The world's oldest vines, possibly

Andreas Jung

The story of Hildegard von Bingen's vineyard at the delightfully named Disibodenberg is fascinating because there are vines there which may have survived for centuries. The variety Orleans Gelb identified by our archaeologist friend Andreas Jung seems to have died back due to frost (to which it is sensitive) but always produced new growth. The vineyard itself was abandoned in the 19th century but there was enough light around the edges to keep the surviving vines going.

Disibodenberg vines against a wall at the ruined abbey

Orleans Gelb close up

Photos courtesy of Andreas Jung

Andreas says it is for this reason the vines are older than they look due to new growth following die-back.

The ruins of Hildegard's abbey at Disibodenberg

Hildegard von Bingen lived for 39 years at the Abbey of Disibodenberg in the 12th century. The Abbey met its end in 1550. From this Jung believes that the vines must be from before that date because no one else planted a vineyard there in the meantime.

Vineyards containg many different varieties must also be old. The highest number of varieties in any one vineyard was 48 in two neighbouring hills, each with 400 vines. This variety arose through the practice in the middle ages of replacing dead vines with new varieties rather than completely re-planting. He found a vineyard break in Brandenburg with the genuine Möhrchen (Morillon) variety which must have dated from before 1550 because there were no more Catholic monasteries after that in that area. There were altogether four extinct varieties Blaue Ortlieber (Edle Kauka), Blauer Traminer, Möhrchen and the true Müllerrebe (Pinot Meunier).

Many vines in Franken are 300 years old or older Jung says. The oldest have heads of almost 30cm. 

The oldest vine Andreas mentions stands in the gardens of the palace at Telavi, Georgia, about 1 metre thick and said to be 1,000 years old but there is nothing sure about this. The above photo is of the trunk of a vine planted by King Erekle II (Hercules) in 1770 in those gardens.

Then there is the vines at Katzenzungen, Sudtirol (Alto Adige) over 350 years old. This white variety is Versoaln, not a corruption of 'Versailles' but apparently from the local dialect meaning 'to secure with a rope' ('Wine Grapes'). A small plot has been planted with cuttings and anacidic wine with apticot on the finish has been made. Apparently this vine is unconnected to any other variety,

The Hampton Court Black Hamburgh/Trollinger/Schiava vine

Grape picking for the royal fruit bowl at Hampton Court

 and the well known Black Hamburgh (Trollinger) vine at Hampton Court planted in 1769.

There is an old vine at Maribor. According to the Guinness Book of records it may be over 400 years old. The 'About Maribor' website says

The Old Vine sort and harvest

• The Old Vine bears grapes of the “žametovka” or the “modra kavčina” sort, which was one of the first domesticated noble vine varieties in Slovenia.
• The yearly harvest of around 35 to 55 kg of grapes is made into wine and poured into 2.5 dl bottles designed by a famous artist Oskar Kogoj. The bottles are a valuable protocol gift – only a hundred are filled every year!

The Anthem to Old Vine
It is customary to sing while drinking wine. Songs of love, pain, happiness and truth. Which is why the Old Vine also has its own anthem, and, as they say, you are not a true citizen of Maribor unless you know the Old Vine Anthem. 

'Wine Grapes' is in two minds about this vine. On the one hand it quotes the great Jose Vuoillamoz in saying the DNA profile of this vine doesn't match any other known local or foreign variety but nonetheless refers to it indeed as Zametovka which can be found in the Dolenjska region in Posavje, South-eastern Slovenia and Bela Krajina and Podravje.

Andreas Jung, Intrepid Grape Hunter and Archaeologist

Andreas Jung is a very extraordinary person, a grape archaeologist really. He hunts for ancient 'lost' varieties all over Germany and has unearthed hundreds lurking in corners of vineyards, on terasses and against ancient inaccessible walls. Here we reproduce a fascinating if no longer current plea he made for the rescue of such varieties and an update following an outcome which seems briefly to have been successful. We have heard on the grapevine as it were that the wine made from Orleans Gelb was not a great success (too acidic) and so the sponsorship scheme may have come to an end.

The Grape Variety authority Andreas Jung asks for donations for the rescue of the South Pfalz Vineyard.

