new wine/ new mead

Some people talk to their hair dressers, friends, dealers, proveyors of porn, I talk to my bee equipment supplier. Not only is he knowledgeable about bees; he has a history of producing honey wines. This was my first year making mead.

My second batch was a little tart compared to the first. The add-on of more honey and yeast may have caused a champagne effect in the second batch. The wine guy at the wine store told me this.

The first batch had fermented for three to four weeks when it twigged my curiosity so an early sampling of the musk was made. It was delicious, unique and prompted more tasting and mead to be made. The first batch was racked and a week later filtered, then it was bottled.... and it disappeared. Early wine or musk is zingier and sweeter according to my friend the bee supplier.

He tells me that in Germany and France tourist resorts serve their guests what is termed "New Wine" or "neuer wein" (German). This wine is not quite wine yet, it is in a stage of fermentation. It is sweet, fruity and popular. It is served with traditional meals, like weiner schnitel and potato pancakes etc. This is grape wine he is talking about. The alcohol could vary; however, the majority of alcohol seems to be produced in the first few weeks. I don't really know

I'm a mead maker. My friend the bee supplier says when the mead mulch starts to clear you are making wine. This is when it gets tart and white foam may form on the top of the wine. In Germany this stage is called white feather.

It was that zingy, fruity taste, I wanted. So I headed to the make-shift wine cellar for a taste. After three weeks the fifth batch was still slowly bubbling. I siphoned off a glass. Wow...that zinging sweet fruity taste was there...what a buzz.

This is going to be bottled and served right away... It is young wine, still changing, I have no doubt. Maybe a bottle will get old... but I doubt it. I read blogs from Europe telling me of new wine in plastic bottles, soaking the groceries. Plastic bottles are used to avoid exploding glass bottles. I think this is a good idea. I suspect there is a safe stage for new wine consumption...I'll find out.

My supplier tells me of another aspect of new wine sampling at German resorts. The inhibriation lessens the inhibitions to enjoy naked co-ed saunas.