I used to post regularly onhere until about 3 years ago but I have stll
popped in to have a look how things are going.
It would seem to be no longer the active group where lots of information was
available from others.

It is a sad fact but is happening allover the newsgroups as more and more we
turn to browser based information.

I ham doing the same myself and visit newsgroups ess and less. It is just
easier to research onl line using browsers -- sad but true

Anyway for the odd ones that might remember of me, I am still wine making
although I confess to making more wine by the vastly improving wine kits
available these days which produce good generic true to type wines.

I still do make a few country wines too as the summer/autumn glutt of fruits
ripen .
I am presently picking and freezing fruits from my garden -- goosegogs
galore ( gooseberries!) and I have just stripped my 2 redcurrant bushes --
not weighed them yet but a bumper crop now in the freezer. black currant
should be pickable within a week and then the blackberries and Loganberries
will not be far behind now
I have not made any elderberry wine for several years now but I do have a 5
gallon carboy of fortified elderberry sitting quietly in a corner which I
put to rest and mature in 2005.

I think I might venture into a gosseberry champagne this year -- not done a
sparkling wine for about10 years now but I have a dozen suitable bottle and
the necessary closures for them so I shall probably have a go again.
That's enough now. Years are galloping by too fast and I am now 76 and this
is the first year that I haven't gone off around Europe on my bike +
trailer, cycle camping and I suspect that with increasing medica problems I
may never do such solo unsupport cycle camping again that's more than a bit
sad butmedical condions seem forever to get in the way of everything!

I think I have a glass of my 2011 "summer Fruits wine" to drown my sorrows!

Cheers .

On Saturday, July 27, 2013 6:20:47 AM UTC-4, Trevor A Panther wrote:
> I used to post regularly onhere until about 3 years ago but I have stll
>
> popped in to have a look how things are going.
>
> It would seem to be no longer the active group where lots of information was
>
> available from others.
>
>
>
> It is a sad fact but is happening allover the newsgroups as more and more we
>
> turn to browser based information.
>
>
>
> I ham doing the same myself and visit newsgroups ess and less. It is just
>
> easier to research onl line using browsers -- sad but true
>
>
>
> Anyway for the odd ones that might remember of me, I am still wine making
>
> although I confess to making more wine by the vastly improving wine kits
>
> available these days which produce good generic true to type wines.
>
>
>
> I still do make a few country wines too as the summer/autumn glutt of fruits
>
> ripen .
>
> I am presently picking and freezing fruits from my garden -- goosegogs
>
> galore ( gooseberries!) and I have just stripped my 2 redcurrant bushes --
>
> not weighed them yet but a bumper crop now in the freezer. black currant
>
> should be pickable within a week and then the blackberries and Loganberries
>
> will not be far behind now
>
> I have not made any elderberry wine for several years now but I do have a 5
>
> gallon carboy of fortified elderberry sitting quietly in a corner which I
>
> put to rest and mature in 2005.
>
>
>
> I think I might venture into a gosseberry champagne this year -- not done a
>
> sparkling wine for about10 years now but I have a dozen suitable bottle and
>
> the necessary closures for them so I shall probably have a go again.
>
> That's enough now. Years are galloping by too fast and I am now 76 and this
>
> is the first year that I haven't gone off around Europe on my bike +
>
> trailer, cycle camping and I suspect that with increasing medica problems I
>
> may never do such solo unsupport cycle camping again that's more than a bit
>
> sad butmedical condions seem forever to get in the way of everything!
>
>
>
> I think I have a glass of my 2011 "summer Fruits wine" to drown my sorrows!
>
>
>
> Cheers .

Like you, I just popped in for the first time in several years. Ten or fifteen years ago, I checked this group daily. I learned a lot from this group and hopefully some of my advice was useful to others. I guess most of us old timers either don't need much help any more or we just don't have the enthusiasm we used to for wine making. I'm down to a few gallons a year and not every year.

Paul