge of a panic attack because my stomach was killing me, I felt like choking. I was afraid that it is a poisoning indeed, and worse, that the baby got it too (via a pacifier, or bottle I was trying to give to calm her down). After I got everything out of my stomach, the little chicken I ate, I got better. I called Ji but she did not answer, I wanted her to know what is going on in case I get worse. Finally, I managed to feed the baby enough (with the frequent stops for the bathroom visits and her cry attacs) and she fell asleep. I had to sit over her for a good 30 minutes, because she was opening her eyes to check if I am there. Now, I regained my strength and I am readying to make some jello. A trick I learned in my highschool days of heavy drinking and frequent hang-overs and alcohol poisonings -- the best cure for upset stomach is jello, or polish version of it, a kisiel. Well, life throws you the curve balls sometimes. I feel better now.