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RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 2/13/2012 6:39:44 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7838
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		cih, I used table cane sugar, Sucrose. I made sure it was in solution by adding water 1:1 and heating it gently on the stove. I cooled to room temp then splash blended in with the wine while racking to try to evenly mix it. Bottled immediately after that.

If you use any of the fortifying steps I'd make sure to kill all yeasts with Potassium Sorbate prior to adding juice or brandy. Yes, the alcohol level should be too high for yeast to survive, but as we've discussed elswhere some of the new commercial strains are very EtOH tolerant and a new sugar fermentation when you don't expect/want it can be disasterous. Sparkling port might be a new concept though .

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Post #: 91
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 2/19/2012 10:05:23 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		Just to let you know, I've made rum white cane sugar as well as molasses and sucrose and wine yeast put off much more congeners for some reason, that is why I asked. I'm going to leave the Syrah alone for another 3 months and do one more racking. I hate to kill any remaining yeast cells until then, because even though my brix is nearly zero, all the little bugs (including malolactic) and yeast give off flavorful by products when they are in this stage. I think that is one of the reasons that many a costly bottle sits in barrels, wood or otherwise for a long time. Toward the end of June, I'll probably bottle most after a little potassium sorbate. I still think I want to try and make about a half a dozen bottles of port, so I'll probably use some kind of fresh juice (maybe Blueberry) and a simple syrup of sucrose or dextrose, and of course some fairly decent brandy. I do like experiments.

For legal purposes, my rum making experiments, went into vanilla-extract. Just don't want any ATF issues.

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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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Post #: 92
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 2/22/2012 7:53:14 PM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline 		Just racked my viognier for the 2nd time. Innoculated with sulphur dioxide prior to 1st racking, and decided to try battonage to get a bit more complexity, and inserted a very very few oak cubes (9) to the 5 gallon carboy to get a hint of oakiness as well. Tasted for the first time tonight at the 2nd racking.

TN: Lots of grapefruit on the nose. Smells like wine for sure. A bit thin and chemically on the front of the palate but resolves nicely throughout. Floral notes, and citrus. Somewhat complex on the finish actually, although the front of the palate could use a bit of work (hoping this is just the results of the lees and the sulphur dioxide and will change in time). Some spice and astringency at the very end as well that is actually quite pleasant and a welcome treat compared to a normal viognier.

We'll see how this one turns out. Think out of all of the wine I'm currently making (viognier, barbera, and cab), this will probably turn out the best.

_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

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Post #: 93
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 2/22/2012 9:15:34 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		Nice...but does this mean no more magical Madrid updates? I was having so much fun living vicariously!

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Post #: 94
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 2/22/2012 9:27:52 PM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: champagneinhand

Nice...but does this mean no more magical Madrid updates? I was having so much fun living vicariously!



No worries---have a few more days of posting left. All the way through Feb 5. Just fell behind a bit---hard to post when traveling (and/or hungover) for sure.

_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

(in reply to champagneinhand)
Post #: 95
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/5/2012 8:39:24 PM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline 		Just put my carboy of barbera into its second-to-last racking (or possibly last depending on how it clarifies). I was pretty skeptical as I've had a hard time with too-high pH, and a scare related to hydrogen sulphite early on (still not sure if it actually was hydrogen sulphite or not). So I wasn't expecting much. I took the airlock off the carboy and took a deep whiff---not a super pleasant smell. But after 2-3 minutes, the "funk" (think it was related to the oak) seemed to blow off and it smelled pretty buttery and somewhat pleasant at least.

I got my 2nd carboy ready to go, then decided to do a little taste test. I'll admit I actually cringed before bringing the wine up to sniff it. Let alone taste it. The good news was that it was ruby colored and pretty darn clear right out of the carboy. I was pleased with that. But I'd been avoiding the smell / taste test for several minutes at this point, just swirling, then looking at the color, then swirling again. It was time to take the plunge.

Here is the TN: Notes of butter, heavy oak, earth, forest, vanilla and mushroom on the nose, with some strong yeasty notes remaining. Remarkably clear and ruby in color. Good spice on the palate, with campfire, vanilla, leather, roast meats, and hickory bacon as well. Ends with a nice zesty and round spiciness that is really pleasant and gives a nice long finish. Still light, but a serious little wine! Surprisingly. Figured I'd messed this one up royally.

