Currants & wine bottling day

As I said I would, although actually surprised myself I did so...
the currant picking began yesterday morning.

Our original two bushes of red currants were planted in 2013 and have now evolved into four full bushes after transplanting some new growth over the years.  Actually, a 5th additional baby plant has also been planted a handful of years ago, but that one hasn't quite hit any solid development yet.

Last summer, I was lazy!  

Yup.  Let 'em go completely.  

The birds were the only ones to enjoy the berries.  

They get to be DAUNTING!

But...

THIS year, with wine in mind and a lil' self-talk, they are being picked.  Completely, is the goal.

This morning was overcast, but quite beautiful all the same for picking... until the storm hit.

Between yesterday and today, enough currants have been picked for 2 gallons of wine (3.5lb/gal); the end-goal is for six, and hubby is onboard with interest, so maybe between tonight and tomorrow, the rest of the bushes will be completed.

The day evolved into another one of those "as-things-happen" days.  Meaning, I had zero plans nor intentions to have today become a bottling day when I woke this morning.  But, after dashing inside just as the storm hit, after washing up the dishes on the counter, after processing the 3 lbs of currants picked, ... the "wine counter" held my attention.  
Yup.  Let's bottle it up today!

I remember really tackling the counter of carboys by bottling it all up last summer (there was probably on the upwards of 30 gals in a variety of flavors on the counter) with the mindset of backing-off from wine-making.  We have quite the loot in the root cellar, so much that I can't imagine ever drinking it all.  Bottles have been given to friends and family... but still, I distinctly remember I had full plans to back away from making wine.

So, surprise-surprise when I uncovered these babies to see that three of them were new starts last summer.

What?!  Goodness!  I truly don't remember starting anything.  ((Hence, another reason why I'm glad to get this blog going again.))  Therefore, only the Rhubarb-Strawberry was bottled, leaving the Plum, Cherry, and Honeyberry for some more settling after racking into clean carboys.

Wanting to stage a catchy, corny photo, but not having fresh strawberries available, and the rhubarb patch is in its midsummer "I-could-look-better" stage... 

We are left with...

Option A corny table view of the frugally collected mismatched set of bottles with 26-year-old wedding photos peering as a backdrop

Option B corny deck-rail resting prop with girls’ playset and cloudy post-rain backdrop.

Rhubarb-Strawberry (2:1) finished

Started: 6/16/23

Bottled: 7/13/24

9%

Next up:  Crab-Apple

crabapple juice preserved from 2019 - received two HUGE burlap bags of crabapples from a friend that year

Although I attempted to keep this one on the lower ABV side of things...
dem apples were clearly a bit on the sugary side.

After this finishes at 0.99, the ABV will end right around 11%.

Yeast planned:  Red Star Premier Cote des Blancs