Surprised by cheap wine

[Eriewineguy]

So I am pretty much a wine making newbie here. Only a little over a year, but always reading and sticking to the tried and true. So I broke from the usual nd followed an online- YouTube recipe . I used a welches grape and peach concentrate to experiment with. Started it in July of 2012, and pretty much gve it secondary thought thru all my "expensive" juice wines that I currently have going. It looked clear enough to bottle this month, so I just just "jugged" it into 1 gallon jugs with screw on caps. Wow. Not bad at all, in fact very good for a nice semi sweet table wine...something to drink with just a nice hint of peaches and very mellow. Can't wait to have it sitting around a fire during the summer.

 

[Eriewineguy]

Oooops. ... Forgot to add that total cost was about $4 a gallon..tops

 

[oldwhiskers]

They can be quite good!

 

[Luc]

So why the surprise ????

You ought to know by now that all the commercial wines are just blah-blah and just what the name says COMMERCIAL so in need to sell their goods.

Price has nothing to do with quality in winemakingland.

Luc

 

[DoctorCAD]

Let that sit another year and it will be even better!

 

[Runningwolf]

So I am pretty much a wine making newbie here. Only a little over a year, but always reading and sticking to the tried and true. So I broke from the usual nd followed an online- YouTube recipe . I used a welches grape and peach concentrate to experiment with. Started it in July of 2012, and pretty much gve it secondary thought thru all my "expensive" juice wines that I currently have going. It looked clear enough to bottle this month, so I just just "jugged" it into 1 gallon jugs with screw on caps. Wow. Not bad at all, in fact very good for a nice semi sweet table wine...something to drink with just a nice hint of peaches and very mellow. Can't wait to have it sitting around a fire during the summer.

Ok now I'll give you another Inexpensive summer wine that will kick butt. Get yourself an Orchard Breezen kit and instead of bottling it, put it in a keg and carbonate it. Also look at Skeeter Pee, you can't go wrong with that wine.

 

[skyrat]

So I am pretty much a wine making newbie here. Only a little over a year, but always reading and sticking to the tried and true. So I broke from the usual nd followed an online- YouTube recipe . I used a welches grape and peach concentrate to experiment with. Started it in July of 2012, and pretty much gve it secondary thought thru all my "expensive" juice wines that I currently have going. It looked clear enough to bottle this month, so I just just "jugged" it into 1 gallon jugs with screw on caps. Wow. Not bad at all, in fact very good for a nice semi sweet table wine...something to drink with just a nice hint of peaches and very mellow. Can't wait to have it sitting around a fire during the summer.

Playing around...I have made a "cheap wine" with almost every Welches concentrate made. They have all come out good drinkers. I usually use at least 3 and sometimes 4 cans of concentrate per gallon which makes it a "little more pricey" but still under $10/gallon. 5 bottles of wine for $10. I'm liking it.

Try their Passion Fruit and use brown sugar to adjust your Starting SG.
White Grape Raspberry really nice.
White Grape Cranberry was the bomb but you can't find it anymore so I just combine other concentrates.

 

[kevinlfifer]

I have a friend (client) who likes a sweet white concord wine. (Yechhh) Can someone PLEASE post a recipe for such a wine.

I could wing it but why reinvent the wheel

 

[saramc]

I have a friend (client) who likes a sweet white concord wine. (Yechhh) Can someone PLEASE post a recipe for such a wine.

I could wing it but why reinvent the wheel

There is no such thing as white concord. Likely Niagara. Visit Jack Keller's website, http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques65.asp
I would use 3-4 cans of frozen concentrate per gallon and reduce the amount of added sugar personally.

If you can ever source Diamond grapes/juice it is amazing!! Walker's Fruit Basket carries it.

 

[Runningwolf]

I second that on Diamond being awesome!

 

[banannabiker]

Playing around...I have made a "cheap wine" with almost every Welches concentrate made. They have all come out good drinkers. I usually use at least 3 and sometimes 4 cans of concentrate per gallon which makes it a "little more pricey" but still under $10/gallon. 5 bottles of wine for $10. I'm liking it.

Try their Passion Fruit and use brown sugar to adjust your Starting SG.
White Grape Raspberry really nice.
White Grape Cranberry was the bomb but you can't find it anymore so I just combine other concentrates.

When you say you use "3 and sometimes 4 cans of concentrate per gallon", does that mean you use the 3-4 cans of juice and then add water and sugar to bring the liquid vomume up to a gallon?

Thanks-I'm still trying to learn.

 

[skyrat]

Ditto on the Diamond...

As far as the a White wine from concentrate...... Have not tried it yet by itself but I do use Welches White Grape Concentrate as an Additive for Peach / Apricot / Strawberry wines instead of raisins. I imagine you could try it by itself and possibly make a palatable drinker.

Cheap enough to play with by the gallon.

 

[skyrat]

When you say you use "3 and sometimes 4 cans of concentrate per gallon", does that mean you use the 3-4 cans of juice and then add water and sugar to bring the liquid vomume up to a gallon?

Thanks-I'm still trying to learn.

Exactly...... Here's what I do / have done... 3-4 cans in a bucket Add Sugar & water to get to my target SG. A little Yeast nutrient & some acid blend (1tsp each) 1 Campden. Let sit overnight then pitch the yeast. Stir daily until down around 1.010 then place in a carboy (gallon jug for small batch) and put under lock and leave it until it stops fermenting and clears. Rack as needed after that and stabilize / back sweeten. Age for however long you like then bottle up. (or pour straight from your gallon jug if you want).

I usually shoot for a 12% ABV target on the concentrates so starting SG should be around 1.090