So there you have it: I didn't die, and it may even be pleasant to drink by the time I bottle it. Who knows? Either way, I was pleasantly surprised.

_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

(in reply to ckinv368)
Post #: 96
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/6/2012 6:47:45 PM   
Uncle Noon

 

Posts: 273
Joined: 5/30/2008
Status: offline 		I make wine from kits. The climate here won't support red grapes. I have make 16 kits and would make each one again. The kits make high quality wine, and for approx. $6/bottle. My favorites are Amarone, Pinot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I buy good kits 'cause you can only make a wine as good as the grapes in the kit. The kits are not difficult to complete and the vendors are good at answering questions. My advice to those who might be thinking about is: Go for it.

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Post #: 97
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/7/2012 1:18:07 PM   
Uncle Noon

 

Posts: 273
Joined: 5/30/2008
Status: offline 		I've been asked where I buy my kits. I have used several firms depending on what brand of kit and/or equipment I am buying, availability, shipping costs, sales, etc. The stores don't have all the same bottles, labels, chemicals, corks. I use and recommend all of these stores:

Grape and Granary(http://www.grapeandgranary.com)
Fine Vine Wines (http://www.finevinewines.com)
Label Peelers (http://www.Labelpeelers.com)
E. C. Kraus(http://wwwECKraus.com)
Wine, Wine & More Wine(http://www.MoreWineMaking.com)
Northern Brewer(http://northernbrewer.com)
Midwest Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies(http:wwwMidwestSupplies.com)

Their catalogs are educational and the people who work at these stores are very knowledgeable and helpful. I will be happy to answer any questions about specifics and winemaking from kits in general. Thanks, Frank



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Post #: 98
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/7/2012 1:29:05 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		I would 2nd midwest, as I have only bought a few parts by mail from them, but the know what they are doing. I've only done press pressed buckets and I haven't done a kit. Most kits that I've seen are grapes from California, even if it says something like Brunello or Burgundy. Most parts of Cali do have the ability to grow almost every red varietal, but I don't think you can really compare the good home wines to an old world good wine. Its very apples and oranges. It is very educational and quite fun. The drinkable and inexpensive wine is just the plus for me.

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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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Post #: 99
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/7/2012 5:34:53 PM   
Uncle Noon

 

Posts: 273
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Status: offline 		On the contrary; now you can buy kits which tell you the region and even vineyards the grapes come from. Italian Amarones have a corvina blend of grapes from the Veneto and so on. The quality of kit wines has increased greatly in the last few years. I like to say that kits make great wine, not drinkable and inexpensive wine. The quality is measurable. I've had my wines picked over $50 California wines in blind tastings.

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Post #: 100
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/7/2012 5:40:37 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		That's good news. Do the foreign ones come in mylar bags, and do they have a yeast included or do they leave that up to your discretion? I've got 6 gallons of a Syrah dominant carboy that will be ready for bottling in a month or two.

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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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Post #: 101
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/7/2012 5:56:00 PM   
Uncle Noon

 

Posts: 273
Joined: 5/30/2008
Status: offline 		Yes, they send the juice in a mylar bag and include yeast and all the other chemicals you will need to complete the kit along with complete instructions and a phone number for questions/comments. Good luck with your Syrah. My brother, nephew, and I have two kits of Valpolicella we're going to bottle around July 4th. Cheers

< Message edited by Uncle Noon -- 3/8/2012 7:41:56 AM >

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Post #: 102
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/13/2012 4:48:51 PM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7838
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		Good stuff, Uncle N.  I've not used a kit, but have seen a wide range of them at my local wine making/brew shops.  It really does seem there are "high-end" vineyard/AVA specific kits being produced these days vs. some of the more generic kits of prior years.   

On my homefront, the '11 Riesling was tasted first time last week from bottle... jury still out.   My '11 Syrah is still microbubbling through an extended ML fermentation.  I'm gonna leave it alone until it decides to stop on its own.

As I mentioned elsewhere, I pre-ordered grapes for '12 harvest this week, and though I don't know where carboy space-wise this will all happen yet (more glass probably needed), I've ordered.
Syrah – 240 pounds
Viognier – 30 pounds (1 tote)
Sangiovese – 150 pounds
Cabernet Sauvignon – 60 pounds
Riesling – 150 pounds

I'm anticipating a Syrah/Viognier with perhaps a splash of Cab.  And a Sangiovese with some Cab, and maybe Syrah.   I'm leaving the Riesling on it's own, which would be my third attempt at that one.  '09 was an easy beginner's luck year for me on Riesling, '11 was more challenging, and I'm looking forward to learning from (and trying to eliminate) mistakes on both whites and reds. 


