Wine Suprise & Disappointment of the Year

My biggest surprise and disappointment was in a Merlot I made from juice from the "Home Wine" company (part of Alexander Sun Country, but not a concentrate.

The juice looked a lot thinner than I expected for a merlot (actually, it looked like a weak Pinot), and just a little oak turned it into smoked-splintersville. If you get it really cold (say, straight out of the fridge), you can get some fruit flavor before the tree hits your tongue.

Their Sauvignon Blanc wasn't bad, though.

Two biggest successes of the year:

I had some 2002 California Cab. Sauv. that I was going to bottle at the start of the year. I tasted it and it was very bland. Checked the pH and it had gone up to 3.80. I brought the pH down to 3.35, added a second treatment of oak, and put it back again. It is now a very nice, heavy bodied wine. Proved it is never to late to make corrections.

I also made a Niagara from Welch's frozen concentrate using Jack's recipe. At 3 months it was fantastic. At one year it is going down hill but it was great when young. I will definitely make it again but in small batches.

Biggest disappointment: I made a Concord from Welch's frozen grape juice. Started at SG of 1.088 and it stuck at 1.020. I never could get it going again and I tried all sorts of things. This is the only wine I have tried to make in 30 years that I could not get to ferment out.

Ray

Ray, With respect to the Welch's frozen grape juice which stuck. Been there. I had one batch which stuck and I couldn't get it going either. When I began making wine from the frozen juice concentrates, it always seemed to work, now 3 years later I've run into more and more problems with it sticking and being unable to ferment to dry. I'm beginning to think they (Welch's) have changed something when they make it. Now, I add yeast nutrient, and I ferment in a normal fermentation bucket, and treat it just like a wine I would make from with fruit (and stirring it 2tx a day). Since I've done that, I have not had a batch stick. Darlene Wisconsin

Dar, I apologize for going off-topic, but I did a search for apple-cherry concentrate wine from Old Orchard and I see that you've had some success with this blend. Would you mind sharing your recipe? Thanks, Paul

Paul, Not at all. Here's the recipe. Please follow my comments to Ray. These can stick (just like Welch's)before fermenting to dry, so please don't try to ferment in a carboy with a bung & airlock.

Thanks Dar, The batch that stuck was started in a primary covered with a towel. when it dropped to 1.020 I racked it to secondary. At that point it stuck. Jack suggested that maybe I left behind too much of the yeast. He might be correct but noting I could do would restart it. I tried repiching twice and added nutrient again. Then I added 2 pints of a strongly fermenting mustang wine to the 3 gal batch. Then I added all the sediment plus a gallon of the wine from a just finishing cherry wine. By then the SG had dropped to 1.010, probably from mixing in all the wine that was further along. I then gave it up as a bad job. I am aging it out as a low alcohol sweet wine.

Ray

Ray, You really did try, didn't you...wow. So what do you think is going on with these frozen concentrates? Did Jack have any other ideas? Making wine out of these frozen concentrates was my first beginner step to making wine; easy to do and you didn't need a lot of materials. Now, it seems it is much more difficult, which is to bad for the beginners out there. I'm aging the batch I had trouble with as a very young low alcohol sweet wine as well - my parents really like it. Happy holidays. Darlene Wisconsin

No, that was Jack's suggestion but then I did not press him for any other. I want to try the Niagara again, it was so good. If it comes out, I will maybe try the concord again.

Ray