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So, what's everybody made this season, and whaddya sipping?

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spud

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Nov 5, 2005, 1:50:44 AM11/5/05
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All measurements US gallons:

11 Cabernet Sauvignon
5 Sauvignon Blanc
5 Riesling
5 Gamay
6 Merlot
2 Grenache (made red)

3 Blackberry
2 Elderberry
5 Cranberry (berries in the freezer, probably make it next weekend)

Sipping (checking) a too light Zin made last year.


Steve noobie
Oregon


ralc...@hotmail.com

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Nov 5, 2005, 10:01:56 AM11/5/05
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I'm sugar feeding a mixed berry port I made from red and black
raspberries, frozen blueberries, mulberries frim the tree in my yard,
elderberries from a long hike I went on, and blackberries from a pick
your own farm. Its on the basement at around 62 deg F, but Lavin
EC-1118 can slowly work on it over the winter ...

I have a hard cider I meade from 4 gallons of unpasturized cider I
bought at the end of September. I'm using White Labs Cider Yeast, and
I'm not impressed. It must be kept over 63 deg F, or it will stop
fermenting. It said it would preserve apple flavor, but there didn't
seem to be much there. Could have been the juice's fault 'tho. Also,
the early apples must have be very low in sugar I didn't take S.G
reading, just decided to trust the label, I won't do that again. So at
first rack, I added 5 cans of seneca frozen apple juice. It chugs
along slowly. Just before Thanksgiving, I'll rack again, prime with
corn syrup (to add body with non-fermentable sugars -- vanilla
flavoring be dammed), and put in champagene bottles. It should have a
faint sparkle in time for Christmas and New Years.

I have added too much sugar to my rose petal wine, the EC-1118 has done
most of what it can, so it bubbles only slowly, and it tastes like
everclear and sugar. Yet, when I rack, and wash out the jug, I get a
whiff of the scent of roses. There's something there ... maybe when
bottle aged it will all erupt forth with flavor.

My one year old rose hip wine has thrown a lot of sediment in the
bottles. I'll make another gallon over the winter. Then next summer
when its done, I'll decant the botlles, and rebottle for another 2
years of aging. This better be worth it.

My Welches white grape juice wine has spent 4 months in the bottle.
Its as good as any 5 dollar white you'd buy. Perfectly adequete for a
marinade, flavor is a little bold for a light meat, but good in a beef
stew, or sipping with a stron flavored chicken. My friends wives will
gladly drink it. I wonder if they're being polite, or are just
accustomed to 5 buck rotgut.

Robin Somes

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Nov 5, 2005, 1:29:24 PM11/5/05
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In message <aukom156dr642708i...@4ax.com>, spud
<midn...@theoasis.net> writes

>11 Cabernet Sauvignon
> 5 Sauvignon Blanc
> 5 Riesling
> 5 Gamay
> 6 Merlot
> 2 Grenache (made red)
> 3 Blackberry
> 2 Elderberry
> 5 Cranberry (berries in the freezer, probably make it next weekend)

6 UK gallons of sloe
3 " plum & wild damson
1½ " crabapple & sloe
1½ " grape juice
1 " gooseberry
7 " blackberry

If I'm lucky, there's another 4 gallons of sloe yet to make, plus 2 - 3
litres of sloe gin, and about the same of damson gin.

As for sippin', I've just poured down the sink 2/3 of a bottle of
Stoneleigh New Zealand Pinot Noir, which had no redeeming features
beyond a slightly spicy shiraz-y finish. Horribly thin, flabby and acid,
and not worth drinking, let alone the asking price. Ditched it in favour
of a bottle of Leifmans Kreikbier, and one of my own sloes from 2004.

cheers,
robin

--
www.newforestartgallery.co.uk
www.badminston.demon.co.uk www.robinsomes.co.uk
www.robinsomes.co.uk/oz www.robinsomes.co.uk/greece03
Trust me, I'm a webmaster...

Steve Landis

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Nov 5, 2005, 2:22:50 PM11/5/05
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spud wrote:
> All measurements US gallons:
>
> 11 Cabernet Sauvignon
> 5 Sauvignon Blanc
> 5 Riesling
> 5 Gamay
> 6 Merlot
> 2 Grenache (made red)
>
> 3 Blackberry
> 2 Elderberry
> 5 Cranberry (berries in the freezer, probably make it next weekend)

150 gallons of Cab/Zin blend. Real grapes - Lodi, CA

Steve

John

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Nov 5, 2005, 3:41:53 PM11/5/05
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12 US Gal of Blackberry.
11 US Gal of Banana.
All made last February

I hope to make some more wine before the years out.

