I got an email from a gentleman (Robert) who found six mead bottles under his home while doing a renovation. They are dated 1969. Wow! What a peculiar and amazing find. Anyway, he wants to know if the bottles are drinkable or maybe even valuable. They were in a cardboard box with a document. I have included what was written on the document although not all of it is legible. This is a pretty interesting blast from the past!
If you know anything about this mead or have some advice or an opinion about it send me an email!
Transcript of a document found within a cardboard box of wine - dated 1969, and listed as 'mead'. The box contained 6 x 2.25 litre bottles. These were found when the front verandah deck of no 9 Seymour street was lifted for replacement on 14th Jan, 2011. Norman and Bernice lived at no 9 when the house was divided into 2 flats, with Mary Bradshaw living in the 'rear' of the house. Norman was well known for producing cider and fruit wines, and several empty bottles have been found around the yard, and the barn identified as the 'production headquarters'.
Here is what is on the document that came along with the mead: (some of it is illegible)
Terang Country Wines
This is a non-commercial effort to make cider, fruit wines and mead, not to make money.
All fruit used is donated mainly by people who have several fruit trees in their back yards and fruit in excess of requirements.
Last year 2,700 litres of cider was made for 27 different people who supplied apples. Not quite so much this year as it was a light bearing year for local trees. However, plums were plentiful and some excellent wines resulted, some 500 litres in all.
A small orchard of special cider apples has been planted and these should bear next season. 2 (?) lemon trees and other sorts of citrus also.
Public...................man's idea of a.................the community has been
good......................now got beyond the.............occupation he envisaged.
Help in the form of young ladies, Carol and Chris, who are interested
in learning the craft of of wine making was at hand.
Although they do not want to become involved in a large scale operation it has become clear that some way must be found to.........e to sell portion of the production. It is no good making more of anything than one needs unless there is some way of disposing of the surplus.
Mead is also being produced and the honey from which it is made must be paid for, a very expensive item.
An application for wholesale liau.....merchants..........is being prepared ...................................................................................impose "any con- ......................................................................................obtained. If it is ...........................................................................would be quite accept- .................................................................................................required. ...............................................................................................this should be acceptable.
Should a suitable licence prove positive it is hoped that the project can be carried on into the future, using up a surplus commodity that has been going to waist for years. A varying proportion of the production goes to the donors of the fruit bringing a little relief from the ever rising cost of alcoholic beverages.
A word of warning, mead is highly alcoholic and should be used with care and served in small glasses. Cider can vary considerably from slightly less alcohol content than [mead?] to considerably above. Fruit wines are similar in alcohol to red wine......................
Lemons,...........Black Currants, ?Eider...., Peaches, Cherries, Straw- berries,...............ies, Raspberries, Cherry Plums, Blue Diamond, Green Gage, Da.......... and Blood; Mulberries and Cumquats all have been used for making wines.
Should Carol and Chris be successful in obtaining a licence it is hoped to carry on the project; and to extend even further. Cider Perry Mead and Fruit Wine are, to an extent an acquired taste. How- ever, it is also found that this is not so difficult to achieve and within a short time at that.
Should you have surplus fruit ring Chris on 92-1319 or Norman on 92-1064. To close this sheet of information a big "thank you" to people who have supplied fruit or have supported the project in other ways.
How about some still sealed bottles of mead that are 64 years old? Yup, I have pictures right here. And.... this meadery is long defunct. If you know a little bit about mead you might want to take a look. Maybe you can offer some insight into it. I am looking for help with these beauties. Check out the Guval Mead
