Sake Update

Quick Sake update, the Sake seems to still be fermenting well, so I am going to leave it in primary fermentation for a few more days, maybe through the weekend. It has a pleasant aroma and everything appears to be progressing well. Current plan is to transfer it to another container and cold crash it as soon as I feel fermentation has slowed sufficiently, then bottle and do a tasting.

I racked the blackberry wine a few days ago, it has a really nice dark red color, I think I will give it a month to clear then stabilize it, back sweeten, and bottle in time for summer. I really need to get the beet and the carrot wines bottled, so maybe I'll call up my bottling partner (daughter Alex) and get that knocked out all together.

Kasey, Alex, and I made a trip to Biltmore last weekend to view the Van Gogh Alive exhibit (the cover image to this entry is Van Gogh's Almond Blossom) and we had a great time. Of course we had to stroll through the winery and do a tasting since we were on the estate, that's a moral imperative! The Tempranillo was good as usual, and I really enjoyed the Gewurztraminer, but I think the Petit Syrah was the star of this trip. I didn't buy any this time, as I have a couple hundred bottles in my cellar currently, but we are passholders so I am sure I'll be back up in April when the tulips bloom, and a glass or two with a good meal just may be on the agenda. May look at making a Petite Syrah as well when my dry red stash starts getting low, that'll be a first for me. I have made several batches of Syrah, and done some Syrah blends (Gnarly Wench being the most notable!) so I think this may be right up my alley.

Sake tasting coming soon!