Vin de Noix

May Contain Nuts!

People have asked about my Vin de Noix and how I made this muscular, exotic sounding potion. Traditionally Vin de Noix (fortified walnut wine) is made by steeping quartered green walnuts (available in June) in red wine and spirit for a few months. Then the debris is filtered off and the wine is left to mature at least until Christmas or the Winter months. Recipes vary of course, according to region.

This suits me too, I do like to experiment…

A Verdant Infusion

Back in 2010, I made some Walnut schnapps, which uses green walnuts steeped in vodka. Through a gradual process (you need to be patient for this one), the mixture turns into a very strong, singular liqueur; this can then be further diluted according to taste up to ten times.

I reasoned that if I blended some of my surplus Walnut schnapps, with some of my country red wine (Blackberry wine and Elderberry Port was available this year), it would amount to the same thing and I could produce a distinctive Urbane Forager’s Vin de Noix.

Elderberries

I bottled some of the resultant tonic in decorative china stoppered carafes to give to family members, as Christmas gifts. I kept the rest of this precious infusion for the cold winter nights. It has a rich mahogany colour and an unfathomable spicy flavour, worth slowly savouring over a good book or maybe a Sunday night BBC edition of Sherlock Holmes…

Nice Bottle!

Oh look, guess what’s on TV tonight!