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Post #: 103
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/25/2012 1:56:25 PM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7838
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		Using slave labor to bottle the Syrah today.  Ended up with 71 x 750 ml, 2 x 1500 ml.




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Post #: 104
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/25/2012 2:21:26 PM   
musedir

 

Posts: 23485
Joined: 2/25/2010
From: At 2534ft in Asheville near Royal Pines
Status: offline 		It's good to see a man happy with his work!

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Post #: 105
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 3/25/2012 2:28:07 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		wholly crap. I still need to do one more racking after I add some potassium sorb ate and a 187 of blueberry port to the 6+ gallons of very dry Syrah which is near 80%. The remainder is pomegranate wine, Cab Sauvignon, Cab Franc and Merlot..maybe a splash of PV. Time will only tell if I screwed the pooch or if its a drinkable red in a cople of years. I still am looking for a corking machine, may rent one for this vintage. Also need a press for the fall. We will have to sample each other swill in 2014.

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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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Post #: 106
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 4/4/2012 9:52:50 AM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		So I bottled 31 2011 Syrah Et. Al. bottles today. Still doesn't taste right, more off-dry than the heated Shiraz it was earlier, but I'll check it in a year. Quite messy, bottling all that stuff, and the Italian wine filler was a piece of crap so I just used the siphon method with plastic sheets on the floor. I hope the acid, tannin, touch of sweetness and the fruity flavors combine well over the next year in the bottle. I think I must have ingested a bottles worth during all the processes. Corking was fairly easy, but I had a few that wouldn't seat right. Pulled the corks and re-corked again. Floor corkers are the bomb! I can't imagine doing it any other way. Here is a picture of the '11 batch of my
Syrah: Et. Al.



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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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Post #: 107
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 4/11/2012 10:26:25 PM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline 		So quick question: When is a good time to bottle viognier? I started fermentation on October 30, and it's been sitting in "bulk storage" since 2/20/12. Most of the lees have been removed, and while it continues to clarify a bit, it's just been sitting there slowly settling for some time. Am a fan of letting wine clarify itself, but also don't want the wine to lose its "fruitiness." I made it from CA grapes. Thoughts? Should I wait another 3-4 months to bottle, or bottle fairly soon?

_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

(in reply to champagneinhand)
Post #: 108
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 4/12/2012 7:27:37 AM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		Put the white in the bottle. A good way to clarify is to put the carboy outside at night if the temp is going to fall into the high '30s. Once its bottled, the job is done and its up to the wine in the bottle to come around.

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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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Post #: 109
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 4/12/2012 9:41:05 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7838
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: ckinv368

So quick question: When is a good time to bottle viognier? I started fermentation on October 30, and it's been sitting in "bulk storage" since 2/20/12. Most of the lees have been removed, and while it continues to clarify a bit, it's just been sitting there slowly settling for some time. Am a fan of letting wine clarify itself, but also don't want the wine to lose its "fruitiness." I made it from CA grapes. Thoughts? Should I wait another 3-4 months to bottle, or bottle fairly soon?

I concur with cih, bottle it. If you still don't like the clarity now, another way to cold clarify is to put it in a frig for a few days.   I'm fortunate to have an extra full sized refrigerator where a shelf gets emptied out for this purpose, but that's a more constant temp, ~45F, that will drop out haze over a period of days.   

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Post #: 110
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 5/1/2012 11:09:46 AM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline 		Well, I bottled 26 bottles of viognier (plus a little on the side in a decanter to drink) on Sunday. Notes of papaya, guava, and a lot of tropical fruit. Still a little spice that I think is pleasant. Did a Titret free so2 test, and found that there was between 45 and 50 ppm free so2 in the wine already (giving me right at .8 ppm molecular so2), so I didn't add any potassium metabisulphite before bottling. Figured there was no point messing up a good thing.

