Mahboula Fine

It has been one week since the launching of Mahboula Fine, our latest venture in making wine.  Last Thursday, Russ introduced three different varieties of white table wine ranging from light  and slightly dry to very dry to one with smooth fruity overtones.  We have sold nearly the entire batch of 50 bottles made from white grape juice, and he is getting ready to rack another batch this weekend.

Reviews have been outstanding and we have already had repeat customers. 

One of the highest praises came from a Kiwi colleague Chris Roberts, who was an airline chef in another lifetime.  He is generally considered the resident purveyor of fine foods and drink. He offered on the first batch ..."pleasant nose, nicely dry, no excessive yeast overtones, some pleasant citrus fruits coming through, nice clean finish on the palate.  Amazing quality considering base product!  Quite high alcohol levels (14-15%).   Perfect wine to have with salmon or other oily fish."

Of course we don’t have many oily fish options, but do eat Norwegian salmon on a regular basis.

There was a much humbler opinion from a new young teacher.  When she and a few friends came over for a tasting, she exclaimed “wow, and you don’t have to cut it with Sprite!”, a common practice with homebrews which taste mostly awful.

Russ has created a label which shows our apartments with a vista of vineyards stretching out into the Kuwaiti desert.  His description reads "Crafted by a third generation maker of spirited liquids. Made right here in your picturesque neighborhood from the finest local and imported ingredients available. Absolutely nothing is organic. Aged for at least a week near a peace of oak in the same ‘Made in China’ plastic containers you can get anywhere in the world."   He sends out fliers, and hosts an exclusive email address (MahboulaFine@yahoo.com) from which he sends out messages to our customers.  

While Russ creates the wine, my role is two-fold.  First, I help with the bottling process which completely takes over our kitchen.  Second, I talk it up.   I invite people over for tastings and talk with them about what they think of the wines.  It’s the whole setup – crackers and water to cleanse the palate in a comfortable atmosphere.  First however is the tour of the facility which has taken over one room in our apartment.  We have starter and finishing containers, hoses, siphons, taps, racks, and a vast array of enzymes, acids, yeasts, and tannins.  Russ constructed a separate washing and drying area.  The scientific aspect of winemaking naturally appeals to him.

Ignoring the obvious question of “Isn’t this illegal?”, people in our apartment complex seem grateful for having something decent to drink with dinner or after a long day of school. And what happens in the complex, stays in the complex.

Russ will be racking another batch of wine this weekend so we’ll have a one-week reprieve before the flurry of social activity starts all over again.