February Wine of the Month Club

[Turock]

Here's a suggestion for those who don't know what to make:

I was in Aldi's on Friday and saw bags of frozen peaches. They also have bags of red raspberries. And mixed fruit. We bought 40# of red raspberries one year to make rasp wine because when you find them fresh, they're so danged expensive! Flash frozen fruits are usually very good because they can pick the fruit dead ripe--then they freeze immediately. So the quality is usually very good, and there are no preservatives. Aldi's has better prices too than most stores. We bought those red rasp for $2.99 for a 1 pound bag!! Pretty cheap for red raspberry!!

 

[Jericurl]

So I've already decided on mead. I'm just waiting on the yeast to arrive then I will start a BOMM (Bray's One Month Mead).

My second batch will be an homage to Valentine's Day.
I think I'm going to call it Kama Sutra (fanning self).

Now I've got to decide what I want to put into it.
I've got rose hips, hibiscus, rose petals, lavender, chocolate, honey, lemon balm leaf, lemon peel, dried cayenne pepper, ceylon cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and dried kelp. I've got access to probably just about anything.
I was thinking of starting with a base of white grape concentrate, then adding sugar to my desired gravity point. I will back sweeten with honey.
Sooooo, what sounds sexy and/or "Valentiney" to you guys?
I'm definitely thinking the dried rose petals and rose hips. Probably the vanilla and cinnamon as well. Any other suggestions?

eta: My inspiration comes from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, an online store for custom blended fragrance oils. NSFW and not suitable for the easily offended.

 

[cintipam]

Jericurl, maybe the 1116? This is from the Lalvin website

Lalvin V1116 (K1)™: The secure choice for light, fresh, crisp whites
Lalvin V1116 (K1) was isolated in 1972 by Pierre Barre of the INRA Montpellier. V1116 (K1) tends to express the freshness of white grape varieties. Natural fresh fruit aromas are retained for longer, compared to wines fermented with standard yeast (such as Prise de Mousse). When fermented at low temperatures (below 16°C) and with the right addition of nutrients V1116 (K1) is one of the more flowery ester producers (isoamyl acetate, hexyl acetate and phenyl ethyl acetate). These esters bring fresh floral aromas to neutral varieties or high-yield grapes. Among the high ester producers, V1116 (K1) is the most resistant to difficult fermentation conditions, such as low turbidity, low temperature and low fatty acid content. V1116 (K1) is recommended for the fermentation of icewines. It can also be used for rosé or basic red wines.

Or PM me your snail mail and i'll send you a packet of D47. There are a couple places I can buy them dirt cheap so I really stock up when I go there. Stored in my fridge post purchase.

Turock, thanks for the heads up. I'll check aldi's frozen fruit. That's not a normal place to shop for me so I would have totally missed it.

Pam i cinti

 

[Stressbaby]

After harvest, I found I had only 1# 4oz of calamondins, which wasn't enough calamondins to match last year's recipe.
Therefore, the Feb WotM for me will be a calamondin variation - calamondin-passionfruit.
I don't have too much passionfruit pulp either, so still tweaking the ingredient list, recipe to follow.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Jeri that sounds really good! Of you don't want to go with the usual spicy cinnamon route, with that combination of ingredients - rose petals, rose hips, vanilla, you could try chocolate or white chocolate? Chocolate is always valentiney to me yum! This is getting inspiring ready!

 

[ckvchestnut]

Sorry for the stupid question but what are calomondins? I'll have to go look that up!

 

[cintipam]

Stessbaby, calamondins are new to me. Splain please!

pinc

 

[Jericurl]

Or I could make two gallons and add chocolate to one.....hmmmm...decisions, decisions.

This is the description I got my idea from:

Blood Kiss Bonbon
Dark chocolate and lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk.

Of course, I can't make an exact wine based on that description, but oh my...it certainly sounds sexy.

 

[cintipam]

Jericurl, got the PM. Will take to Post Office early am as I have a dentist apt. Should get it to you quickly that way.

Sounds totally totally yummy!

pinc

 

[ckvchestnut]

Do you guys use a full pk of yeast on a 1gal batch or do you use the 1gm per gallon? I'm wondering if because I'm doing a port I should use a whole pack. Plus I'm aiming to make about 2 gals, for top up etc.

 

[LoneStarLori]

So I've already decided on mead. I'm just waiting on the yeast to arrive then I will start a BOMM (Bray's One Month Mead).

My second batch will be an homage to Valentine's Day.
I think I'm going to call it Kama Sutra (fanning self).

Now I've got to decide what I want to put into it.
I've got rose hips, hibiscus, rose petals, lavender, chocolate, honey, lemon balm leaf, lemon peel, dried cayenne pepper, ceylon cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and dried kelp. I've got access to probably just about anything.
I was thinking of starting with a base of white grape concentrate, then adding sugar to my desired gravity point. I will back sweeten with honey.
Sooooo, what sounds sexy and/or "Valentiney" to you guys?
I'm definitely thinking the dried rose petals and rose hips. Probably the vanilla and cinnamon as well. Any other suggestions?

I vote for simple Rose petals, rose hips and vanilla. The white grape should be a good base. If your'e going to do chocolate, I would consider red grape concentrate.
Just thinking out load.

