What R you doing today?

[ffemt128]

I'm off work Thursday through Monday. I'm going to try to get my 2014 Chilean bottled and possibly get a start on the elderberry. I really want to get that started and it will take me the better part of the day to steam 135 lbs of elderberries from last year and this year. I was planning on an 18-20 gallon batch from those then do a 2nds run with the skins. Could be interesting...

 

[ceeaton]

Have had a rough week adjusting to school and all the activities with the kids, as well as my wife attending classes on Monday and Wednesday (so I can hopefully retire early, shush, she doesn't know yet).

Sat down to peruse these forums with a glass of cheap Cab Sauv and found the Beetles Sgt. Pepper's CD sitting beside the computer. Obviously my 16 yr old left it out (he loves the Beetles, go figure) so I popped it into the DVD drive.

Music and wine, what a great way to relax. Now I think I can face the day tomorrow, of course after another glass of cheap wine!

Edit: Gonna be one of those nights. Got some Rickie Lee Jones out (first album I think) with the Original Master Recording of Mars Hotel (Grateful Dead) on deck. Hope I get to bed before midnight, or maybe not.

Edit2: Utoh, just found some Robert Cray - Strong Persuader - gonna be a really long night, might run out of wine. "She can have the house and everything in it....Guess I showed her"

 

[Boatboy24]

Have had a rough week adjusting to school and all the activities with the kids, as well as my wife attending classes on Monday and Wednesday (so I can hopefully retire early, shush, she doesn't know yet).

Sat down to peruse these forums with a glass of cheap Cab Sauv and found the Beetles Sgt. Pepper's CD sitting beside the computer. Obviously my 16 yr old left it out (he loves the Beetles, go figure) so I popped it into the DVD drive.

Music and wine, what a great way to relax. Now I think I can face the day tomorrow, of course after another glass of cheap wine!

Edit: Gonna be one of those nights. Got some Rickie Lee Jones out (first album I think) with the Original Master Recording of Mars Hotel (Grateful Dead) on deck. Hope I get to bed before midnight, or maybe not.

There is a winery near here that does music and wine pairings. Its a really interesting concept. They'll serve the same wine to the same people, but with different music playing; then compare tasting notes. They get some really interesting responses that support the pairings almost in the way you could say that certain wines do better with certain foods.

 

[ceeaton]

Wonder if they are working with a local college? Would make a great research project. If you find out they are doing that I'll volunteer!

 

[Boatboy24]

Wonder if they are working with a local college? Would make a great research project. If you find out they are doing that I'll volunteer!

http://www.notavivavineyards.com/

 

[Boatboy24]

Got in an early morning run, then fed beasts (kids) breakfast. Washed some bottles so I can get ready for bottling the 2014 Chilean and 2013 Blueberry port. Gotta make room for the CA wines coming in a few weeks. Later, we are probably going to take the kids to mini golf. There's a great place not too far from here that has been around forever. We just learned last week that they have sold to a developer and will be closing this fall. Gotta get at least one more round in.

 

[ibglowin]

Out in Burbank, CA visiting the kids for a few days. 100 degrees since we have gotten here! Tonight we are going to the Hollywood Bowl to see Diana Krall in concert. SIL has box seats so we are dining alfresco before hand 3 course meal. They bring the food to you and take it away before the show starts. May see a celeb or two we will see.

 

[jgmann67]

Drinking some Niner Merlot and watching the local little league team win a national championship. They play Japan tomorrow for the world championship.

 

[Hokapsig]

picked up a used 200 liter stainless VC tank today, then attended the local Vines and Wines at the garden center. Planning to do some bottling tomorrow....

 

[Boatboy24]

Out in Burbank, CA visiting the kids for a few days. 100 degrees since we have gotten here! Tonight we are going to the Hollywood Bowl to see Diana Krall in concert. SIL has box seats so we are dining alfresco before hand 3 course meal. They bring the food to you and take it away before the show starts. May see a celeb or two we will see.

According to this, you were having dinner at 3pm. What? Please post your celebrity selfies.

 

[ibglowin]

LOL got here at 5:30 so we didn't have to rush. Concert just now starting!

 

[Boatboy24]

Just finished the last of the bottle cleaning/draining and got the dry ones put away and ready. Was going to do some bottling this morning, but decided to do a final check on the 2014 Chilean Cab/Merlot first. It isn't ready. Aside from a little age, it needs some oak. Fortunately, a quick inventory determined that I have enough 6 gallon carboys to accommodate the CA grape harvest, so no rush to bottle. I gave it some oak and will let it sit a while longer. The 2013 Blueberry Port and 2014 Peach (3+ gallons each) are ready. I'll back sweeten the peach and retest in a few days, then bottle both of those next weekend.

This afternoon, our neighbors are taking us to the Nats/Marlins game.

 

[ibglowin]

Not much in the way of celebrity sightings last night. Had a great time, was a warm night. Great concert. Have not been to too many concert venues that allow you to bring in not only your own food but your own alcohol as well. We ordered two different family style dinners that were delivered to our box (Roasted chicken and Hanger Steak) along with all the sides and then we brought in our own hand picked wines. The Hollywood Bowl is O&O by the city of LA.

 

[Black-opal]

not much

Hubby replaced the Lower Control Arms and Tie Rod Ends on my car so it's ready for road trip at the end of September.

nutrient & energized my brew today, hope it'll be done in time.

 

[Hokapsig]

The bottler blew me off today, so I did bench testing on a Catawba/Fredonia blend. Now to get the label approved....

 

[jtstar]

I picked two rows of grapes this weekend ended up with about 170 lbs of grapes

 

[ceeaton]

Monday, Monday....sometimes Monday, me and work just don't get along. Not super busy (will be in a few weeks) so taking 1/2 day vacation time to bottle a batch, clean some bottles and convert a freshly made tomato sauce into a spaghetti dinner. Might try and degass a Pinot Grigio from this Spring's Chilean juice bucket if time allows.

Good day to do all this inside work since the humidity just jumped up quite a bit. Dew points now in the low 70's. Hasn't been that much in the way of high dew points this summer, we all are spoiled around here.

 

[ffemt128]

I was off work yesterday so I sanitized bottles and bottled 16 gallons of Chilean Reds (Carmenere, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon) and also bottled my Brianna and Isabella. I have the labels printed and have labeled the Carmenere. I'll label the others today.

I also removed the lower shelf and drawers from my extra fridge so that I can use it to cold stabilize my Riesling and Pinot Gris. I'll pull those in about 3 weeks.

 

[Boatboy24]

Threw a pork shoulder on the smoker at O' dark thirty, took a short nap, then went for a run. Neighbors coming over later.

 

[Hokapsig]

Took off Friday and with ffemt's invaluable help, picked up 100 cases of bottles. The wife and I then took off for Erie for the weekend, visiting wineries and having dinner at the haunted train station. Processed pears and pressed the first batch, though the yield was not what I had hoped for. The permit for the farmer's market was sent to PLCB for the October pumpkin festival....