Wines have been blended and stabilized. Almost ready to be bottled, but first filtration. Filtration can be done in many ways. Some wines are left unfilltered and just settled and racked. At the winery

Commercially finishing wine has a few more steps to it than the average home brew in the garage. Next is protein stability, without doing this step, if the wine goes through temperature ups and downs,

Bubbles are beautiful, and always a thing for me. This is a traditional method sparkling Nebbiolo from the Sordo producer in Piemonte, Italy. Recently had it at an event I attended. This was something

Ever heard of wine diamonds? Seen little bits of what might be irregular shaped salt or sugar in the bottom of your glass? Perhaps maybe thought it was shards of glass even? This is potassium bitartrate

This is the second busiest time of year in the cellar, hence the lack of Hive postings. It's time to finish all those wines to get them into bottle. Follow along as I take you through some of the cellar

This is the second busiest time of year in the cellar. The first being harvest, receiving and fermenting all the fruit. Now it's time to finish all those wines to get them into bottle. Follow along as

Christiano Van Zellers took over producing port after his father died when he was young, just 20 years old in 1981. Prior to that his family was responsible for Quinta du Nova, the oldest said port house

Got to make bread today for the first time in a while, I got my starter rehydrated and back to action after some time away. Starters need to be fed and taken care of every day. It was the 1st time I tried

A French Bordeaux from the right bank, not quite from the well known region of St.Emilion, but just outside of it. Same respective climate and growing conditions, terroir is similar and Merlot heavy red

This is the 2nd little dino I've felted and I am sold on the idea of creating more. The recipient has lovingly named him Fernandez and adores him. First off I started out by folding up a ripped old cotton

I think everyone who travels in life has places that are photographs imprinted into their memories. Where time almost stood still, and there was nothing but magic around them. The place, you remember how

The cold winter means its an excellent time to unbundle and get warm inside a garden conservatory. I visiting them all around the world, have written, painted, and meditated inside during the bleary chilly

Woke up early on a clear day, and was treated to a beach alone to watch the sunrise. The snow piled up to the water line with a bit of sand exposed. The orange and pink sky reflecting on the water as the

The fog was thick, and the world around was in a blanketed white beauty, contrasting the colours of nature on a blank pallet. Without the sun to melt anything away, the moisture in the air froze into a

Little fairy homes. Found in Ontario on the escarpment

A view across the River Douro over at the terracotta roofs of Porto. Most the Port houses are located in Villa Nova de Gaia, on the south side of the river. And well worth touring. Although the night life

The harvest is over, and the last of the reds get pressed off their skins after weeks of fermentation. It's an all encompassing feeling as the work on the fruit itself has culminated to its end for another

Hunting for some lobster mushrooms, the ones on the bottom. My roommate picked more to bring home to try and identify. Picked in: central interior British Columbia

The perfectly imperfect bunch of grapes. Appears far from perfect. Awkward, mishaped berries, rot and mildew. Many see the imperfections. But in a place to share knowledge. This is a perfect example of

Found on Sunshine Coast, BC