Progressing nicely....

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Yep, Im still here.

You have a baby there. I've recently filled a dustbin pruning mine which is over 20 yrs now. Yep sorry, me being a greyhair, set a vine in 1985 or so.

I have a litre of Chat Duncan rouge from 2009, with 1/4inch of sediment in the bottom. I need to re-bottle since the ** lees don't look very pretty. The wine was made by a retired polish country women whom I invited here to clear the grapes in early October for herself. The grapes achieved a good colour in the long '09 Autumn, but their size was rather small and not more than 10 -12 mil in diameter. She took away some bread baskets full like a real pro, and we enjoyed the picking.


** That sorting of the lees will intoduce air - tricky, and not a barrel of laughs.

Good pic GK.

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Duncan

It is a young planting, this is its second year and the first fruit. It's much bigger than the image suggests, the bulk of it grows up the side of the house (to the left of pic).

I moved two gallons of elderflower champs from the bucket into DJ's last night, even at this mid-ferment stage the flavour was incredibly good. I may start another batch for a still wine, I think this recipe I made up is a cracker.

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Yep, Im still here.

What is the variety ??

You're doing realy well mate

Yep, mine is on a victorian wall, you've got that right GK, the hot brickwork of the house will help no end with ripening in our climate. Further, you may have introduced some old lime brickwork and old spent mortar to the dryish ground below, which helps replicate Terre Blanche terroir

Your wine will be fine - lots of luv in it.

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Duncan

Black Hamberg cross on another root stock. the plant was given to me by a cutting and grafting amateur with a very large old wood and brick conservatory at the back of her house. You know the type, earth borders, old solid fuel boiler for heating, lead pipes, brass and iron taps everywhere.

100 Years ago, quite a few folks grew pinapples in the Thames valley, and there was one such arrangement next door here before the WW11, (The war killed off all that stuff) The ground heating was from 4" cast iron pipes heated by a coke boiler in a shed next to the greenhouse

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Duncan

Muscat (Pheonix).

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Yep, Im still here.

Dunc, it loves the position, climbing up the rainwater pipe, South facing and mainly protected from the wind by a tall fence.

I give it a regular feed.

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Yep, Im still here.

There's a new variety called Phoenix pioneered by Three Choirs; but it isn't a Muscat

I’m very happy with the crop I’ve got off this young vine, over a dozen bunches with a few sacrificed in Spring. The skins are thinning and the sweetness is starting to balance the acidity, they have a lovely, fresh Muscadet flavour (without sur lie). If you've ever eaten grapes straight from the vine you'll know how deliciously fresh and juicy they can be, you can almost drink them down.

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

I'm jealous. My 2 tom plants have generated very few and very small fruits. Less tha a dozen certainly. Bah!

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Four wheels move the body - 2 wheels move the soul.

That is impressive indeed. Only the tomatoes that were undercover survived this year. Blight everywhere. The Sungold's did really well, but I think that they might actually be a little too sweet.

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tribs

I've got more chili's than Brick Lane. I grew x9 plants in the cold frame on the plot and another x10 in the poly-house, all have produced fruit but the ones on the plot have done amazingly well.

However, we're sick of the sight of runner beans at the mo, there's only so much you can do with them.....

My parsnips are shaping up to be a bumper crop this year, sprouts are not doing so well. I lost all my broad beans to blackfly, I've never seen it so bad, they were covered tip to root. Carrots have been fantastic and I've managed to grow garlic too. Leeks are looking good.