The grapes from my vine are now coming so thick and fast we can't keep up with them, no matter how many I eat or take to work for people to eat. So I scooped a bunch that were on the turn into a pan and made crumble from the slush and strained the spiced and somewhat sweetened juice into a little stoppered bottle. And left it, for, um. Ten days? In the fridge.

Today I unstoppered it (as tonight's recipe could use something to deglaze a pan) and there was the unmistakable pop of a wine cork. It had fermented. After having been boiled on the stovetop for ten minutes, after being kept in the fridge for a week and a half. Boiled and chilled and adulterated with various sugars and spices (jaggery, clovetops and cassia I think?) it had nevertheless produced something pinkish, fizzy and mildly alcoholic. On its own yeast!

The vine has spoken. Does anyone have any old winemaking equipment gathering dust in a corner? Although from today's evidence, I could probably just brew this lot in a bucket.