Sipping? Well, you know how there is always an odd couple of bottles? I
have a few bottles of the Blackberry that I'm enjoying. Other than that, I
have been sipping a red raspberry I made in 2001.

John

"spud" <midn...@theoasis.net> wrote in message
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DAve Allison

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Nov 5, 2005, 7:40:57 PM11/5/05
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Well, I only started this hobby (passion/obsession) in August.

6 Shiraz (ready Thanksgiving)
6 Pinot Noir (ready Christmas)
6 Cranberry (ready Oct 2006)
1 Welch's Concord Frozen Concentrate (ready New Years)
3 Apple Cider (ready Oct 2006)
3 Peach Mango (ready Spring 2006)
(need to start a white wine next, something good with grilled salmon)

sigh. I'm sipping store bought. At least I'm collecting bottles. Is it
wrong to buy wines based on the pretty bottles? :*)

DAve

Joe

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Nov 5, 2005, 11:08:01 PM11/5/05
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All from local gapes

54L Pinot Noir
20 L Chardonnay
120L Cab Franc/Merlot
74L Cab Sauv

Joe
Niagara Region

"spud" <midn...@theoasis.net> wrote in message
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ned

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Nov 6, 2005, 5:54:50 AM11/6/05
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4* 60 gallon barrels of Shiraz merlot blend
Cost- $350 (theres a grape glut in Western Australia)
I figure, make hay while the sun shines.


"spud" <midn...@theoasis.net> wrote in message
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Marc

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Nov 6, 2005, 9:55:27 AM11/6/05
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Hi folks

This year I made 2 gallons of blueberry, a gallon of each chokecherry, plum,
oregano, sage, Thai basil, hard cider, maple (made from maple sap that I
reduced to a SG of 1090), banana, pomegranate-cranberries.
I also made a 5 gallons batch of garlic wine because it's so exquisite in
cooking, my wife can't live without it anymore. We have lotsa cooks and
restaurants chefs in our entourage and they simply love it.
Marc
Québec

"spud" <midn...@theoasis.net> a écrit dans le message de
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ernie

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Nov 6, 2005, 12:46:48 PM11/6/05
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All quantities in gallons, all from fresh fruit:

15 Sonoma Coast pinot noir
10 Sierra Foothill zinfandel
5 Lodi syrah
5 Clarkesburg petite sirah
5 Lodi mourvedre
10 Mendocino grenache

The zin will get about 10% petite blended in. Mourvedre, syrah, grenache
and petite will be blended in various proportions to be determined. Everything
is doing its malolactic thing now except for the mourvedre which just came
in on Wednesday and is still in primary.

Sipping last year's Rhone blends, all of which are excellent and improving
day by day.


--
ernie San Francisco Bay AVA
er...@soniclees.net California, USA
to reply, rack off the lees.

KitchenDude

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Nov 6, 2005, 1:02:38 PM11/6/05
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Made:

* 15 gal. Frontenac (Local Minnesota grapes)
* 6 gal. kit Pinot Noir (Winexpert Oregon Yamhill)
* 5 gal. Pineapple Wine
* 3 gal. St. Croix (Local Minnesota grapes). Probably use for blending w/
the Frontenac

Sipping:

* Last year's homebrews: Frontenac (quite good), a kit Syrah, crabapple
wine.
* Lately, a lot of off-the-shelf domestic pinot - California and Oregon
mostly (Beringer, Archery Summit, Sanford, King Estate)

--KitchenDude

"spud" <midn...@theoasis.net> wrote in message
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Pinky

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Nov 6, 2005, 4:41:04 PM11/6/05
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And a totally boring string!
This NG gets worse!

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
Remove PSANTISPAM to reply


"spud" <midn...@theoasis.net> wrote in message
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spud

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Nov 6, 2005, 5:36:07 PM11/6/05
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Gee Pinky, is someone keeping you from start an interesting thread?

Steve noobie
Oregon

spud

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Nov 6, 2005, 5:37:50 PM11/6/05
to

>
>Gee Pinky, is someone keeping you from start an interesting thread?
Opps should be >starting<

Ian Scott

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Nov 6, 2005, 7:37:08 PM11/6/05
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Joe wrote:

> All from local gapes
>
> 54L Pinot Noir
> 20 L Chardonnay
> 120L Cab Franc/Merlot
> 74L Cab Sauv
>
> Joe
> Niagara Region

Joe, mind telling us where you got the grapes? I tried to get some from
Niagara this year, but wasn't able to get too much at all!

Ian Scott

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Nov 6, 2005, 7:43:13 PM11/6/05
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John wrote:

> 12 US Gal of Blackberry.

