River Cottage blogger: John Wright

Fresh from brewing gorseflower wine with Hugh, River Cottage foraging guru, John Wright, discusses the highs and lows of nature’s free bar

Gorseflower wine is a country classic which can be made almost all year round. Nothing grows better than gorse at Park Farm so Hugh and I thought it was time we made use of this ‘bounty’.

There is no doubt that I was better than Hugh at picking gorse – he just kept making a fuss about how sharp the prickles were. Apart from the pain the most memorable thing about the day was the smell – an overpowering hit of coconut that arrived in warm waves.

The finished wine was sharp and very dry and retained a hint of that coconut aroma. And it was very strong, which brings me to the common problem of trying out a drink on camera. Few things are ever done in one take and I haven’t perfected Hugh’s ability to take small sips. By the end I am usually slightly tired – sometimes emotional as well – and have to rest for a bit.

Everyone at the sheep shearing party enjoyed, or at least said they enjoyed, the wine – except the sound-engineer who didn’t like it at all. Sound-engineers are all charming people but something of a race apart.

Next time I want us to try a wine based on wormwood – the plant that absinthe is made from. Wormwood is toxic but, frankly, so is much of the booze Hugh and I make.

Try the gorseflower brew for yourself

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