Bluberry Chardonnay - How?

[JerryF]

Okay, I'm getting adventurous here. Recently completed a cranberry white merlot but I used a commercially available cranberry f-pak. I have a chardonnay white kit (KRC) and about 16-17 pounds of frozen wild blueberries. I had good luck with the cranberry white merlot but now, if I make the chardonnay kit, I do not really know how to proceed with the blueberries. Probably some information somewhere on WMT about what to do with the berries but I'm terrible at trying to find stuff on here (just me, not WMT). I only want to add some blueberry flavor to the white chardonnay; not make blueberry wine. Can anyone offer some suggestions or recipes on handling the blueberries and how to get the flavor into the chardonnay? Jerry

 

[the_rayway]

Hey Jerry! thanks for the info on the Cranberry White Merlot the other day!

For your Blueberry-accented Chardonnay I would try it one of two ways (IMHO):
1) Finish the Chardonnay. The make a homemade F-pac, by simmering down a few Lbs of the blueberries and a bit of sugar if you want it sweetened a bit. Make sure to dose with pectic enzyme. Then add it to the wine, tasting as you go.
2) Add the blueberries in secondary. If you're doing a 5 gal kit, start with 1lb/gallon if you aren't looking for BLUEBERRY Chardonnay - just Chardonnay with some blueberry.

There's my 2 cents!

 

[seth8530]

I would be tempted to try method 2 before method 1. However, if it does not give you the taste you want.. Then perhaps try an F pack.

 

[JerryF]

I would be tempted to try method 2 before method 1. However, if it does not give you the taste you want.. Then perhaps try an F pack.

Thanks Seth and Rayway. Actually, now that the two of you have given me some much appreciated feedback, I'm even thinking of getting a second chardonnay kit and get them both going at the same time, then follow both suggestions! I'd be confident enough that either way will give me a good result. We'll see which turns out more to my liking. There are enough family/friends around me to disperse some samples too (if I like either one too much though ? .... too bad for them). Jerry

 

[seth8530]

Ha, sounds like a plan to me. I have always been a fan of side by sides.

 

[jswordy]

Another thought:

Order a half gallon of blueberry concentrate from homewinery.com and use that in primary if you want a dry wine or in secondary as a back flavoring if you want a semi-dry wine. Tested and approved by me.

 

[JerryF]

I will check that one out too. Thanks.