History

When I mapped 34 grape varieties in my first old vineyard on the Badische Bergstrasse in 2002 it was considered a scientific sensation. Nobody had imagined that such a treasure of native grape varieties and clones could have been found in the age-old and, despite Phylloxera, ungrafted vineyards. Following the Phylloxera crisis and government restrictions in plant-breeding, there are today 26 classical varieties. Until 2005 I had been working in 8 vineyards more or less nearby. The state grape breeders showed interest above all for already classified and hence commercially interesting grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot. In the German gene bank after almost a century, the first ones I discovered – virus-free Heunisch and Pflanzscheere - were planted. I had recorded this in several scientific publications. In 2005 my third contract ran out. That was the end of it as far as the state breeders were concerned. They went back to their new cultivars and to the selection of commercial clones of Riesling and Pinot Noir. Continuing the collection of native grape varieties would have required significantly more expenditure on research, selection and maintenance. Only from 5 vineyards were a few of the old variety clones I had identified duplicated for the gene bank collection.

Because there are not even 10 experts in the whole of Europe who can identify historic grape varieties in old vineyards, I led the search for old vineyards and varieties on my own account. Since I was entrusted by the BMELV (Federal Minsitery of Food and Agriculture) with the task of taking in hand Germany’s genetic grape resources (2007 – 2009) I have been a recognised grape variety expert throughout Germany and was also active in Switzerland and Poland. In Germany alone I have rediscovered around 250 old varieties of which 88 were already extinct or which according to dogma were not supposed to exist at all. In recent years I have inspected more than 1000 sites in Germany and detected over 360 varieties. Unfortunately the national commission has been limited to investigations in the field. My 230 - page status report has vanished in the Ministery’s drawers. Top Secret. Under pressure to make quick progress in getting to the root of this matter I have taken on the responsibility at my own cost for the selection, collection, virus-screening and propagation of our cultural heritage of varieties and most important clones. Meanwhile I have planted around 1.5 ha. to old country varieties in my capacity as a scientist and private grape breeder together with committed producers which has brought me the reputation of Rescuer of the nation’s grape varieties. In contrast with the state grape variety gene bank I don’t content myself with 3 examples of each biotype whose pollen might be used for making crossings of new super-varieties one day maybe. My concern is the continuation of the wine-growing heritage of the last millenium in order to spread the lasting good practise for the preservation of ancient, in part antique grape varieties which up to the Phylloxera plague of 1928 were still widespread all over in mixed parcels, forbidden by the Phylloxera commission and national-socialist eugenicists and since then mistrusted and forgotten by breeders and bureaucrats. The clonal differences in old varieties is enormous. Up to the invention of grape-variety classification there were no principal class differences in the vineyard. 42 grape varieties out of 800 vines were not a rarity on the Bergstrasse. The monoculture of varieties is too risky. For the German-speaking area between the 18^th and 19^th centuries at the end of the little ice age and before the appearance of Phylloxera in total about 650 varieties of wine and dessert grapes were apparent. And so, bureaucrats apart, there are no grounds not to plant the old varieties in suitable locations again. They have after all survived several periods of warming and cooling. For this purpose however the varieties have to be in as practical and virus-free condition as possible and kept in as much clonal diversity as they can. Had I not done this practical breeding work of native varieties no one else would have collected these kinds. A section of the recently re-discovered varieties would have already died out again. Despite state finance the state breeders concentrate on commercially bred clones of a dozen classic grape varieties. Up to 2009 I have demonstrated 82 native varieties on the Bergstrasse alone in 42 locations, a third of which were grubbed up for reasons of age or abandoned.

The South Pfalz vineyard.

Back in 2005 there were 18 vineyards which I mapped in the summer of 2005 and from which I selected from rare varieties and clones. In a winter’s week in January 2006 I made cuttings from the vines I had identified and selected for propagation in a vine nursery. These varieties were grafted and, with government permission, planted in 2007, they now stand in the South Pfalz vineyard on 24 ar. A young producer had already declared himself ready to tend this collection of Bergstrasse varieties and clones under my care as a nurseryman and to make wine. As support a sponsorship model was developed and sponsors were gained for the clones we had to hand. For the maintenance work supported by annual subsidy, they received a few bottles of wine from the vineyard. With the help of the sponsors and a not inconsiderable effort in time and work the project has up to now developed well and paid for itself.

