Hi all :)
I have a question that I was hoping you could help me with.
I have 1 gallon of good robust (if young) dry red wine (generic red from a kit) that is "surplus" at the moment.
I was looking to fortify this hopefully into a nice port style wine.
Any advice?
I seem to remember a recipe from some time ago that specified adding brandy? But what about the sweetness of port.
Your combined knowledge and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Phil
My port is still fermenting, so my advise is what I'm "gonna" do, rather than what I did. :)
I'm going to buy a vinometer, and measure the alcohol content of my aged, dry wine. Then I'll use the famous calculations to determine how much alcohol will be needed. I also intend to blend with a younger, fruiter wine, maybe at a ratio of 2 gallons young wine to 4-5 gallons aged wine. (I'll determine the alcohol level there as well).
I'll test wine glasses of the wine with sugar added to determine how much sweetening the bulk will need.
I figure I'll use Everclear, or moderate quality vodka, instead of brandy -- I don't know of any inexpensive, neutral brandy. Maybe Grappa or Marc is clean and inexpensive. Maybe I'll taste test those a wineglass at a time as well.
After everything is calculated out, I'll mix according to the math, then age some more. The wine may throw some more sediment with added alcohol, even if its been clear for a while. Unless possibly, if you've filtered it.
I think my obsession with testing is because there is a lack of internet info on homemeade fortified wines. I hear winemaking copetitions don't allow fortified wines, so there may be a little less incentive to work out, test, refine, retest, then publish recipies.
snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote, concerning fortified wines,"I hear winemaking copetitions don't allow fortified wines, so there may be a little less incentive to work out, test, refine, retest, then publish recipies."
Not so! Our wine club, The Greater Kansas City Cellarmasters, conducts an amateur wine contest every November. In addition to the expected wine categories are four fortified wine categories...Sherries, Ports, Vermouth-like wines and Aperitif/dessert wines. It's time right now to submit entries for this year's contest. Log on to
BTW, this year's Best-Of-Show prize is a ten gallon Gibb's Brothers oak barrel. I have one and it's a really nice addition to any wine cellar.
Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA
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