Topic: home grown grape wine - 1st racking

[weedin project]

Well, I racked the fermented home-grown grape juice yesterday...... 
The 2x ²/₃ demijohns of red (one is a "Regent", the other is a "Muscadet") are really quite palatable so far and will benefit from some time in fining and then laying down for a few months.  I even got some real "mmmm, blackberry" taste just like Jilly bleedin' Goulden!

The white ("Orion"), sadly, seems to be something of an  ??? acquired taste ??? I fear!  It is very dry and quite tart.  Before I do something like adding sugar, has anyone any other ideas for rescuing it?

[boris]

I've never tried to sweeten a dry wine - always preferred it bone dry myself. If they get too acidic, I use Rennie afterwards :)

Very impressed with your own wine from your own grapes though. It's something of a foolish dream of mine to own a vineyard. Now where's that lottery ticket?

[weedin project]

Boris
let's not get carried away by "vineyard"!!!  Mrs Project & I went to Bordeaux this year, and the sight of the vineyards was amazing.  As far as the eye could see.  It certainly knocked my little collection into perspective.

I've got 5x Regent (red) and 5x Orion (white) and this was their first year of producing anything at all - not really expected to get anything off them at 1 year old.  I've also got 3x Pinot Noir (red) that produced nothing at all this year, but that's not a problem.  My dear old dad has got a Muscadet spread all over his pergola, and he's also got an Orion in his front garden - they made up about 3 bottles-worth each of juice, which is what I was led to expect each plant should be capable of producing.

This year's product (especially the reds) have got me eagerly wishing the next year away!  Including dad's plants I might get as much as 3½ dozen bottles a year when they are all producing flat out  ;D  I know it's not a massive amount, but it is good fun (especially as I've also got the other home brew stuff I make).  I might take out shares in Rennies though if it carries on like this ;)

[Derekthefox]

I would stick with the sugar Weed, assuming that fermentation is essentially complete, then any sugar added would be purely to sweeten, and knock the dry edge off. Experimenting with a glassful and adding a small amount of sugar to it should give you an indication ...

Good luck anyway  :)

Derekthefox :D

[boris]

sounds good, WP, 13 vines is a vineyard or maybe a vinebackgarden  :)
Had loads of Muscadet - delicious stuff just to my taste.
Haven't heard of Regent or Orion, though.  What do you think they'll turn out like?

[weedin project]

Good idea Derek - I'll give it a try bit by bit (sounds like something to be done one evening...... ::)

Boris, the Orion is a varaition on the German Reislings, a white grape I was recommended due to it's apparent suitability to the British climate (complicated stuff about temperature gradients divided by hours of sunshine to the power of rainfall distribution in millilitres per week, or something).  Regent (red) is also a German variety I got for the same reasons. 
The Regent has so far seemed to come out better than the Orion (early days for either mind you), possibly because 4 of them are growing along a sunny fence behind the greenhouse, so they've got a cosy little microclimate of their own.  Last year when I ate the first of about 8 grapes (how sad is that?) off them I was stunned by how sweet they were.  I may be getting a pretentious here, but during siphoning the reds were both really quite palatable.
I think grapes are well worth trying - each plant only cost me £2.50, so for example if I only ever get one decent bottle of Pinot Noir I'll have easily got my money's worth for the three plants!  They do require dedicated space as part of a long-term plan, and some care and attention.  I got mine from http://www.winegrowers.info/ if you are interested.

[Derekthefox]

Yes weedin, just remember, you may need to try several glasses to get the right balance ...  ;D

Derekthefox :D

[weedin project]

Yes weedin, just remember, you may need to try several glasses to get the right balance ...  ;D

Hey Derek, life's a b*tch eh? :D

[Derekthefox]

I was thinking it was more something you must just resign yourself to ...  ;D

Derekthefox :D

[boris]

Hi WP,

Looks a good site, thanks, would be very interested apart fom lack of space and light in garden. Lottie restrictions apply, sadly. One day - can but dream- just you wait, Chateau Boris here we come. Must make do with fruit these days.

Good luck with it, keep us informed of the progress.
B.

[AikenDrum]

wp, it's not against the law to blend wines, I've done it in tha past with some "doubious" root wines, quite a pleasant experience.    {:¬)#

[weedin project]

AD
I had thought I might end up doing some blending in years to come, but this year there is so little of either red that I don't want to "waste" it - especially if turns out to be as good I'm hoping.
In spite of that, needless to say none of the 3 demijohns will exactly fill whole numbers of bottles, so I will have some spare at the bottom of each to play with. 
We'll see.   :D

Of course I've also got some sloe wine that is going to need bottling soon.....  No, maybe not :o

[AikenDrum]

decisions, decisions !  what a lovely problem to have though !    ;D