In the vineyard are 1185 vines of which there are 237 clones (5 for each kind of vine) of around 45 varieties planted on the Badische Bergstrasse. Among these we find already extinct varieties like Fuetterer and Kleinedel, which were grubbed up from their original location shortly after being re-re-discovered and would have died out again had I not promptly collected them shortly after rediscovering them. A few old country varieties like Ortlieber, Honigler, Heunisch, Weisser Tokayer, Laemmerschwanz, Gelbe Seidentraube, Fitzrebe, Roter and Rot-Weisser Veltliner, Bettlertraube, Blauer Blank, Blauer Elbling, Primitivo, Affenthaler, or Blauer Heunisch have been collected in the South Pfalz vineyard with several Bergstrasse clones. I have also collected some clones from particularly old vines of classic varieties among which are Roter and Weisser Elbling, Silvaner, Auxerrois, Riesling Chasselas or of Rot and Gelbholziger Trollinger. All the varieties are native to Germany and very old. Before classification, Auxerrois was called Kleiner Heunisch and must have been planted on the Bergstrasse since the middle ages. The difference between classified and unclassified varieties is only a bureacratic one but today the bureaucrats, decide on the basis of partially absurd law on the continued existence or extinction of native varieties.

Without professional care, no vineyards.

Now the producer has told me surprisingly that cannot continue the vineyard work with immediate effect for health reasons. In addition it happens that the vineyard has been damaged by a late frost and a regular crop this autumn cannot be expected. The future of the South Pfalz vineyard and the long-term preservation and maintenance of the clones and Bergstrasse sites concentrated in that place is now crucial.

The rescue plan

First of all the plant protection must be carried out through subcontracted labour. In addition there is an outstanding bill for grafted vines intended to fill the gaps and then the vineyard must be newly leased . A producer who will spray the vineyard up to autumn has already been found. Up to the winter the financial requirement is at least 1,500 Euros to pay the pending bills, the plant protection and the lease. There will not be much to harvest.

I have decided to take the lease on the vineyard myself and to continue as best I can. The lease has actually not been signed yet. The vineyard was however a family property. As a scientist I don’t possess the tools to work the vines and ground mechanically so this must be commissioned contractually. As the new lessee, I will carry out the manual labour such as pruning and tying back. Then we will have to see if the subsidy model can be continued as previously, but everything depends on whether the lease can be for a reasonable length of time and how many sponsors can be brought on board. In the case of emergency the vineyard will have to be duplicated next winter and replanted on another site. That would cost 5,000 Euros just for the production of new plant material and would not include labour. This requires a new site and a new winemaker as well.

Either way, to be able to duplicate the vineyard after the damage from the late frosts, it will have to be tended until autumn. Without plant protection and weed control there will be no ripe wood from which to take cuttings. Then everything will have been in vain. If it succeeds somehow I will lease the vineyard and keep it as it is. But the external costs will be higher than before since essential maintenance will have to be contracted.

An update:

Mr. Jung tells us all this was a few years ago and now they have weathered the storm and he has launched a new initiative   www.rebenpatenschaft.de through which mentors can lend financial support and receive complimentary bottles of wine from the relevant vines. It was hoped that this would pay the running costs. Andreas calculates that there are 103 varieties in the Sudpfalz wine area, 94 of which are native. These varieties were to be found 100 - 150 years ago in German vineyards. Today they cling on in corners of vineyards, gardens and terraces. The first archives have been established at Gundelsheim am Neckar,  Flörsheim-Dalsheim in Hessen and Heppenheim an der Bergstraße. In these site around 1400 clones of 300 old native plants are kept. There are other plots in several places including Taubertal, in Thüringen, in Rheinhessen and in Würzburg and a new plot in Gundheim has been in preparation since 2015. 10 of the collected, historical varieties are to be found with 250 to over 2000 vines in regular experimental vineyards:

Affenthaler
Schwarzurban
Blauer Elbling
Zinfandel
Grünfränkisch
Adelfränkisch
Räuschling
Kleinberger
Honigler
Roter Veltliner.

Varieties from the early middle ages such as Süßschwarz, Kleiner Burgunder, Blaue Vorzügliche, Frühe Möhrchen, Weiße Traminer and others are in preparation. A new clone of Roter Muskateller and of Riesling Selekta (a small berried clone of Riesling) have been admitted by the Bundessortenamt. Archives for Royal table grapes may be found in Würzburg and Potsdam.

