Seeking ideas to help with a little project....

I'm not sure that it's a "country" winemaking ingredient, but Oak is an obvious answer. I usually use both American and Hungarian oak in my red wines. There is a difference between oak varieties; American oak produces a more distinct oak note while Hungarian oak produces a more "round" oak flavor. Oak chips of several varieties are generally available at home brewing shops.

I've also heard good things about Elderberries, but I've never experimented with them.

Greg

Hmmmm, can't be done in my opinion--not enough information. Depends on the variety of wine targeted. Could be oak, could be the yeast, might be tannin... Then you run into the problem of which oak, which yeast, which....

Might be none of those. Might be age....

Back to you -- pick a wine, first.

Sean, 1) elderberries 2)blackberries 3) a slight whiff of reductive chemistry

Elderberries for colour, tannin, flavour and longevity

Banana juice (made with a steam extractor or boiling banana's for body, and sugar. Lemons for a bit of taste and acid.

I've added 2 oz of dried Elder berries per gallon and it did improve the Jammy-ness of the wine, but I was making Pinot Noir, so wanted that.

DAve

snipped-for-privacy@testeng>> Okay, so here is what I'd like to do.....

I would agree with others that it depends on the wine, but some of the things I would consider would be:

bananas for body, Welch's frozen Niagara concentrate for light colored wines. Dark raisins for dark colored wines. Oak for some wines but other wines are hurt by oak

Chemicals such as tannin and acid are just adjustments and I do not consider them as blending agents.

As for as adding a different fruit to a country wine, I generally prefer to make them separately and then blend the wines after they are made.

Ray

Elderberry wine used as a blending agent. We currently have 5 gallons of bulk aged 2 yr old elderberry on hand if we need to use it.

Blackberry juice- Take a pound of frozen blackberries and put them into a cheesecloth bag. Pour slightly cooled down boiling water over the berries and let them steep; making a strong tea. Use as little hot water as you can get away with. Repeat the process a few times to extract as much color and flavor as you can. If you want to sweeten add a cup of sugar to 2 cups water, brought to a boil. If you do sweeten, don't forget to sorbate the finished wine. You will be surprised to taste how much a couple of ml of blackberry juice will enhance 4 - 6 oz of red wine.

I thank you all, but it appears all contributors to this thread bar a couple may have actually misunderstood my intention. I request not ingredients you would ADD to a wine to increase its complexity, but ingredients you would use to PRODUCE a wine of complexity. No grape suggestions, this is country wine territory. I will use any and all country wine ingredients and additives from a shortlist to make an experimental batch. Sounds like an elderberry/blackberry base is in...so what say you now, mentors?

I am not sure we did misunderstand you. At least what you said rather than what you were thinking. As far as what we suggested, you rulled out grape skins and I did not note anyon suggesting them.

You said you were interested in an "ingredient that would add complexity to a wine." You did not specify when the ingredient would be added. Ingredients can be added before, during, or after fermentation. A very common way is to blend in things after fermentation. We adjust acidity or tannin level or sweetness after fermentation. And as far as adding fruit, even the commercial people making grape wine do not blend fruit before fermentation. They make the different wines and then blend them for complexity.

But then if you want to establish some ground rules for yourself, fine. Just be careful how you ask questions of others. They will not know what rules you are living by.

Ray

Ray

Ray

all useful info Ray, duly noted! And yes, it is rather a case of miscomunicating myself than being misunderstood. Quite right!

Well I propose blueberries as I am just making a blueberry wine and ready they become pleasantly complex in time...

Jim

I don't do a lot of country wines so can't say. Complex and country are not compatible the way I make them. I aim for a fruity country wine that is not complex at all and they are usually drunk in a year or so.

I made a Raspberry that tasted like Vicks 44 originally if that counts... I blended in wine after wine to make that better. I would call the ned result complex though, just better.

Joe