 

[Jericurl]

I use a full packet of yeast for 1 gallon batches.
Probably shouldn't but I haven't really had to deal with any stuck fermentations either.

Lori,
I think you are right about that. Now I'm venturing into thinking I want to start a red wine/dark chocolate one.
NO, no, no! Mead plus one more batch is plenty, lol.

 

[Stressbaby]

Sorry for the stupid question but what are calomondins? I'll have to go look that up!

Stessbaby, calamondins are new to me. Splain please!

pinc

Calamondin is a small, very acidic citrus hybrid. Fruits are a little smaller than a kumquat and perfectly round. I have a small potted plant in the greenhouse and I get around 1.5# per year.

They really are not palatable raw. They make great wine though. Also, a few calamondins and some rice wine vinegar makes a nice vinaigrette dressing.

 

[ckvchestnut]

Thanks for the info! I learned something today lol

 

[the_rayway]

OHHHH, this is going to be a great month!

Jeri - I was fanning myself after reading that description. Phew! I've got the website bookmarked too :: I like the idea of lavender, a touch of cayenne, cinnamon and vanilla. I'm more of the fun flirty type, vs the sexy seductive. Wine via perfume - perfect!

Stressbaby - I like the idea of the citrus wines. I'm hoping to bottle my first skeeter pee and I LOVE the pop. Never heard of Calamondins either, but looking forward to hearing about it!

Carolyn, regarding the port, how do you get the blueberries and peaches to harmonize? I love the idea, but don't know who the balance would work. Please share!

 

[ckvchestnut]

OHHHH, this is going to be a great month!

Jeri - I was fanning myself after reading that description. Phew! I've got the website bookmarked too :: I like the idea of lavender, a touch of cayenne, cinnamon and vanilla. I'm more of the fun flirty type, vs the sexy seductive. Wine via perfume - perfect!

Stressbaby - I like the idea of the citrus wines. I'm hoping to bottle my first skeeter pee and I LOVE the pop. Never heard of Calamondins either, but looking forward to hearing about it!

Carolyn, regarding the port, how do you get the blueberries and peaches to harmonize? I love the idea, but don't know who the balance would work. Please share!

Rayway... the heck if I know! Wasn't aware that it would be difficult?? Anyhoo, we'll see if it's going to be a complete disaster as I have already prepared the must and it and the fruit are already in the fermenter! This is going to be an interesting month! I took photos etc. I sure hope you guys can help me along the way! I am not following a recipe per se. So I'll post what I did and hopefully it will all go okay?? LOL So what is there to harmonize? are you referring to flavor, or acids??

When I was doing a search for some photos for blueberry/peach stuff I found tons of yummy recipes for blueberry/peach tortes and other yummy food recipes, it seems to go together I just had this in my head as being nice combo... if any of you have any feedback on this combination let me know! I plan to do a port style... I'll fortify with brandy likely but will try to max out the yeast on its own. I also plan to use the Top Shelf peach schnapps essence flavoring. I'm using bananas for mouthfeel and hopefully to add smoothness and some grape tannin. I'll also oak in the primary with med toast french oak chips and with heavy toast hungarian oak cubes in the secondary. Will likely add vanilla bean or pure vanilla extract as well, depending on what profiles I can bring out just from the oak alone.

 

[ckvchestnut]

blueberry peach torte port lol

 

[Winenoob66]

It's all good stress baby. Join in. Post your recipe and let us know how it proceeds, tastes, any tweaks etc. this is a great group and we've found some good, bad, and ugly recipes. Lol.


Jim

Don't forget we have had some smelly ones to.

 

[drumlinridgewinery]

I said I would join in this month. I have 12 lbs of blueberries in the freezer that were picked this last summer. Thinking about doing a port with them. Will post the recipe in the next few days.

 

[Stressbaby]

Calamondin-Passionfruit Wine

1.25 lbs ripe Calamondins
1 Satsuma, rind and juice
1 grapefruit, rind and juice
1 navel orange, juice
6.5oz fresh passionfruit pulp
1 lb 10oz finely granulated sugar
11.5 oz can Welch's 100% white grape juice frozen concentrate, thawed
7 pts water
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1/8 tsp powdered grape tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient, staged additions
1/4 tsp yeast energizer

Put water on to boil. Slice the calamondins as thinly as is humanly possible; seeds are easy to remove by slicing off each end and squeezing the fruit over a strainer; the seeds will pop out into the strainer, letting the juice drip through into a bowl. Juice and rind the other citrus and place all fruit in a nylon straining bag in a secondary and tie closed. Cover bag with sugar and pour in any remaining juices. Pour boiling water over sugar and stir until dissolved. Cover primary and set aside for water to cool. When cool, add concentrate, pectic enzyme, tannin and yeast energizer, and 1/4tsp nutrient, stir well and allow to sit covered for 12 hours. Add activated yeast in a starter solution. Staged additions of nutrient, and usual care thereafter.

No tweaks needed; the pH was 3.14 and the SG 1.090. Pitching the yeast this morning. It is a very pleasant surprise how much the passionfruit aroma comes through. I'm saving a couple of passionfruits to toss into the secondary.