Although the old grape varieties have been grown for centuries if not millenia, the great majority of these 760 historical wine and dessert grapes have been forbidden since 1929 when Phylloxera arrived.  Until today there are only 27 out of around 550 surviving traditional varieties permitted. Special dispensations were needed from various authorities for the inclusion of these native varieties in the Grape Variety Archives.

The 58 white varieties in the Sudpfalz Weinberg; 

• Adelfränkisch / Weißer Grünling
• Agostenga / Früher Leipziger / Frühweißer Malvasier
• Alexandriner Muskat (*)
• Alicante Weiße
• Augster Gelber
• Auxerrois / Kleiner Heunisch / Moselriesling
• Bouquettraube
• Bukett-Silvaner
• Chardonnay / Echter weißer Burgunder
• Corinthe Weiße
• Edler Weißer Tokayer / Furmint
• Elbling Weißer
• Elbling Roter
• Frühe Lahntraube
• Frühmuskat
• Fütterer Weißer
• Geisdutte Weiße / (falsche) Geisdutte Weiße (*)
• Gewürztraminer Roter
• Grauburgunder / Tokayer Grauer
• Gros Meslier / Großer Honigler
• Grünfränkisch Weißer
• Großer Veltliner Violetter
• Gutedel Weißer / Chasselas blanc
• Hartheunisch Gelber / Braunes
• Hänisch Roter / Pamid
• Heunisch Roter (*)
• Heunisch Weißer / Grobweisse
• Heunisch Dreifarbiger
• Honigler Gelber
• Kleinberger
• Kleinedel
• Lagler Weißer / Später Malvasier Weißer
• Madeleine Angevine
• Mädchentraube Weiße / Feteasca alba
• Mittelgroßer Veltliner Roter
• Muskateller Roter
• Muskat-Gutedel Weißer
• Ortlieber Früher Gelber
• Rosenkranz Weißer / Fitzrebe
• Petersiliengutedel
• Plantscher / Gros Bourgogne (*)
• Räuschling Weißer
• Räuschling Roter
• Riesling Weißer
• Rugische Rebe (Rak Szölo)
• Scheurebe
• Seidentraube Gelbe / Luglienga bianca / Luganer-Rebe
• Silvaner Grüner
• Silvaner Blauer
• Tokayer Weißer
• Traminer Weißer
• Traminer Roter
• Versoalin Weißer (*)
• Visitator (fränkischer Fütterer)
• Vogelfränkische Weiße
• Weißburgunder / Pinot Blanc
• Welschriesling Weißer

The 37 red varieties;

• Affenthaler Blauer
• Arbst Blauer
• Black Prince
• Blank Blauer (*)
• Champagner Blauer / Blauer Kölner
• Champagne-Traube Schwarze / Schwarzer Prinz
• Claret Ordinärer Blauer (*)
• Clävner
• Cot (Kaiserstuhl)
• Cot Rouge (*)
• Elbling Blauer
• Frühe Violette
• Geisdutte Blaue (*)
• Gouais noir / Blauer Lampart
• Hartblau / Auvernat tinto
• Heunisch Blauer / Sehr Später Burgunder
• Kleiner Fränkischer Burgunder / Pinot Franc
• Hrvatica Blaue / Crevatizza / Kroatische Traube (*)
• Kracher Blauer / Bettlertraube
• Malbek
• Möhrchen (*)
• Mohrenkönig
• Morillon tocony
• Muskat-Gutedel Blauer
• Oeil de morion
• Portugieser blauer
• Samtrot
• Schaaftraube / Mohrenkönigin
• Schlehentraube
• Spätburgunder Blauer / Pinot noir
• Schwarzriesling / Pinot Meunier
• Süßroth / Tauberschwarz
• Süßblau
• Süßschwarz
• Trollinger Blauer
• Tschagelle Vernatsch (*)
• Zinfandel / Primitivo /Kratosija

(*) fewer than 4 vines extant!



 

Austrian tasting, London, February 6th, 2017

Plenty of exhibitors at the Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall and Austrian wine always seems to be popular. There is never an unpalatable wine at these events, unlike some wines from more obvious countries we could mention.

