ORIGINAL: Symon
Yes. I feel for you and Francois, and the other French fans.
Don't be sorry for me, I didn't follow the world cup, and besides, today was blackcurrant wine day, which takes precedence over football.
So, OT inside this OT thread, here's the recipe, just in case you grow blackcurrant in Alabama (or in Chile).
Harvest the blackcurrant as late as possible, when the fruits begin falling on the ground, the sweeter the better.
Crush them gently in a large pot. Don't overdo this, you just need to break the skin of the fruit, so that it mixes with the wine, if you squash them to pulp, the wine will taste sour.
Add red wine, one liter of wine per kilogram of fruit. The wine should not be too strong (12% or so). This year, I'm using Bourgogne grand ordinaire, which is a light burgundy made with pinot noir.
Add a few leaves of blackcurrant (it makes the thing tastier)
Cover, and let the mixture macerate for two or three days. When it is ready, it should no longer smell of wine, just of fruit (three days are usually enough, I know people who wait for a week).
Press the mixture, filter through a cloth or something thin, so that you only keep the juice
Add 750 g of sugar per litre of juice
Put on the oven, low fire, until it boils, turn with a wooden spoon so that it doesn't stick
Let it boil lightly for about five minutes
Remove from the fire, let it cool, and bottle. Don't close the bottles
Leave the bottles for a week in a cool and dark place, then cork them.
The wine is ready, you can drink it now, but it will get better over time, and will keep for two and three years in a cool and dark place (don't lay the bottles flat, keep them standing)
You can drink it with water, it is refreshing, and the cooking éliminates most of the alcohool, so it is safe for kids and teatotalers.
You can also mix it with white wine or champagne, it is then called "kir", and is nice before a meal
Some people use it as a base for deserts, sauces, anything blackcurrant flavored.
Francois