What recipe did you use? I've got about 8 lbs of blackberries in the
freezer, waiting to be made into wine :)

Joe

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Nov 7, 2005, 6:47:44 AM11/7/05
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Ian,
We have a grape farm and I although we sold out early this year I kept a
little for myself.
If you need grapes next year let me know and I can reserve some for you.
Joe

"Ian Scott" <i...@nospam.com> wrote in message
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JF

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Nov 7, 2005, 11:59:32 AM11/7/05
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spud wrote:
> Gee Pinky, is someone keeping you from start an interesting thread?
>

Pinky wants us to read his mind and only post topics that are of
interest to him. If you don't he's going to whine about taking his (lack
of) group contributions elsewhere.

Ric

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Nov 7, 2005, 12:23:29 PM11/7/05
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An interesting list - great variety. For our season, in various stages
of aging right now;

23 gals Sierra Foothills Syrah
24.5 gals Clarksburg Merlot
3 gals Sierra Foothills Marsanne (first season from our own Marsanne
vines!)
3 gals Pear wine

All straight from the vines, picked by us.

billy...@billybooger.com

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Nov 7, 2005, 12:38:25 PM11/7/05
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Robin,

Please send me your resipete for the blackberry.

I fell in love with some home made blackberry wine while recently in
UK.

Thanks in advance.

Bill

poston[@]comcast.net

Droopy

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Nov 7, 2005, 2:11:31 PM11/7/05
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> Just before Thanksgiving, I'll rack again, prime with
> corn syrup (to add body with non-fermentable sugars -- vanilla
> flavoring be dammed),


What is non-fermentable aobut corn syrup? It is 93-96% glucose.

It would be easier to jsut go buy some maltodextrin powder and add
that..

tessamess

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Nov 7, 2005, 3:29:38 PM11/7/05
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I'm new at this but it's really fun and I've been reading everything I
can get my hands on:)
I've only made fruit wines by the gallon so far. I've made apple,
blackberry, cherry, peach, raspberry and chamomile ( experiment). Right
now I'm sipping the cherry. It's not too bad for being only about 4
months old. the other ones are scheduled to be ready in spring and
summer of next year but I'm an impatient person and will sneak a bottle
probably in January(apple..dying to taste it! this is the first time I
used a juicer machine to get just juice from a fruit, usually I just
smash the fruit up and put it in a bag and throw it in the fermenter)
Is anyone out there as impatient as I am? what is the earliest you've
ever tasted a wine after fermentation is complete and the wine has been
bottled? Just curious :)

Droopy

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Nov 7, 2005, 3:44:02 PM11/7/05
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That is normal after you first start. After you get a few hundred
bottles in the cellar you will not have to hold out to enjoy a bottle
of wine while everythign else ages.

Normally though, whatever I have left at bottling that will not fill a
full 750 ml bottle (I do not have any splits) goes down the hatch.

Robin Somes

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Nov 7, 2005, 4:43:54 PM11/7/05
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In message <564vm11ej6jgac318...@4ax.com>,
billy...@billybooger.com writes

>Robin,
>
>Please send me your resipete for the blackberry.
>I fell in love with some home made blackberry wine while recently in
>UK.
>Thanks in advance.

Hi Bill,

I've done 2 grades of blackberry, heavy, using 6lbs of fruit to the
gallon, and medium using 3 - 4 lbs per gallon. As you'd expect, the
version with more fruit produces a much fuller-bodied wine, which is
ready to drink in 9 months. The lighter-bodied one was acid and
over-tannined at 9 months, so much so I nearly threw it out, but after 2
years had mellowed extremely nicely.

Both follow the same recipe, except for the amount of fruit used; it's
probably worth going for a lower initial SG for the lighter one, maybe
1085-90, to complement its lighter body. I freeze the fruit before
making the wine. The recipe lies roughly half way between Jack Keller's
and CJJ Berry's.

Heavy blackberry wine (2 gallons)
12 lbs blackberries
4 lbs of sugar
More sugar later
14 pints boiling water
Campdens, pectolase, Vit. B, Yeast nutrient

Don't bother unfreezing the berries, just dump them in the primary, pour
on 6 pints of boiling water, and mash the fruit. Add 4 lbs of sugar, and
the rest of the water, and stir to dissolve. Leave to cool, add 2
Campdens, and 4 level teaspoons of pectolase dissolved in lukewarm
water, clamp the lid on, and leave to fester for 2 days.

After 2 days, set a Burgundy yeast starter going. Strain off the pulp
and pips, or the wine will end up with way too much tannin. Add yeast
nutrient and Vit. B, and add more sugar to bring the SG up to 1105.
Pitch the yeast, stir, and cover.

