Blends

[Gowers Choice]

Blackberries have been hard to come by this year. Last year we had picked and pressed 12 gals of berries by July 29th, this year 4 gals and holding. So to stretch our berries, we are thinking of making a 5 gal batch of pear-berry and a 5 gal batch of peach-berry. Any special considerations when mixing fruit? We made a batch of pear-berry a couple years ago that turned out very good, but to be honest it was one of our first try's at wine making and it may have been beginners luck. Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[paubin]

I would make a small batch of the blackberry and another small batch of a complimentary fruit or a larger batch of a milder fruit and blend after fermentation and a little aging is complete. I've found that blending after fermentation leaves a cleaner fruit profile than fermenting together. You can taste both fruits instead of guessing what fruit it is or one overpowering the other.

Pete

 

[hannabarn]

Blackberries have been hard to come by this year. Last year we had picked and pressed 12 gals of berries by July 29th, this year 4 gals and holding. So to stretch our berries, we are thinking of making a 5 gal batch of pear-berry and a 5 gal batch of peach-berry. Any special considerations when mixing fruit? We made a batch of pear-berry a couple years ago that turned out very good, but to be honest it was one of our first try's at wine making and it may have been beginners luck. Any tips would be appreciated.

I don't know where you are located but here in Northern Wisconsin it is the best blackberry season I have seen in years. Last year was not so good! I guess it's location! location, location!!!

 

[Gowers Choice]

@hannabarn, it started off very promising this year but we didn't get a drop of rain since early July and it was blistering hot all summer long. 60% of the berries just stayed red and died on the bush. A mid-May frost really hurt the apples, cherries, pears and the like to boot. Gonna be a slow year.