March 2010 – Spring, you are coming, aren’t you?

apropos — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:11:24 +0000

HEARD ON THE GRAPEVINE
What a weird winter. First it was warm way longer than usual, then we had ten days of cool/cold which was a disaster to my banana plants and key lime trees. Then the rain came and even now there is talk of off-and-on rain/cold for the foreseeable future. Not exactly Chamber of Commerce weather. The good news, though (and there is always good news somewhere) is that it is possible to make orange wine ( use only the sweet kind ). And, too, strawberries are ripe and sweeter this year than normal. The cold weather has been good for our beer sales too (that probably doesn’t mean much to you – but we like it) And even as rotten as it feels, we could be up north. Need I say more?

WINE COMPETITION

We Got Silver and some Bronze!
Our intrepid customers did pretty good this year – no Gold (stingy judges), but Mike and Joanne Mancuso got two silvers, George Rosenjack got one, our 4 compatriots, A&G Winery, got a silver, and our first-time entrants, Tim Smith got 2 bronze and Eric Gates got a bronze with only one entry! Congrats everyone – keep up the good work.

WORT’S HAPPENING
Just a friendly reminder to all-grain guys, if you are planning to brew in the near future. Give us a call with your requirements and we can put your order on our truck delivery. Could save you some money if your brew is a large one and we order at least once a month.

QUESTIONS
Q. Does adding more fruit than the recipe calls for make the wine richer?

A. Sometimes but not normally. The not-often recognized problem with fruit wines is that in addition to the fruit flavor and scent is an aftertaste that can be accented by using too much fruit. Judges often call it an off taste or dirty finish. This is particularly true with fruit that is slightly overripe.

The Value of a Drink

Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I fee shame. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn’t drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered . . then I say to myself, “It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver.” Jack Handy

“I feel sorry for people who don’t drink . . When they wake up in the morning , that’s as good as they’re going to feel all day.” Frank Sinatra

“When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.” Henny Youngman

“When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let’s all get drunk and go to heaven?” Brian O’Rourke

“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh’ I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizzas.” Dave Barry

One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff Clavin was explaining the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm. Here’s how it went:

“Well ya see, Norm, it’s like this. . . a herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That’s why you always feel smarter after a few beers.:

’til next month . . . Sue

From the Top of the Bottle

March 2010 – Spring, you are coming, aren’t you?