It's wine time again

Out first thing this morning with lots of buckets to collect as many grapes as we could for this year's wine making.  The grapes started off well this year but for some reason many of them have shrivelled up.  Not just ours, our neighbours too and the many Paco's here also have less grapes.  So we've picked everything within reach and although not as much as last year, it all helps.

We bought a fruit press a few years ago for squeezing the grapes which up till now we've chopped in the food processor.  But that's not designed for kilo after kilo of grapes and also it takes longer as we have to pick the grapes off  the bunches.  So this year we invested in a 'crusher'  - looks a bit like a wheelbarrow top with a handle - it bursts the grapes ready for squeezing or fermenting then squeezing, depending whether you want red or white wine.  It's very similar to this one.....

Picked 18 buckets of grapes altogether......

While on the hunt for grapes, I noticed the quinces were dropping onto the ground, it's only a small tree, but has provided 24 fruit for another day's work.  Probably make chutney as we still have some frozen from last year for pies/crumbles and I have a good recipe for a spicy chutney, a good alternative for when the mango chutney runs out.