Salmonberry Wine

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments A generous soul sent me two bottles of Salmonberry Wine from Washington state just in time to be enjoyed with my Thanksgiving feast. I first opened a cranberry wine, which was good and paired well, but the Salmonberry was sitting on the buffet taunting me and so I opened a bottle. The bouquet hit my nose in seconds and then spread throughout the dining room. Boy, am I glad I opened that bottle. Dry but deliciously fruity. Thanks, Bob! Read more....

Elderberry Goo

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments The subject of elderberry goo seems to crop up just about every time elderberry winemaking is discussed. If you do not know what elderberry goo is, consider yourself lucky. But if you are thinking of making elderberry wine from fresh wild berries, it is a subject you'd better at least be acquainted with. You may or may not encounter it, but if you do, being forewarned is being prepared. Read more....

Persimmon Melomel

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments I have twice before posted methods for making persimmon wines here on the "WineBlog", but it is persimmon season again and I was asked for a "sure-fire, one-gallon recipe for a persimmon melomel." Well shucks, you don't have to ask me twice for this one. Read more....

Dead Links at Geocities

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments Luc Volders notified me from The Netherlands that one of my winemaking links was dead as the link was hosted on the defunct Geocities. While correcting the entry, I went ahead and searched my internet references page and made note of 20 sites linked to Geocities before I stopped searching. I have now run Google searches on each of these sites and found only two were resurrected at a new URL. This means some really great web sites have disappeared, or some might have resurrected under different names. Read more....

Why Things Are, Revisited

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments Several months ago (August 10th, 2009) I posted an entry on why my site remains the way it is in terms of layout and design. I'm not going to repeat that entry. If you missed it and are at all interested, you can navigate to it and read the original posting. But in it I stated that my web sites and blog retain their look because I don't use templates or automatic code generators, but rather create everything, including the code to place things where they are and as they are, myself. A while after posting that entry, something changed on the "WineBlog". Some of you noticed it but most probably did not. Read more....

Sand Burr Wine

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments Back in August I mentioned that I started another batch of an old classic I invented about 8 or 9 years ago that won three golds and a silver – sand burr wine. I said in August I would say more about it later. A reader named Jeff reminded me that I have not yet done so. I'll correct that now. Read more....

Mulled (Spiced) Wines, Peaches and Wine-Toddy

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments 'Tis the season and recipes for mulled wine have been appearing in blogs all over the place, but most use a commercial blend of mulling spices. You can save time and possibly money by purchasing such a blend, but if you have a well-stocked kitchen you probably have the ingredients to make your own, and it's both fun to do and leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. I've gone through our recipe files (my wife has a "wonderful" collection from family members, friends and probably hundreds of printed sources) and selected three very different mulled wine and one spiced-wine peaches recipes. I'll start with the peaches first. Read more....

Arlington

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments Fellow Texas winemaker, veteran and friend Fred Williams informed me of something I simply missed in the news. Readers may be interested to know that the wreaths in the photograph – some 5,000 – were donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but for years covered the trucking expense as well. A wonderful guy, he's done this since 1992. Read more....

Irish Moss

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments Irish moss is a fining agent made from an Atlantic seaweed called "Chondrus crispus", known under the common name Irish moss, or carrageen moss (in Irish, carraigín means "little rock"). The active fining ingredient in Irish moss is k-carrageenan, a polymer of β-D-galactose-4-sulphate-3,6-anhydro-a-D-galactose. It is negatively charged and therefore attractive to proteins in suspension. Read more....

Batwing Blood (A Mead)

Posted by Jack Keller's WineBlog in General, OtherMay 28th, 2010 | No Comments Somewhere I acquired a recipe for a blood red melomel called "Batwing Blood." I'm sure some of you are thinking this posting would have fit the calendar better around Halloween, but if you start it now it should be aged and ready to serve at your next Halloween party. Read more....