Since our vineyard is just in its second growing season and our vines are still establishing themselves, I never had any intentions of making wine from their fruit this year. However, we have enjoyed snacking on the few clusters of Barbera and Petite Sirah that have shown themselves this summer.

So rather than let the remaining brave scouts of future Sorella Ridge wine go to waste, we decided to make some Barbera jelly with what fruit was left. I headed out into the vineyard with a bucket and shears in hand and harvested several beautiful Barbera and a few Petite Sirah clusters. I pressed the grapes in our kitchen and captured the free-run juice for the jelly. To the juice I added a little fresh lemon juice, some sugar, and a packet of fruit pectin. After a quick spin in the microwave we had piping hot Barbera jelly! Once the bowl was cool enough to handle, I poured the jelly into a jar, sealed it, and put it in the fridge to cool overnight.

This morning we enjoyed the first fruits of our vineyard spread on freshly toasted bread! Let me tell you, I have never tasted anything like it. The flavors were fresh, the consistency smooth, and the jelly had a nice tart aftertaste. Hopefully a precursor to future vintages.