Unfortunately the wine really didn't "clear up," and I didn't want to use a lot of fining agents and/or filter it since I liked the taste (plus, it's a pretty delicate white grape). SO, it's a little cloudier than I would otherwise have wished for, and won't win any gold medals for looks, but seems to taste pretty good. And the fact that the grapes were 30 brix when I got them makes me thankful I got a tasty wine out of them at all.

Things I learned: floor corkers are AWESOME!! Also, a heat gun really takes care of the foil capsule---2 seconds / bottle and all is well.

Wasn't all that messy, and didn't take all that much time to get everything accomplished. Will be doing the same for the Barbera soon, and the Cabernet a few months after that. Good times though!

Now just waiting on the labels to come in.

_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

(in reply to ChrisinCowiche)
Post #: 111
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 5/1/2012 11:37:44 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7838
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		Congrats!

A quick suggestion ckinv368  (if you didn't already do this), lay down your bottles on the side somewhere with a catch pan or rag beneath the corks to check for obvious cork failures, sometimes not visible to the naked eye. Leave them there overnight.  I've usually found one or two "leakers" from not sealed well corks and at this stage recorking is easy (with a new and different cork obviously) and won't hurt the wine.   Don't worry about the capsules already being on, I had some that I had dipped in wax that still showed leaks this way.

BTW, I found a leaker last week on my Syrah this way and got to sample it since I didn't want to bother with the corking apparatus again. It's actually drinking better than I hoped going in and because I opened on Friday and had lots of other activity over the weekend, I finished it last night on Day 4.  It held up well and was better on Day 4 than Day 1.

< Message edited by ChrisinSunnyside -- 5/1/2012 1:51:37 PM >

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Post #: 112
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 5/1/2012 12:57:20 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline 		I'll lay mine on the side in another couple of months. Floor corkers are awesome. I got the purple portuguese model, but the italian model looks even nicer. Both have brass fittings. Now I have the floor corker, an oak basket press, multiple fermentation buckets and Carboy. I really am tempted to get a 5 gallon Oak barrel for next year. Even if my vines don't produce much fruit, I am definitely make a dessert wine, like a Maury(grenache) or something Port-like. It can sit in the barrel for a couple of years. A very fun experience this year even if the wines turn out to be nothing more than plonk when I open one in 2 years.

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As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

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Post #: 113
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 5/24/2012 3:48:46 PM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline 		No leaks on any of the viognier bottles, which is nice, and after a month or so in the bottle I decided to open the first one and try it last night. Gotta say, not too bad at all. Good acidity, with pineapple on the nose. Spicy, fruity, with mango, pineapple, tangerine, papaya, etc. on the palate. At 15%, it's a pretty stout little viognier. But definitely a good daily-drinker, if nothing else. Turned out to be 94% viognier, 6% chardonnay. Has just enough backbone, but still fruity, and actually quite enjoyable!! Very pleased with how this turned out. Now just have to deal with the cab and the barbera over the next few months.

_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

(in reply to champagneinhand)
Post #: 114
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 6/27/2012 8:09:31 AM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline 		Well, I've wanted to work on my barbera and cabernet for some time, and had every intention of doing so at the beginning of the month, until I figured out that my pH meter had pretty much died (was a pretty cheap meter anyway). SO, I eventually ordered another one online (a much nicer one that has 3 auto-calibration points, and adjusts for temperature), it came in, and I just got some time last night to do all of the measurements I wanted to do.

Was trying to figure out where I was on free SO2 to see whether I should rack and add sulphite, or whether I was good on the sulphite and should think of bottling the wine. Plus, I just wanted to try the wine again and see how things had matured.

The cab kit wine came first---tested the pH, found it was pretty low, then did a free SO2 titrate test, and found that there was something like 70 ppm of free SO2 in the wine---more than enough to kill any little critters that might be lurking in the wine. And the fact is, I haven't added SO2 to the wine since October. So what they say about kit makers loading the wine up with SO2 seems to really be true. Because it was really unexpected to have that much free SO2 in the wine. Am thinking I can probably bottle the wine at any point without any additional sulphite being added, and I'll be fine.

Next came the barbera. I've had some problems with this barbera in that it was a high-brix grape that is now at 15.25% abv. But the pH is at something like 3.74, which is SUPER high (even after I've tried to adjust the acidity in moderate ways). SO, I know it'll take a decent amount of free SO2 to protect the wine. Did the SO2 test, and got around 65 ppm, which I think is pretty good for what the wine is. Chart says I need around 45-50 ppm, so think I'm probably pretty good on that front.

