Twelve years ago our dear friend and client, the late George Osaki gave us a Cabernet Sauvignon vine in a pot. I remember it was twelve years ago because we also got our puppy, Stella, that same year and after we planted the grapevine, Stella thought it was a chew toy. The vine survived and thrived, albeit with an oddly shaped base and cordons.

Last year we decided to create an arbor over our outdoor dining area using string for the vines to attach and create an area of shade and ambiance. It worked well and as you can see, we were treated to an abundance of grapes.

Why not make wine? Well, we did try that in year seven and eight, and while we did succeed in making alcohol… we’ve decided to leave the winemaking to the professionals.

Last year, on some friendly advice, we decided to try our hand at making grape juice and it was so simple & delicious! This week, in late September, we harvested our grapes once again and was able to make two pitchers full of juice. It’s delicious chilled. I like mine with a couple of ice cubes, or you could cut it with a little water. It’s super concentrated and sweet! So when life gives you grapes… make juice!

I found this recipe online at Simple Recipes.

We picked the grapes and put the whole clusters into a deep bucket of water to rinse off the spiderwebs, dirt and yes, the spiders! Sometimes your cat might help you.

The we took out one bunch at a time and picked the individual grapes, choosing only the best ones. We discarded the shriveled and unripe green berries. It’s best to set up a table in a comfortable spot in the shade with a plastic tablecloth. It will be messy and you will be here for awhile. Have a trashcan or compost bin handy for the waste. Choose a good companion for your sorting & chatting!

Place the ripe berries into a large stock pot. This is the same pot you will put on the stovetop for mashing and heating. I used the large pot I boil pasta in. Fill the pot about halfway. If you have more grapes it’s best to do a second batch.

The next step is in the kitchen. Use a potato masher until the juices begin to flow and then slowly heat the grapes and juice to a simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer for 10 minutes. At the 5 minute mark, give it another mash to break up the remaining grapes.

Prepare a second container for the juice. You’ll need cheesecloth for this step. You’ll want to cover the pot with two layers of cheesecloth which you can affix with a rubber band to hold it in place. After the grapes & juice have simmered for 10 minutes, gently scoop the contents of your pot over the top of the cheesecloth. This will separate your juice from the skins and seeds.

Let the mixture sit on your counter for several hours or place in your fridge overnight. Juice will continue to gravity feed into the pot. You can encourage it a little by gently stirring and lifting.

Now you are ready to gather up the cheesecloth and squeeze any remaining juice into the container below. It’s kind of cool to compost the skins and seeds into the dirt around your grapevine, but it could attract flies & unwanted bugs, so use your discretion.

Finally, your juice is almost ready! Use a fine strainer to pour it into a pitcher or final container. There will be sediment which will settle to the bottom, so strain it as much as you need to.

Chill it down and enjoy!