Hello group
The strawberry season here in Denmark is at its height and I am contemplating a strawberry wine. Its style should be that of a dessert wine in the sauterne style, so if anyone has had any experience with something similar Id like to hear about it.
I am considering concentrating the juice by means of a cryoextracting technique. I am aware of the usual technique of pressing the frozen berries, but is it possible instead to use a technique where the berries are pressed normally and the juice placed in the freezer, and the skim off ice as it forms on the surface of the juice?
I am aware of all the debates of 100% fruit wines vs. dillution so the question is if this treatment would lead to a wine that is too concentrated. A top-level sauterne is extremely concentrated in flavour - it virtually explodes in your mouth - and this concentration is very much acclaimed by the critiques. I therefore think that a strawberry dessert wine must be very concentrated before it can be said to be too much.
I am aiming for 11% alc. and sweeting to taste - probably it is important not to sweeten too much or it will taste of strawberry syrup. Is it realistic to obtain 22-23 Brix with strawberry juice and cryo-concentration alone, or should I expect to add sugar?
I am considering sweetening with the original concentrated juice instead of sugar - to preserve more of the fruity tastes. Is this a good idea, or will there be problems with this way of sweetening?
Ill keep you posted on the proceedings ;-)
Martin Olesen Snoldelev, Denmark