So, what's everybody made this season, and whaddya sipping?

I'm sugar feeding a mixed berry port I made from red and black raspberries, frozen blueberries, mulberries frim the tree in my yard, elderberries from a long hike I went on, and blackberries from a pick your own farm. Its on the basement at around 62 deg F, but Lavin EC-1118 can slowly work on it over the winter ...

I have a hard cider I meade from 4 gallons of unpasturized cider I bought at the end of September. I'm using White Labs Cider Yeast, and I'm not impressed. It must be kept over 63 deg F, or it will stop fermenting. It said it would preserve apple flavor, but there didn't seem to be much there. Could have been the juice's fault 'tho. Also, the early apples must have be very low in sugar I didn't take S.G reading, just decided to trust the label, I won't do that again. So at first rack, I added 5 cans of seneca frozen apple juice. It chugs along slowly. Just before Thanksgiving, I'll rack again, prime with corn syrup (to add body with non-fermentable sugars -- vanilla flavoring be dammed), and put in champagene bottles. It should have a faint sparkle in time for Christmas and New Years.

I have added too much sugar to my rose petal wine, the EC-1118 has done most of what it can, so it bubbles only slowly, and it tastes like everclear and sugar. Yet, when I rack, and wash out the jug, I get a whiff of the scent of roses. There's something there ... maybe when bottle aged it will all erupt forth with flavor.

My one year old rose hip wine has thrown a lot of sediment in the bottles. I'll make another gallon over the winter. Then next summer when its done, I'll decant the botlles, and rebottle for another 2 years of aging. This better be worth it.

My Welches white grape juice wine has spent 4 months in the bottle. Its as good as any 5 dollar white you'd buy. Perfectly adequete for a marinade, flavor is a little bold for a light meat, but good in a beef stew, or sipping with a stron flavored chicken. My friends wives will gladly drink it. I wonder if they're being polite, or are just accustomed to 5 buck rotgut.

150 gallons of Cab/Zin blend. Real grapes - Lodi, CA

Steve

12 US Gal of Blackberry. 11 US Gal of Banana. All made last February

I hope to make some more wine before the years out.

Sipping? Well, you know how there is always an odd couple of bottles? I have a few bottles of the Blackberry that I'm enjoying. Other than that, I have been sipping a red raspberry I made in 2001.

John

Well, I only started this hobby (passion/obsession) in August.

6 Shiraz (ready Thanksgiving) 6 Pinot Noir (ready Christmas) 6 Cranberry (ready Oct 2006) 1 Welch's Concord Frozen Concentrate (ready New Years) 3 Apple Cider (ready Oct 2006) 3 Peach Mango (ready Spring 2006) (need to start a white wine next, something good with grilled salmon)

sigh. I'm sipping store bought. At least I'm collecting bottles. Is it wrong to buy wines based on the pretty bottles? :*)

DAve

spud wrote:

All from local gapes

54L Pinot Noir 20 L Chardonnay 120L Cab Franc/Merlot 74L Cab Sauv

Joe Niagara Region

4* 60 gallon barrels of Shiraz merlot blend Cost- $350 (theres a grape glut in Western Australia) I figure, make hay while the sun shines.

Made:

• 15 gal. Frontenac (Local Minnesota grapes)

• 6 gal. kit Pinot Noir (Winexpert Oregon Yamhill)

• 5 gal. Pineapple Wine

• 3 gal. St. Croix (Local Minnesota grapes). Probably use for blending w/ the Frontenac

Sipping:

• Last year's homebrews: Frontenac (quite good), a kit Syrah, crabapple wine.

• Lately, a lot of off-the-shelf domestic pinot - California and Oregon mostly (Beringer, Archery Summit, Sanford, King Estate)

--KitchenDude

And a totally boring string! This NG gets worse!

Gee Pinky, is someone keeping you from start an interesting thread?

Steve noobie Oreg>And a totally boring string!

Opps should be >starting<

Joe, mind telling us where you got the grapes? I tried to get some from Niagara this year, but wasn't able to get too much at all!

What recipe did you use? I've got about 8 lbs of blackberries in the freezer, waiting to be made into wine :)

Pinky wants us to read his mind and only post topics that are of interest to him. If you don't he's going to whine about taking his (lack of) group contributions elsewhere.

An interesting list - great variety. For our season, in various stages of aging right now;

23 gals Sierra Foothills Syrah 24.5 gals Clarksburg Merlot 3 gals Sierra Foothills Marsanne (first season from our own Marsanne vines!) 3 gals Pear wine

All straight from the vines, picked by us.