An old home-grown stickie

[hotwine]

Felt like having a glass of port last night when we got home from church, but didn't want to open good stuff, which is the only kind of port on hand at the moment. Dug around in the cellar and came up with a jug marked "Snow 1992". Poured about 3 oz. Very dark amber, shimmering in the glass, no sediment, clear as a bell. Whew! Burned rubber on the nose, but none on the palate; spicey, like a dessert wine called "Ximenez" I enjoyed in the CA central valley in the '70's; moderate finish, fading to a reprise of the burned rubber.

This is a dessert wine made from wild mustang grapes on our ranch by wife's late uncle "Snow" (for his white hair from even a young age). Snow passed on about five years ago at the age of 93, and no one else in the family even comes close to his prowess as a winemaker. We have several more bottles of his stuff, going back to about 1980, and each is an adventure. Have heard there are a few remaining in the ranch's cellar, so will retrieve those (for safekeeping, you know) tomorrow on a day-trip to deliver some equipment.

[Georgie]

and I'm sure that Snow is smiling down at you as you enjoy his stuff! Don't get too carried away...you should save a bottle or two for the grandkids. Even if they never drink it, it's a way to preserve your family history. Well, maybe they could just keep an empty bottle as an artifact, come to think of it..

[hotwine]

Found six more bottles in the ranch cellar, none dated; suspect late '80's to mid-'90's. Brought one home, a half-gallon, that is I guesstimate is a '94 due to color and condition of bottle used (Jim Beam jug). Will let it rest a while.

[Auburnwine]

Have you read the Cormac McCarthy Border Trilogy? Snow and mustang-grape wine should have been included.

[hotwine]

Haven't seen that, AW.
Tried my hand at mustang fermtation a few years ago, with mixed results. Still have a few bottles from the '80's. Tough to work without heavy chaptalization.

[winoweenie]

Were you chaptilizing them Mustangs wif' or wif'-out a saddle??ww

[brappy]

Hotwine,

This must be what was in Jugs. Funny that I found this thread. I was just checking out some older threads when this one came up. Great reading!

mark

[TheEngineer]

[img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] must have been snow wanting you ta read it again! [img]http://wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]