What to blend with cab?

[Downwards]

I just picked my little cabernet vine and washed and crushed all the berries. Looks like I have near a gallon with the skins and all mixed in. I'm thinking to add some other juice or fruit to this so that I have an amount that can fit into a carboy.

Contemplating using the blueberry juice they sell at Trader Joes, but I'm not really sure..

What would you all do?

The grape must is currently cold soaking in the fridge, probably for a week or so, so I have a little time to think about this one.

 

[Runningwolf]

If you don't even have an entire gallon before pressing do you think you'll even have a half gallon after several racking? How big is this carboy? It sounds like to me you plan on making another wine as the primary and enhancing it with the small amount of cab you have. Is that correct? What kind of cab was it?

 

[Downwards]

That's about right, lol. I just want to use this stuff cause it is the very first bunch of grapes from my little plant.
It is cabernet sauvignon. I also have some 1 gallon jugs, I could actually just use one of those and make a tiny batch, keeping more of the flavor of the grape. But I have nothing small enough to ferment just that little bit of grape must in, so I am thinking to mix fruit or juice in with it prior to pitching my yeast.

Maybe I could start fermenting just the grapes in primary (after checking my numbers and adjusting) and then add a blueberry juice (or other juice sweetened up to same specific gravity) in the one gallon jug to top off.

 

[cedarswamp]

That's about right, lol. I just want to use this stuff cause it is the very first bunch of grapes from my little plant.
It is cabernet sauvignon. I also have some 1 gallon jugs, I could actually just use one of those and make a tiny batch, keeping more of the flavor of the grape. But I have nothing small enough to ferment just that little bit of grape must in, so I am thinking to mix fruit or juice in with it prior to pitching my yeast.

Maybe I could start fermenting just the grapes in primary (after checking my numbers and adjusting) and then add a blueberry juice (or other juice sweetened up to same specific gravity) in the one gallon jug to top off.

I'm thinking the grapes won't know what size primary they're fermenting in.

 

[Downwards]

No the bucket they are in now will be fine for primary. It's only the secondary that I'm fussing over.
Basically it's three questions I'm wondering about..
5 gallon batch of cab + lots of some other fruit?
1 gallon batch that is about half and half ?
and finally- what fruit or juice should I use with it?

 

[Julie]

Cab Sauvignon has some nice cherry tones to it but I'm not sure if I would want to add cherry to it, it might become to overpowering. I wonder if blending with a white and having a blush might be good. Riesling or a Gewurtztraminer might work

 

[olusteebus]

You may want to try a few jars of blackberry Jam. I did and it is great.

 

[Downwards]

Blackberry jam wines are one of my favorites! I already went ahead with the blueberry though. Frozen whole fruit. Hoping it comes out good, but with this small an amount of grapes, I'll just have to cross my fingers. Not enough to do separately and then blend, so the mix will be what it is. Keeping this vine when we move though, maybe next year!

 

[olusteebus]

I think that will be great. Let us know!