Cabernet and Merlot Fresh Grapes from Deming, NM

[ibglowin]

First foray into wine from fresh grapes, lots to learn of course!

Cost was $0.75 a pound. Picked up 100 lbs of Cabernet and 100 lbs of Merlot.

These came from New Mexico Vineyards, Inc. down in Deming, NM. They own about 300 acres of grapes with just about every variety you could wish for. I thought I would start out with something I could make a nice Bordeaux blend with. Will ferment separately and then bench test and blend down the road.

Here are a few picks with more to come (of course). I will probably give these guys a new name so I can easily distinguish them from the other "kit" wines on the cellar shelves. Something that will sound more like a wine made in New Mexico for sure!


Picture of the Vineyard

Grapes safely home from the long journey back North

Picked up the grapes yesterday at 7:00AM and drove the 300 miles North to home. Got to the house around 12:00 and unloaded. 200lb of grapes has like 1,000,000 berries and I had no crusher/destemmer so had to destem and crush by hand. I started at 1:00PM and my SWMBO came home at 5:00PM and it took until 12:00AM to finish them all....

Got them crushed as good as I could with my giant potato masher looking punch down tool and even used my hands. Got them sulfited to kill the bad yeast and will take a look at all the numbers today (sugar, pH and acid). Hopefully won't have to make any huge additions and can pitch the yeast tonight. A crusher stemmer cost minimum $400 to buy and $75 to rent.

Silly me I thought I could do this in a few hours and I really didn't want to spend almost 1/4 the cost to purchase one just to rent one. I was willing to pay $400 to rent one last night around 10:00PM!

If these turn out as good as I hope they do I will purchase a new or used Crusher/Destemmer (If I can find one on CL) for next year.

 

[fivebk]

They look good!!!! Keep us posted

BOB

 

[robie]

Looking good, Mike! Makes my mouth water for sure. The photo of the vineyard and background is really excellent, would make a nice label.

I thought the vineyard folks were going to crush them for you.

Keep us posted.

 

[hartm]

Looks great! Makes me wish I lived in NM.

 

[ibglowin]

I could tell he was not really interested as it seems he was never crushing each time I called, I understand, he wants to sell them and be done.

He has alot of customers for sure. They supply grapes for every winery in NM and several in Texas as well. I felt lucky to be able to snag them and get out of town and on the road!

I thought the vineyard folks were going to crush them for you.Keep us posted.

 

[grapeman]

How much have you spent on kits in the last year or two? And you didn't want to rent one? Chuckle Chuckle. I bet you won't make that mistake again. After all, it's only 200 pounds!


Buy one, it will last a lifetime.


Good looking grapes. You sure made a trip to pick them up!

 

[ibglowin]

Penny wise, Pound foolish I know.......

Nope won't make that mistake again! More Ammo to buy one next year for sure!

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Holy cow - you actually made pretty good time on processing those grapes. I just did a tinsy-tiny 3 gallon batch using my uncle's concord's last year. I can only imagine doing 200lbs by hand! 'Hope the results are terrific.

 

[ibglowin]

Initial test indicate a pH of 3.75, Brix of 25 and TA around 5.5.

Should I raise the Acid up a notch to approx 7.0 ?

 

[AlFulchino]

looking good Mike...wish you all the best

whats w the nasty term for natural yeast? i like my natural yeast

did you double check your acid and ph number? good to do as a precaution

absolutely great scenery

 

[ibglowin]

Thanks Al!

Yea,

I even took a sample to work and double checked em on a top o the line pH meter (3 decimal places) I have a single decimal place here at the house so was curious to see the difference.

So both seem pretty high in Brix but looks like they need some acid.

Can one of you pros give me a good number to shoot for?

Also should I add some bentonite up front?


What about MLF?

 

[grapeman]

I would prefer Al help you with this as I have never used that variety of grape before. I do know I would prefer the pH down aroun 3.4-3.5 and the TA up to around .65-.75. With that low of acid I wouldn't think you would want to do malo on it.

 

[AlFulchino]

i dont use bentonite...time handles everything...mlf should occur naturally...that's what i shoot for..otherwise i cold stabilize...i dont have a too low acid issue...

did the guy give you any hints about his past experience w his grapes and numbers like this?

what about the rosary? have you brought it out yet and started praying?

 

[ibglowin]

Hehehe.....

Prayer to "Dear Lord Baby Jesus"....... Like Ricky Bobby!

 

[grapeman]

Did you mix the two in the end or why do you just have one test number? That could have made a difference somehow.

 

[ibglowin]

Nope just didn't report both, they are very close.

The Merlot is 25.5 Brix,
pH is 4.1
TA is 5.5 as well.