Question is, should I bottle the wine, or do one more racking? There's obviously not a ton of sediment in the bottom of the Cab carboy since that wine was made from a kit. But I've racked it something like 3 times, and I don't really know what else I'll gain from racking it again (other than introducing a bit more oxygen, which it probably could use, truth be told).

As for the barbera---there is actually some sediment at the bottom of the carboy, and think it probably could use another racking and 3 more months in another carboy to get rid of any additional sediment that might be suspended in the wine. But I hate to introduce a bunch of oxygen into a wine that has such a high pH. At the same time, I hate to keep sediment in the bottom of a carboy if the wine is prone to acetobacter because of its high pH. Crushed the grapes at the end of October, so has been going for quite some time.

Any suggestions? Comments? Criticisms? Snide remarks?



_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

(in reply to ckinv368)
Post #: 115
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 6/27/2012 9:04:13 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7838
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		My suggestion would be to bottle it.  Don't know how you've been racking, by my bottling wand/tube does a good job of racking again anyway, and almost all of the sediment ends up in last bottle or two.  I set those aside for drinking along the way later when deciding when to "release".  My 2011 Syrah had 3-4 "sediment" bottles toward the end of carboys that I've opened a couple since bottling in February(?) just to check progress mostly.

SO2 levels are good and while that is a high pH for Barbera, it's not outrageous, just will be an earlier drinker.  How does it taste?   

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Post #: 116
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 6/27/2012 1:24:34 PM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline 		I honestly haven't had that much barbera, but mine doesn't taste that bad to me. Extremely young, yes. But think that a little while in the bottle will do it some real good. Actually a fairly serious little wine, with some spice, leather, earth, etc. Has more "oomph" than I would have expected.

Not super excited about the cab kit, but guess it just is what it is. Doesn't taste bad, but seems a bit thin, almost like a pinot. Except not all that floral. Just really fruity. Hoping fruit will settle down a bit over time.

_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

(in reply to ChrisinCowiche)
Post #: 117
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 6/27/2012 1:40:55 PM   
hankj

 

Posts: 4672
Joined: 6/26/2008
From: Seattle, WA
Status: offline 		Chris not sure how I missed this thread for so long. The wine making op is looking great! Good for you ....

(in reply to ckinv368)
Post #: 118
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 6/27/2012 5:03:09 PM   
champagneinhand

 

Posts: 10280
Joined: 5/30/2011
From: Upstate New York, California born.
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: ckinv368

I honestly haven't had that much barbera, but mine doesn't taste that bad to me. Extremely young, yes. But think that a little while in the bottle will do it some real good. Actually a fairly serious little wine, with some spice, leather, earth, etc. Has more "oomph" than I would have expected.

Not super excited about the cab kit, but guess it just is what it is. Doesn't taste bad, but seems a bit thin, almost like a pinot. Except not all that floral. Just really fruity. Hoping fruit will settle down a bit over time.


It sounds as if your Barbera came out great. This is usually a decent wine when you buy them and are enjoyable. Spice , Earth and Leather with the fruit is quite and accomplishment. I'll bet it will be great after 6 more months in the bottle.

_____________________________

As I age my finger tips seem to be bigger, my iOS keyboard seems to be less kind, and my need for wearing reading glasses has never been greater. I hope you are forgiving and can read between my lines.

(in reply to ckinv368)
Post #: 119
RE: Warning: Don't Try this at Home - 6/28/2012 10:18:14 PM   
ckinv368

 

Posts: 985
Joined: 3/15/2011
From: Dallas, TX
Status: offline 		We'll see how the barbera turns out. Still some serious "funkiness" on the nose, and on the palate if you don't give the wine a few minutes of air. Think that may just be a function of sulphite levels that are a bit higher than I would like (due to the high pH), and frankly just the wine in and of itself as well. Certainly agree it won't be a wine that I'll cellar for years, but hope it'll be tasty as an everyday wine that will work great with hearty pastas and home-made pizzas. Plan to build a pizza oven inth e next 6 months, so I hope it's "maturity" will correspond with that.

_____________________________

After the two bottles of claret, we had three bottles of Krug . . . one for love, one for country, and one for symmetry. -- A.J. Liebling

When in doubt, sip your dessert.

(in reply to champagneinhand)
Post #: 120
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