English wine, local produce & barter

[squeezyjohn]

I had a trip to our local vineyard yesterday ... yes I know what you're thinking "English wine WTF?"

Well - our climate round here in the south midlands of England is absolutely great for crisp fruity white wines - and I'm lucky enough to live 3 miles from one of the very best little vineyards we have over here. They only make in the region of 8,000 bottles of wine in a good year - but if the weather is kind then the wine is sublime! This year he's released some of his red wine (unheard of in England) from the hot year of 2011 and it is also amazing!

I love their setup there, it's such a small family business that you just drive up and ring their house doorbell to buy some ... and while getting a couple of cases this Sunday - I got chatting to them about the weather and this year's vintage and mentioned my tobacco growing a few miles away doing well ... he was very interested indeed and was full of questions about the process. It turns out that in addition to believing fully in local produce, he loves his cigars and has challenged me to grow him some Oxfordshire cigars in return for a very generous amount of his best wine.

So next year ... in addition to my snus-making exploits ... I will be looking for some great cigar varieties to grow and getting a new learning curve in the rolling of the sticks!

Wish me luck!

Squeezy

 

[deluxestogie]

I would look at somewhat northerly cigar varieties:

• Comstock Spanish [Wisconsin]
• Little Dutch [Ohio]
• Machu Picchu [Andes, Peru]
• Long Red [Pennsylvania]

I love Pennsylvania Red (different from Long Red), but it always has been a slow grower with a late-season growth spurt in my garden. My Vuelta Abajo does well, and finishes early, but it's a Cuban variety.

You might also discuss your growing season with skychaser, since he has a short season, to see what he would suggest.

Bob

 

[Markw]

Like you I have do some bartering this yea,r it has been potato's eight strains! they have been flying around the bar and have been exchanged for pints of London Pride bitter (Beer) As Bob has said you need something better for our climate. but the main thing over here is the mould issue, I have found some better ones than others and some very good over here where mould is not as bad if any at all.
These are the ones that I have grown with very little Problems with the mould issue.

Pennsylvania Red: easy to colour cure
Long Red : easy to colour cure
Little Dutch: not a large plant but yummy!
Segedinska Ruza: thanks to Rainmax, top quality plant very early and very large leaf the biggest of all the plants this year.
Vuelta Abajo: strong good bold flavour
Florida Sumatra: top quality wrapper easy to colour cure
Domican Olor cures well
La Palma Havana: a good all round or stand alone smoke
Criollo Colorado: Grin Grow out looks like very much like Silver River easy to colour cure.
Chichicaste: this is classed as a primitive, but cures to a fantastic dark chocolate colour I like it and it is the easiest leaf to cure and no mould what so ever.

That should keep you going Squeezy for next year. Havana 142 has got to be the hardest leaf I have tried to to dry. moulds every time.

 

[Ben Brand]

Squeezy
I tasted some English wine when I stayed in the UK, West midlands, not bad at all. Not a big white wine fan, more of a red oxblood fan.
Must say you guys have got balls planting tobacco in the UK, but anyway, good luck, stiff upper lip etc.
Ben