California Juice buckets are looking good - I've racked them into some clearing/aging carboys for them to degas and clear. Hopefully by the time they are clear enough, I'll have received my oak barrel for Christmas
Then it'll be into the barrel with each of them! I'm thinking I'll cycle the Amarone through first, then the Malbec, and finish with the Merlot.
Tasted the Lilac Mead the other day and I'm impressed. It has a really nice lilac nose, tastes sort of like a cross between a Gewurztraminer and a Chardonnay. Very dry, I'll need to do some bench trials to see if it will take any honey or sugar.
My CC Malbec Shiraz has just finished a 3 month bulk age, and I'm getting ready to bottle it (hopefully this week). I was very impressed with it a few months ago, so I'm really looking forward to tasting it again...and making the labels of course. I've nearly settled on a design I like.
The Peach-Ginger experiment is...interesting. I added another can of peach punch concentrate to it the other day (no extra sugar) and it still tastes VERY strongly of ginger. I think it's time to get this one on the right track. I'm just not sure how to do that. I could potentially add a few more cans of concentrate as a sweeter...? Perhaps a shot of Orange Oil as well just to up that peachy-citrusy flavour. Looks like more bench trials coming up.
I'll be bottling my Blackberry Mead at the same time as the Malbec/Shiraz. It's looking really good, and I'm very happy with one. The Raspberry as well. The funny thing was that I lost nearly all of the acid in both of them during fermentation. I've adjusted to a better taste.
Yesterday I started a Hot Pepper Apple Wine that's going to be for cooking (I think). I did 1 gallon of Apple Juice (not from concentrate), 2 large partially dried Cayennes (with seeds), and 3-4 Habaneros (some with seeds, some without) and sugar to get it to 1.100. I've done the Campden and the Pectic, but even without the yeast it smells like something I would just drink as is :: I love me some spicy anything! I just love spicy.
The sparkelloid went into the Pear Mead a few weeks ago and did nothing. I noticed that there seems to still be gas in the carboy though, so I've been shaking it to degas, then will read some better instructions on how to use the Sparkelloid. The ones that came on the package were vague at best.
I've also got a Peach Apricot Chard and a White Pear Pinot Gris on the go for Christmas gifts. Haven't had the Pear before, so I'm really interested to see how it is.
That about catches me up! I think I'll need to start a new thread soon with all of my recipes and steps so I can remember what I've all done/said with my Country wines and Meads. We'll see if I can find the time while I'm recovering from my surgery in a few weeks