To Understand Life, Make Blackberry Wine

It’s August.

August means blackberries in the Pacific Northwest. Blackberries everywhere.

Anyone who has had the good fortune to eat a juicy blackberry straight off the vine will tell you there is no better fruit in the world.

(Durian is arguably better, but most of the world will violently disagree.)

The sun-kissed sugars mixed with the subtle tartness is the perfect flavor combination.

Store berries don’t have that. You must pick it yourself or get it from a loving friend.

Making Wine

It’s a struggle to figure out enough recipes to take advantage of the two to three-week explosion.

Baked goods are lovely, but should probably be eaten in moderation. A pie a day will make you your doctor’s best client.

Wine is fun, good for you, and tasty. Again, in moderation.

So 5.5 pounds of blackberries later, I decided to take up my grandfather’s hobby of making wine out of anything and everything available — as long as it’s fresh.

Out of this first foray into homebrewing led to an epiphany. All of this effort to create alcohol is freakishly similar to life.

Finding The Right Patch

There are blackberries literally everywhere. You see them in roadside ditches, fields, backyards, sideyards, walkways, and even in the forest. But finding the right place to pick them takes work.

You can stand in the ditch on the side of a highway. It’s convenient. But also hazardous and blackberries are soaking up all the emissions from the passing cars.

Ew.

Tree cover provides shade for you on the hot August afternoon. Yet while you’re more comfortable, there isn’t enough sun needed for the developing sugars to hit the divine balance of sweet and tart.

Out in the field, you’ll hike further. It’ll be hot. The sun will burn your face, hands, and neck if you forget the sunscreen. You’ll need to carry a bigger bucket, so you don’t have to hike out and back as many times.

But your fruit will be better. Better fruit equals better wine.

Since you need the best ingredients to create the best product, you’ll have to work harder, suffer the heat, and plan better.

Blackberries Have Thorns, Ya Know

Blackberry vines guard their treasures.

In addition to the heat, you’ll need to cover up. Thick jeans. Longsleeves. This will make you hotter.

Blackberries require armor. Armor is stifling. You’re putting yourself through more suffering to get the best berries.

But you can’t wear gloves.

The best berries are soft. They fall right into your hand as you touch them with your fingertips. Gloves prevent the finesse required to pick them without crushing their juices all over everything.

Your hands will show your labor. They will sting. Friends will assume that you were playing with a not-so-friendly neighborhood cat.

Because the best berries are further back in the bush where less courageous pickers than you didn’t dare enter.

Which brings us to boots.

Hiking boots are good. Tall, rubber muck boots are best. You’ll need to trample some vines to get into the hard to reach areas. Thorns will attach themselves to your pants, your chest, your sleeves.

But your sauna armor will (mostly) protect the rest of your body.

Some Berries Will Always Been Impossible To Reach

No matter how careful you prepare and how hard you try, you won’t be able to reach all of the tempting berries. Maybe you’re short. Maybe they’re just too deep in the vine mountain.

Some beautiful berries will always be unattainable.

But they’ll inspire you.

Sure, you can’t reach the ones 10 feet in the air. But you can push a little further into the thorns masquerading as velcro to reach the cluster 8 feet off the ground. Nobody else dared try for those, and they’re calling you.

Companions Are A Bonus

Berry picking is better with company. A friend or your dog.

In the case of your faithful canine, there’s a good chance something will smell interesting in the vine mountains and tunnels. He’ll run off.

You have to trust that he’ll come back. You can further develop the trust that he’ll come back by keeping some boiled chicken or cheese in your pocket. That adds more prep and yet another thing to carry.

What a good boy.

It would also be wise to get some paw protection for your best bud.

Whichever way you go (two or four-legged companions) it’ll be more fun.

Despite the Prep, You Still May Fail

Winemaking is not a guarantee. Especially for the amateur.

You can prepare, suffer, sweat, and still end up with something terrible come December.

There are no guarantees that your effort will pan out.

Which leaves you with options for how to handle the unknown.

Pick Extra To Enjoy Along The Way

Blackberries right off the vine blow your mind.

One for the bucket, one for me.

Since you only need 4 to 6 pounds for wine, an extra pound or several would make excellent jam, tarts, or liquor.

Enjoy The Ride

Listen to an audiobook. Bring a friend.

Smell the air.

Note the process to improve later.

Be present. You have the good fortune to live somewhere with the best fruit in the world. Be grateful.

Maintain Hope

Hope is a beautiful thing. It gets us through.

You can do everything you can to ensure you’ll have fantastic blackberry wine this winter. But you don’t know.

You can worry, or you can hope.

A little hope that everything will pan out makes the process more pleasurable.

Things might go wrong. Take some time to breathe the fresh air. Smell your ferment to appreciate the yeast’s hard work.

Smile at your scratches — you earned them. They’ll be gone soon anyway.