need advice re sweetening a White Zin

Hey folks,

Just re-posting this as I think I posted it in the wrong forum originally!


So... never made a sweet wine before, I am mostly a nice dry red kinda gal, and none of the wines or ciders I have ever made before has called for or required a backsweetening.

However, I bought a kit of Argentia Ridge White Zinfandel from Costco, mostly to make for my mum, though I admit to having enjoyed the odd chilled glass of white Zin myself on a hot summer day.

I love the Argentia Ridge kits and have had great results with all the ones I have made before (particuarly the Shiraz).

I was a little flummoxed when I opened this new kit yesterday and found a pack of sweetener in with the other additives. I started the kit (along with a couple others of different varieties, I can't seem to stop making multiple kits at once, lol) and have read the directions carefully. I think I understand how and when to add it - but my question for others is: does everyone sweeten a blush? My MIL who used to make a decent wine says she made a white zinfandel years ago and never sweetened it and it came out very nice. However everything else I am reading from Google searches tells me that people seem to really sweeten this kind of wine. In fact, its typical sweetness is why lots of people don't like it.

To sweeten or not to sweeten? I will taste test of course at the final stage before I decide, but I was wondering what other people's experiences have been?

Thanks in advance - cheers!

-Spigette

I don't like a sweet wine so I would not backsweeten it. I also tend to do the oposite of whatever everyone else does, especially if told not to

Always taste test before backsweetening. Do bench trials before adding sweetner to the whole batch. Do not blindly follow the directions. Make it however you like it!
Enjoy!


Sent from my iPod touch using Wine Making

And while your testing it keep in mind you want it to be just short of the sweetness you want it will get sweeter over time. Aging in the bottle or carboy it doesn't matter it will get sweeter you might want to consider using only 1/4 or 1/2 the sweetener or none at all, do test! hope you end with a tasty wine! And in regards to the several kits YOU'VE been bitten! Good luck and enjoy!

If it is for your mum, ask her how sweet she likes her wine. And maybe have her help with the taste tests.

White Zin is typically sweet. If you tend to not like that (I'm in the same boat), add 1/3 of that pack, seal it back up and put it in the fridge. After a few days, taste the wine. If it is sweet enough, you're done. If not, add another 1/3. Continue, if needed, until you're satisfied.

Some people will actually add half that pack to the primary, to boost the ABV a bit. Then reserve the remaining half for sweetening. I did that with a Grenache Rose last year.