Austian wine can sometimes appear to consist of seas of Gruener Veltliner and Zweigelt (the most planted white and red varieties respectively) but there is so much more. We decided to concentrate on Rotgipfler, Roter Veltliner and Zierfandler but we could have done the same with Gelber Muskateller, Gemischter Satz or even Scheurebe. Did you know that Scheurebe is also called Sämling (seedling) 88? We didn't.

Jubilaeumsrebe

According to the above list there was also a white grape called Jubilaeumsrebe. This was obtained by Fritz Zweigelt back in 1922 but only named in 1960 as part of the 100th anniversary of the institute at Klosterneuberg. Zweigelt thought he was crossing Blauer Portugieser and Blaufraenkisch but it turned out that unbeknown to him it was something much more complicated - Fruehroter Veltliner and Grauer Portugieser.

There was more Zierfandler in blends than in purezza. Pungent is the word that comes to mind when Zierfandler is mentioned. We used to dislike it but have now come round to it and rather like it. An accustomed taste. We recently tried a Hungarian version - Lisicza's Cirfandli on some unsuspecting guests. Opinion was sharply divided. Stadlmann is a 'Wine Grapes' recommended producer and rightly so.

Mark Flounders, an Australian in Austria

Next, our hitherto favourite producer of Roter Veltliner, Leth. Here we were entertained and informed by an Australian representative of the agents Vagabond called Mark Flounders.

The next Roter Veltliner came from Eschenhof Holtzer. They make a regular version called 'Haide'

 
and an Orange wine known as 'The Orange'. Particularly lovely, this one.

On to Rotgipfler. With Zierfandler, this is a speciality of Gumpoldskirchen. They are ofter blended together. Rotgipfler is a bit less pungent although still aromatic.

This 14.5% version from Alphart was attractive despite the high ABV.

Alphart also make versions at 12.5% and 13.5% so there is plenty of choice.

Also represented was Wieninger, one of the iconic names in Gemischter Satz. We used to think that Gemischter Satz was just any old field blend from vineyards around Gumpoldskirchen but there are surprisingly strict rules:

The regulation for the Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC requires that at least three white quality wine varieties must be planted together in one vineyard that is listed in the Viennese vineyard register as Wiener Gemischter Satz. The highest portion of one grape variety must be no more than 50%; the third highest portion must be at least 10%.

There may be anything between 13 and 20 varieties in any one vineyard according to some reports. They are harvested and vinified together which is what distinguished Gemischter Satz from Cuvees or blends which are picked and vinified separately. The Gemischer Satz varieties are usually based on Gruener Veltliner, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Welschriesling and Chardonnay. This Wieneinger example contained

50% Grüner Veltliner
25% Pinot Blanc
20% Neuburger
3% Riesling
2% Traminer

Roland Velich himself

Finally a personal introduction to a very special winemaker who concentrates on Blaufraenkisch: Roland Velich. Blaufraenkisch is not an unusual variety in Austria or Germany where it is also known as Limberger or Lemberger and Italy (where it is known as Franconia). It is also quite easily found in Hungary (Kekfrankos) and the rest of Eastern Europe. There are plantings in other countries including Spain, USA, Canada, Australia and even Japan. It is Austria's second most planted red variety.

Nevertheless, we are always interested in something unusual within a 'usual' category be it through method or quality. Roland Velich's wines are unusually high in refinement and elegance. We also found them exraordinally soft on the palate. Indeed, his wines have been called 'the best Blaufraenkisch on the planet.'

From a winemaking family (his brother Heinz's Chardonnay 'Tiglat' has been called Austia's greatest white wine) Roland decided to do something original. He became fascinated with the region of Burgenland on the Western side of the Neusiedlersee on the Pannonian plain less than an hour from Vienna. Part of Hungary until 1921. This region had the challenging conditions he was looking for. Vines had to dig deeper to obtain their nourishment and the climate was cooler. Wine from this reagion had historically fetched higher prices than Chateau Margaux (1 gold Mark), Saar Riesling Auslese (2 gold Marks) and a Ruster 'Ausbruch' from the other side of the Neusiedlersee, 4 gold Marks.

Roland's ambition was to make a wine to rival the refinement of Burgundy and Barolo, not the fruit driven opulent wines in fashion in the early 90s when he began his work in the Neckenmarkt and Lutzmannsburg vineyards near Grosshöflein where he now lives. Soils there include Gneis, Lime, Chalk and Slate. The old vines are planted close together. Discovering these vineyards was the catalyst. He had found the Terroir which he had wanted his wine to express. The wine is called 'Moric' and has now earned him 96 Parker points but not in the way you might think.

