Spiced Wine? Best Best, when to spice?

[whynot]

So I'd like to make a spiced wine, I love spiced rum, but can't legally make that ... so I'm thinking of a nice robust red with some spices added..

I've looked around and haven't really found the answers I was looking for.

1. Should I add the spices & herbs during primary fermentation or wait until the wine is done and cleared?

2. Any experience that will help me choose the best base wine? I'm thinking a Cab or Syrah?

 

[Boatboy24]

Ever had gluhwein?

 

[salcoco]

you can do either. spice added after fermentation will require the wine to be heated to obtain all of the spice flavor and aroma, can alternatively be added and wait for months to have spice permeate the wine to your taste. best is prefermentation and spice will add flavor to wine during fermentation. go to Jack Keller's web site, he probably has a spice wine recipe you can try.

 

[jensmith]

Or make an extract with your chosen spices. Add to your wine and age or drink. Easier to find a bace wine this way as you can dr up several different samples of wine at the same time.


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[JohnT]

I would go conservative on this. Why not do this..

Make the wine WITHOUT any spice. When the mood strikes for spiced wine, combine a bottle of wine with your spice into a saucepan and drink that. IMHO, spiced wine is better warm, so you will probably be heating the wine anyway.

My thinking on this is if you have a 2 case batch of spiced wine, it will take FOREVER to work through it. By the time you are on your last bottle, I think the spice flavors will have faded. By adding the spices just prior to drinking, you will get a much better result. You will also have the option of drinking "non-spiced" wine if the mood strikes.

 

[whynot]

hmm, interesting perspectives, on all sides.. much like everything else with wine making.. it's all about preference

Thanks all!