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Vintners Harvest Blackberry Wine - Help Wanted

I'm hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. Early in my winemaking career (last fall), I bought a can of Vintners Harvest Blackberry fruit wine base. It was a 96 oz can of blackberries and water. I had the option of making a 5 gal or a 3 gal batch, and I chose the 3 gal hoping it would have more body. The beginning SG was

1.090 and ending was .992, I used Cote Des Blancs yeast. I've racked a couple times and it has been bulk-aging in my 58 degree basement for about 3 mos now. I tried a sample the other night, it is extremely thin and what little taste there is is very harsh. My questions are, will the addition of wine conditioner (or glycerin) add sufficient body to it? Is there a better way of adding body? I have a small bottle of blackberry extract (ID Carlson), does anyone know if this product will actually add flavor to a blackberry wine, or is it too artificial?? Any insight/advice from you would be very much appreciated...thanks.

Paul

Reply to
Paul
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I can't really answer your query since I have never made a similar "fruit" wine from a kit. My only suggestion is that when I make my blackberry wine ( 4/1 Blackberries/elderberries), I bulk age for two years before bottling. In my experience fruit wines ( strawberry is an exception) need a much longer period to mature and develop taste, flavour and aroma. Now that I live in a small flat (apartment) I have to limit my fruit wines because of lack of space -- I make strawberry every year, blackberry and apricot nearly every year and fortified elderberry about every 3 years HTH

Reply to
Pinky

I have always made berry wines from fresh wild berries. I use 4 to 6 lbs / gal. 96 oz is only 6 lbs. That is only 2 lbs / gal. And from what you say, they were probably put up with water. Lack of fruit is probably what caused it to be thin.

Ray

Reply to
Ray

Paul,

I once made a thin blackberry wine (too little fruit) which was vastly improved by adding that exact product. There was no artificial taste, and nobody knew the difference. I can't give you details on amounts, but the bottle has rough guidelines, and I just played it by ear...er, palate.

HTH, Mike MTM

Reply to
MikeMTM

Thanks Mike, I'll try the extract. Did it seem to add body as well or just improve the taste???

Paul

Reply to
Paul

I've also used the 96oz can of Vitners Harvest to make a 5 gallon batch, I add a 48oz can of Alexander's Vino Blanc for body, along with pectic enzyme and acid blend. Added sugar to SG of 1.07 to keep the Alcohol down to the 9%ABV range.

After it ferments dry, I add Sorbate, and 12fl oz of sugar syrup to make it a semi-dry rose-like w>

Reply to
Roger

Paul,

It might have helped the body a bit, but the main effect was the taste.

HTH, Mike MTM

Reply to
MikeMTM

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