Red wine
Winston’s mother and father, Edna Hemlock Standup and Michael Standup, pose for a photo in 1942. (Courtesy: Peggy Mayo-Standup)
Story told by Winston Standup
Me and my mother used to make red wine. We would get wild grapes from the backyard. They grew on the back fence and we used to pick them. My grand-aunt and grand-uncle planted them years back.
A week ahead of time, my mother would catch the bus to Lachine to get cheesecloths. She’d cut the cloth into pieces and use that as a strainer.
She would put water in a big pail, put it on the woodstove, and cook the grapes. When the water boils, it breaks up the grapes.
I would hold the cheesecloth and she would pour. We’d rinse the cloth and do that two or three more times to get most of the seeds out and then pour it in a crock pot with a cork.
Once it started to ferment, we’d strain it again. Then she would pour it back into the container, add sugar, taste it, and let it sit in a cold area.
I tried it and I got sick like hell. It wasn’t ready yet. It fermented.
My mother would keep the wine for herself or give it to the neighbours. Back then, everybody used to come to the house to wish us a Happy New Year. A lot of people brought wine and beer.
Onekwénhtara’ nikatsi’tsò:ten
Credit: Simona Rosenfield
Winston Standup ROKÁ:RATON
Ì:’i tánon’ ake’nisténha otsì:tsa’ shes iatiathnekón:ni. Kontatewenní:io o’nénhare’ eniakení:ko’ ohnà:ken nonkwá:ti aten’èn:rakon. Ohnà:ken nonkwá:ti aten’enhrà:ke tkontì:nio’s tánon’ eniakeni’nenhará:ko’. Ken’ niiohserá:ke tsi náhe’ teiohsotsherá:ne aktén:t tánon’ rakenonhà:’a ne ki’ wahniiéntho’.
Tsiahià:khsera ohén:ton, iakoia’takarénie’s eniontita’à:nha’ nake’nisténha ne Skaniatará:ti naiekóha’ tsí:s aonia’tarà:’a. Eniekwe’tarón:ko’ nonia’tarà:’a tánon’ ne ki’ enienonwakéntstahkwe’.
Kana’tsowá:nen eniehné:karen’, sok karistà:ke eniè:ren’, enie’nenhará:rihte’. Nó:nen ki’ teniohnekón:ti’, tenka’nenharà:rihte’ wáhi.
Tsí:s aonia’tarà:’a entié:na’ tánon’ ó:ia kanà:tsakon ieniónweron’. Eniakeninón:wakentste’ nonia’tarà:’a tánon’ tékeni tóka’ ni’ áhsen shé: nienká:ienhte’ tho nentsakení:iere’ ne thó:ha akwé:kon aiakeninen’arón:ko’. Thó:ner o’tá:ra’ iokhwashá:ion iekonnià:tha’ kanà:tsakon ieniatiáweron’ tánon’ awenráhsa’ tho ieniákenohwe’.
Tsi ó:nen tontáhsawen’ aiótken’, sok á:re entsakeninón:wakentste’. Eh thó:ne katshè:takon ientsónweron’, ia’tenionttsikhè:tohwe’, enióntken’se’, tánon’ ienióntka’we’ tsi nón: niiowísto.
Wa’kátken’se’ ní: tánon’ teiotenonhianíhton tsi onkenonhwákten’. Iah ki’ áro’k tekaweiennenta’òn:ne’. Í: ki’ ontia’tátken’.
Enionterá:ko’ notsì:tsa’ ake’nisténha tóka’ ni’ teiakwanonhsanekháhon enhonwatihné:kanonte’. Tho shikahá:wi, tsik ónhka’k tsi tionkwanónhsote’ eniekwátho’ naionkhiiatonhnhahéhrhahse’ ne Ohserá:se’. É:so iá:kon taiéhawe’ notsì:tsa’ tánon’ onon’tákeri.
Translation by Sahawisó:ko’ Arquette