At the time Roland invited everyone from the Austrian Wine establishment to come and taste his wines. Nobody showed up. But David Schildknecht (Parker's man for Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe among many other regions) came and spent many hours tasting and re-tasting Moric.

According to Roland, this is how it should be done. He says blind tasting favours the most concentrated and alcoholic wines whereas he is aiming for elegance and refinement - characteristics that will never prevail in such circumstances. He farms organically without herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or chemical fertilizers, but he adamantly refuses to both apply for certification or to put anything about it on his labels. He never uses commercial yeasts, sulphur is kept to a minimum and they are never fined.

That's what distiguishes Moric from so many other Austrian wines. You can get Roland's wines from Bottle Apostle and Harvey Nicolls among other places in the UK. Price 5 gold Marks

Finds at Aldi, Marbella

Aldi was our choice for UK Supermarket of the year in the Slotovino annual awards. We chose Aldi for the fact they offered a very nice Hunter Valley Semillon at a very reasonable price.

Aldi is very sensitive to local tastes. At the Marbella branch, Spain you might not find their Hunter Valley Semillon but there are plenty of interesting wines from Andalucia and the neighbouring Condado de Huelva as well as the rest of Spain at fantastically low prices.

First of all a Zalema from the nearby Condado de Huelva. We have mentioned Zalema previously in this blog. It's an interesting grape found nowhere else as far as we are aware. Capable of making pleasant if sometimes rather salty wines it can also result in downright unplesant stuff tasting oxydised and rustic. We're sure this one is one of the good guys.

It looks like this 'Semi-Sweet fizzy wine is made especially for Aldi by Hijos de Francisco Escaso, Badajoz (Extramadura) from Cayetana Blanca and Montua grapes.

A Mencia from Castilla y Leon

and an ecologically produced Monastrell from Jumilla. All attractive and unusual options.

As a footnote, not sold at Aldi but found in a local restaurant in San Pedro de Alcantara, we'd just like to mention the adorable Blanco de Blancos from Barbadillo in the Condado de Huelva - a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo and Moscato. We could never understand Barbadillo's success with their Vino Pescator - one of the most popular wines in the whole of Spain. This Blanco de Blancos proves that Barbadillo can make outstanding wine at a reasonable price.

Some weird offers at Duty Free

Clearly people still drink (take?) this stuff!

Sold by the litre at 17% alcohol: $14.00 a bottle

In our gadding about the globe we come across some weird ideas of what the customer might want at an airport duty free shop. Wincarnis seems to be what passengers departing fron Kochi, India might demand. The name Wincarnis comes from 'Wine' and 'Carnis' (of meat). Instead of meat it now contains what has been described at a bewildering variety of botanicals, angelica root, balm mint, fennel coriander and cardamom seed, peppermint leaves and cassia bark and is produced by Hedges and Butler. Remember, this is what is known as British Wine. There was plenty of it.

An extreme example of Duty Free marketing at Velana, airport at Male in the Maldives consisted of bottles of Solaia at $595 a go.

For cheapskates there was a choice of Gaja

Jadot

and Icewine at between $95 and $167. Thank goodness it was duty free.

What to do with wine nobody wants to drink No. 1. Distillation

Try this experiment at home!

All you need is a pressure cooker with a condenser and some wine you're trying to get rid of.

After attaching a couple of hoses to the pressure cooker pour in the wine. You'll need about a dozen bottles to make around 1.5 litres of alcohol at the first distillation.

Put the top on

clamp it firmly

turn on water coolant to condenser and apply flame from cooker

monitor temperature carefully (not too hot, not too cold)

your first distillate will start to trickle out.

and there's your first distillate with alcohol guage showing around 50%

Repeat another 2 times to get that XXX quality. Dilute with water to achieve 40%. Add some oak chips to add flavour and colour and taste very tentatively. Before the third distillation, the alcohol may be used for cleaning or other domestic purposes. Maybe the best idea but meanwhile, this is an amusing exercise allowing you to experience the pocess of turning wine into spirit. It is not adviseable to drink the resulting hooch. This is for experimantal purposes only.

Coming soon. What to do with wine nobody wants to drink No.2. Vinegar.