First ever batch of homemade wine February 10th 2010

Golly, I'd forgotten about the blogging. But now I want to say how great it is....Kate and I just got 30 bottles of our own wine (!!!) from Fermentations for $177... therefore $5+ per bottle - courtesy of Kate's birthday present to me last year. And might I just mention my Christmas present which was some shares in the Montforte Cheese Factory which entitle me to a certain number of cheese vouchers per year - but I've already used up quite a few of my vouchers at the St. Lawrence Market on those gorgeous cheeses. One particularly delicious sheep cheddar with garlicscapes and one with sundried tomatoes. Lovely. So now I am enjoying my first bottle of my wine - a pinot gris with a 1 sweetness and it is still good at home - I was a little worried that the glass I tasted at Fermentations might be lulling me into a false sense of security and that, once home, it would taste disgusting. But, I tried some before making dinner and now I'm finishing off the bottle and it is still gorgeous.

After making the wine we drove back through Kensington Market and I stopped off at Sanagan's meat locker (my new favourite discovery) for some more of their gorgeous meats. I got the best tenderloin steak (should I say roast-it was certainly big enough for two meals) which was well marbled and a deep dry red colour. I knew it was going to be great. I put on some Viking potatoes from the specialist potato guy at St.Lawrence north market. In the pan with two garlic cloves (which, when cooked, got mashed with butter and cream) and on top a steamer of some broccolli. Then I just pan-fried the steak (after having rubbed it with garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper, in my hot cast iron pan with some of the gorgeous olive oil from the Olive Pit on Queen St. It was the best meal I've had in ages. Just delicious. The steak was rare but not running at all - nice and dry. With huge flavour. And the rest of it was unbelievable. so...was it the wine...or was it the food? Wer weiss?

I wanted to post a photo of the backyard in winter - it's so lovely. But I can't seem to make this blog import the photo. Oh well, the backyard looks lovely. Nuff said... Ha Ha - just found out how to do it...