Although I am a total teetotaler, I was always fascinated with mentions of dandelion wine and berry wines in books I have read. I have no idea how to make wine, images of stomping on grapes in a wooden barrel, a la I Love Lucy, are what go through my head when I think of it.
The previous owners of our house planted black raspberry bushes, and this year they’re producing abundant berries. Not being a native, I was completely baffled the first few years when these beautiful pinkish red raspberries came out, but were just so sour. Then a few days later the birds and possums and other critters would devour it. Finally, I was wise to the fact that they were getting black and plumping up and getting juicy. Ah! They were black raspberries, and they were delicious.
I looked around the internet and saw that one can make dandelion wine at home, and I didn’t have to stomp on them. I also saw that black raspberry wine was something one can make as well. I imagine myself to be one of those characters in my favorite books, who keep a bottle of black raspberry and dandelion wine, at the back of some dark cupboard, and taking a nip once in a while. For medicinal reasons, of course.
The Overgrown Cottage 