Wines brewed ‘sincerely’ by Sabrina

Initially, she would brew and sell only black currant and grape wines but at her stall today were varieties of non-vegetarian pickles and new additions to her menu of wines such as beetroot and rose.

Though she was thrilled about the tremendous sales and positive response, brewing wine is a dying art, she says. “Brewing is an acquired craft — one needs to follow the recipe to the T. Also, hygiene and patience reign supreme in wine-making, resulting in a tedious process where one needs to sterilise all the equipment before starting. Sadly, this makes it a dying craft because we live in an ‘instant’ generation now, where one doesn’t have time nor patience to dedicate to this form of creativity,” she sighs.

Since the wines she brews are 100 per cent chemical-free and organic, it takes even longer to brew. But that’s what makes this oenophile so special. “Being organic, I do not even touch sugar but use molasses (karupatti) instead. This unique flavour is what made my first batch of wine (back in 2000) the best my family had ever tasted; I guess it’s carrying on to my customers as well!”

The coming months are certainly going to be exciting for Sabrina because festivities with her family will begin. “At our home, we begin mixing plum cake for Christmas in the month of October. Our friends will join in and we all soak fruits for the cake in rum and spices along with initiating the process of making wine,” she smiles before getting back to customers lined up outside her stall.