Leave it a week or so, stirring twice daily. About day 4 it'll develop a
peculiar smell a bit like H2S, and you'll begin to fret about the loss
of your precious blackberries. Relax, and keep stirring; it's just the
smell of blackberry wine fermenting. When the fermentation slows a bit,
and SG gets down to about 1010 - 1020, rack it in to demi-johns and fit
bubblers.

Leave it in a cool place - and very important - protect it from light,
which will fade the lovely colour. I put mine in the gloomiest corner of
the house, and wrap them in black bin bags. After a month, it will be
sparkingly clear, and have dropped an unfeasible amount of nasty-looking
lees. Rack again, and leave for 3 months, as dark as possible. Rack
again, leave for another 6, or as long as your patience lasts, and then
bottle. It will end up about 15.5%.

If you go for the lighter recipe, it will end about 13.5 - 14%.

Good luck!

Ian Scott

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Nov 8, 2005, 3:02:01 AM11/8/05
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Joe wrote:

> Ian,
> We have a grape farm and I although we sold out early this year I kept a
> little for myself.
> If you need grapes next year let me know and I can reserve some for you.
> Joe

Thanks Joe! Email on its way to you :)

Ian

Dar V

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Nov 9, 2005, 10:17:52 AM11/9/05
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Hello,
I actually enjoy reading about what everyone is up to around here. I
just finished a primary ferment on some cucumber wine, and my next 2 batches
will be blackberry and pumpkin. Although, I will buy some cranberries when
they go on sale after Thanksgiving and then freeze them, I probably won't
start that batch until the first of the year.
As to what we've been tasting around here, it is a bit of a blend of
wines which have aged properly - Blackberry, Pumpkin, Apple, and
Apple-cherry. It has taken almost 3 years of being patient, but it is so
nice to be able to walk down to my wine cellar and have more than a few
choices of what to try.
Enjoy.
Darlene
Wisconsin


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Ray Calvert

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Nov 10, 2005, 12:02:01 PM11/10/05
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Stop sipping that store bought stuff. Not all wine needs to be aged for
years. Make some wine that is ready in 2 or 3 months. Most of these are
whites but what the ... Try some of the kit whites or even Jack Keller's
Welch's Niagara.

Ray

"DAve Allison" <dave...@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
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Ray Calvert

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Nov 10, 2005, 12:17:33 PM11/10/05
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Looking back, it has been a slow year and I seem to have taken a different
turn in my experimentation. I have so much grape wine laid down that I did
not start any. Leaning more toward Meads rather than traditional wine.

5 Niagara (Wech's Concentrate)
6 Niagara/Tuppelo Honey Mead
6 Tupelo Straight Mead
8 Huajillo Straight Mead
5 Bueberry/Huajillo Melomel

Soon to start

Dueberry/Huajillo Melomel


Paul E. Lehmann

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Nov 10, 2005, 11:25:14 AM11/10/05
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Wine made this year

12 gallons Chardonnay
16 gallons Cabernet Franc
10 gallons Merlot
15 gallons Grenache / Carignan blend
16 gallons Cabernet Sauvignon / Sangiovese blend
18 gallons Chambourcin / Chancellor blend (estate grown)
44 gallons Merlot / Cabernet Franc blend (estate grown)

No wonder I am running out of space in my basement winery!!!!

Bill Moats

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Nov 11, 2005, 1:01:20 PM11/11/05
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16 gal. Marechal Foch
6 gal Seyval Blanc
11 gal Traminette
20 Gal Riesling
14 Gal Zinfandel

All from our little vineyard in NE Oregon. Would have been more if the
possums and racoons stayed away.

Bill Moats
Pau Hana Farm
Milton-Freewater, OR


Darin Young

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Nov 12, 2005, 7:29:43 PM11/12/05
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320 litres / 86 gal US Merlot (Okanagan - Osoysoos Fruit)
300 litres / 81 gal US Pinot Gris (same)

I've been sipping store bought and patiently waiting for our first
vintage (last year) of Merlot conclude its quiet time in oak. Ok - the
truth then - more than a few litres of last year's Merlot have found
their way to the decanter.

Cheers,
Darin
Vancouver

Erroll Ozgencil

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Nov 12, 2005, 8:28:51 PM11/12/05
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In US gallons ...

5 Riesling
5 Sauvignon Blanc
5 Niagra (from Welch's frozen concentrate)
1 apple

I'll be turning some frozen rhubarb into wine soon, and I'm sipping
some dry Concord from Welch's frozen concentrate.

Erroll
Seattle, WA, USA

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