RJ Spagnols 1st White

[msfgroup]

Good Morning my wife and I have recently tasted our first venture into kit wine making. We made a RJS Chardonnay and Pino Grigio. We made it exactly according to the instructions and they are beautifully clear in the bottle the bouquet or aroma is very pleasant. However, they have a very strong alcohol taste and honestly a couple glasses is all you want. These wines are 3.5 months in aging. I am wondering if this taste will soothe as the wine ages a little more.

I hope this describes our issue maybe a better way would be it has a little "bite" when drinking it. Being our first effort these were NOT expensive kits and we did not add anything to bold them. I would appreciate any and all comments and or suggestions or should I take up another hobby?

Thanks Everyone
Mike & Sherry

MSF Group

 

[jgmann67]

Hi Mike and Sherry -

When you made your wine, did you use a hydrometer to measure you're ABV? What was your starting and final specific gravity?

My guess is that it's not a strong alcohol taste. Rather, your wine is not properly degassed.

Try the "poof" test - take a bottle of your wine, open it and pour yourself a glass (feel free to drink while you test). Then, put your thumb over the opening and give your bottle a vigorous 1-2-3 shake. Look at your wine. Is there a frothy head of bubbles and fizz in your wine? When you remove your thumb, do you get a decent "poof" noise from the release of the pressure in the bottle? If yes to these questions... You got gas.

Now, take that bottle, and give it another vigorous 1-2-3 shake. Cork the bottle and put it back in the fridge for about an hour. Then, try your wine again. The taste should be markedly better.

If it is, pour the wine (all 28 bottles, or whatever you have left) back into the carboy and degas it properly.

 

[AZMDTed]

Are you sure that it's alcohol that is giving the bite? I've learned that what I describe as a 'bite' is actually an indication that my wine isn't completely degassed and I'm getting the CO2 taste. One way to tell is to take a glass of wine and stir it up with a fork for about 10-15 seconds. Let it sit for a minute or two and then taste. If the bite is gone then it's residual CO2 and no, it won't get better with time. It would have to be degassed either in bulk and rebottled, or each bottle at a time when you open it.

If it is the alcohol then I'm not sure what to suggest. I will say that I'm a lightweight drinker, but the Winexpert Chardonnay that I make comes out at 14% ABV and I'm feeling it after two small glasses.

 

[ibglowin]

If it burns going down that is alcohol. If it cleared "beautifully" then it is more than likely degassed or it would not have cleared. 3.5 months is pretty young still even for a white wine made from a kit. Don't panic, let it age another few months and see how it settles down. The PG will be ready to drink (usually) before a Chardonnay. I have had some Chardonnays take 9-12 months to really get good. Your starting and ending specific gravity would help figure out what the ABV is.

 

[bkisel]

Try a glass with just a little sugar added to see if it makes a difference...

I've made the RJS VdV Pinot Grigio three times and recently a WE low-ender PG. Turns out my life loves it but learned with the first one (tasted before bottling) that she prefers it off dry. All 4 makes of the PG have been done with two measured cups of sugar for back sweetening - with the last 3 batches done after stabilization and before clearing agents added.

 

[cintipam]

I make a lot of whites, and just like reds they need time to mature. Granted only about a year, especially for Chardonnay, but doing nothing but waiting will generally make the wine the best it can be. I don't even mess with flavor additions till then. I remember being new and wanting to do "something" to fix it. Let it rest. I think it's the malic acid that smooths out all by itself at 1 yr.

Pam in cinti

 

[jgmann67]

Heard from the OP - the problem was indeed GAS.

The moral of the story - make sure your wine tastes pretty much how you want it to taste before bottling.

Best ways to degas, IMO:

* Time and temperature.
* Place your wine in a glass carboy and put it under vacuum.

(search the forum. there are plenty of posts with tons of opinions on how to get this job done)

 

[AZMDTed]

Jim,
Thanks for posting back. I always like to hear how things turn out when we give advice. I think it will help others who search later on similar topics. I'm glad it's fixable.

 

[msfgroup]

Thanks Everyone

We wanted to thank everyone that has offered this well respected advice. We are absolutely sure the wine did not get degassed properly I am not sure how it got as crystal clear as it did. However, trying the POOF test on a bottle after trying a glass the wine supported a 3 inch head of foam like a poorly drafted beer. We have shook the bottle a few times with less head of foam and the taste is much better. That being said I think it is still very young and time will help with the final taste. We are ordering the AIO pump from Steve and going to rack the wine several times to try to remove the CO2. I do have one question regarding the time in the Carboy should they have airlocks or solid stoppers I have seen several ideas what is everyone's thoughts?

Thanks again for all of your invaluable information!!!!!!!!

Mike and Sherry
MSFGroup

 

[cintipam]

Use airlocks. Sometimes changes in weather can raise or drop barometric pressure rapidly and that has been known to make a carboy pop off a solid bung. And of course you might not notice it for days or longer. Most folks use the S shaped instead of 3 piece airlock at this point since they don't evaporate off the fluid as quickly as the 3 piece airlock.

You won't regret the AIO purchase. Ever.

Pam in cinti

 

[jgmann67]

100% agree with cintipam!

 

[bkisel]

I use two layers of Saran Wrap and several rubber bands. You do get some slight convexing and concaving of the wrap due to different air pressure.

 

[ceeaton]

... I am not sure how it got as crystal clear as it did.

I have no problem clearing my wine and maintaining excess CO2. I think many people take the wine kit instructions to heart and think you can't possible clear a wine with any CO2 left in solution. This is bunk. I tend to age and clear my wines in my basement (more room and keep my wife happy), and the temperatures are usually in the high 60's at best. Before I bottle a wine I move the wine to a staging area at the top of my basement steps (part of the kitchen) where in the summer it runs about 75*F. I leave it for a few days and then use my break bleeder kit to degas it over several more days. The process usually takes about a week. Sometimes I still do have some residual gas left when I bottle, but it is minor and over time usually doesn't affect the flavor of the wine.

The point is you can clear a wine and still have CO2 left in it.