Wine making (Page 2)

Pumpjack is a trained Oenologist, or Oenologue if you are in France. He makes wine. The perfect man. We’ve moved to France as he wants to make wine here. We are working a fermage (rental agreement) with a nearby Chateau to manage and maintain their vineyard in exchange we make wine from their grapes. It is a very big work in progress as the vineyard is in very poor condition. We are also making wine from other areas.

Chablis is a perfect example of Terroir. But what is terroir? Answers at PumpjackPiddlewick

We had a tasty Chablis last night with dinner. It got me to thinking how the wine is called ‘Chablis’ and not ‘Chardonnay’. You see, all the grapes growing around Chablis are Chardonnay. So, go figure. Elsewhere, for example, it would be, say ‘Californian Chardonnay’ or ‘Australian Chardonnay’. Before IRead More →

Winter in the Vineyard with Pumpjack Piddlewick

When we think of vineyards we most likely think of autumn and the harvesting of grapes, the making of the wine. That is the busiest time of year for both the vineyard and the winery, but it’s just the culmination. Take winter time in the vineyard. It’s possibly the mostRead More →

Grapes - posh plants or down and dirty agriculture - Featured Blog Post at PumpjackPiddlewick

I don’t know about you, but I never really thought about wine grapes and their vines as part of agriculture. In fact it sounds almost like a dirty word, when associated with wine. To me grapes aren’t a crop, like wheat. They are too posh for that. They are moreRead More →

Want to be able to afford good wine - Start a Wine Cellar

How can one afford, let alone drink good wine year round unless you are rich? That’s easy, start a wine cellar.  And, January is the perfect month to start, whether you are having a dry month or not. January Sales are not just for sofas and washing machines. But whatRead More →