 

[grapeman]

Good Lord! That's even more drastic! Like I said, I don't have experience with those, but I do know the pH is way too high and the TA too low. I think you may need to add some acid or it will be rather flabby and not hold up well, may even spoil too soon.


Who can help this man with his maiden voyage into vinifera grapes?

 

[AlFulchino]

i agree geeeesh 4.1!!!!! never seen anything like that w anything i have used.......i would get the ferment going and take a side sample and do a test adjustment...make sure thinsg respond they way you want...and then go full tilt on the rest

 

[AlFulchino]

here is another idea...just eat the grapes right now...they taste great right????

also i would call this gent and at least have a quick talk about what he has done.....in the past...i would guess that these numbers have occurred before at least on occasion...always good to know what the 'house' guy has been doing

 

[Wade E]

Mike, these are instruction I am following from a member of the AWS who is a goo friend on mine who wins medals every year for his reds and I can attest to his great wines, here is his process that Ill be following this year.


Day 1

1. Crush and destem grapes (note total weight of grapes)



Gallons of must = (total weight of grapes) (0.10)

Gallons of finished wine = (Gallons of must) (0.8)



2. Add 5.5 ML 10% potassium meta solution (to achieve 25ppm)

mL of solution to add = (Weight of grapes/50)(5.5)



3. Wait at least 6 hours



4. Add Lafase HE Grand Cru (Pectic Enzyme)

gm of Lafase to add=(total weight of grapes)( 0.025)

Mix with 10 times its weight of water



Day 2

1. Adjust pH (3.5 is goal)

Place 1 liter of must (juice, skins and stems) in a container

Measure pH

If pH is high, add 0.5 gm of tartaric acid

Re-measure

Continue to add 0.5 gm of tartaric acid until 3.5 pH is achieved

When 3.5 is achieved, calculate amount required for entire volume



Total liter of must = total lbs of grapes / 2.63 lbs per liter

Total TA to add to entire must = (total liter of must) (amount of test
acid)





2. Adjust Brix to 24 (see separate instructions)



3. Compute Alcohol

Alcohol level = (brix)(0.575)



4. Add Opti-red yeast nutrient (std is 227 gm/ton of grapes)

gm to add = 227 / (2000) x (lb of grapes)

mix with warm water and add to must



5. Add VR Supra Tannin

liters of juice = (gallon of juice) (3.785)

gm of VR to add = (liters of juice) (0.5)

mix with water and add to must



6. Prepare and add yeast to must

(Adding Yeast

(per gallon of must)









<= 24.5 Brix >25 Brix

1 gm yeast 1.2 gm yeast

1.25 gm Go-ferm 1.5 gm Go-Ferm

25 ml tap water 25 ml tap water





1. Heat tap water to 110F



2. Add in Go-Ferm – mix in well



3. When it drops to 104F, add yeast



4. Stir in gently, wait 15 minutes, stir again



5. At activity, add must equal to ½ of starter volume



6. Float bowl in must to allow both temps to be within 10F



7. Pour yeast to must and mix in within 30 minutes









At start of fermentation, add 1gm of Fermaid-K / gallon of must

Mix with warm water, then stir into must)



Add 1gm of Fermaid-K / gallon of must after a 8-10 drop in brix







7. Add oak staves

1 stave / 2 gallons of wine

1 stave / 7.57 liter of wine

Total number of staves = (gallon of wine)/2



1. Remove and wash oak staves, then add to tank



2. Press at 0 -2 Brix



3. Get glass of fresh run juice. Press and taste until juice gets bitter



4. Rack off heavy lees in 1-2 days. Get wine to 75-85F



5. Add MaloStart 24 hours prior to adding Malolatic bacteria (20 gm /
hL)

Liter of wine = .264 gallon

Gallon of wine = 3.785 Liter

Grams of malo-start to add = (liter of wine) (0.2)

Mix into 10X its weight of spring water



6. Rehydrate VP41 freeze dried Malolatic bacteria in 20X its weight of
distilled water at 20-30 C (70-85F) for 15 minutes. Add to wine gently
by stirring.



One pack of Malostart VP41 good for 60 gallons (use proportionally to
volume of wine)

(Steps for Malo

(1 packet good for 60 gallons of wine)









1. Add malostart after press and racking (1-2 days after pressing)

(Do not add so2)



2. Wine needs to be 61-75F



3. Add 0.2 g/L

gms of malostart to add = (liters of wine)( 0.2)

Mix with 10x weight gms of water

Mix into wine



4. Wait 24 hours



5. Let VP41 come to room temperature. Rehydrate 1 packet of VP41 (freeze
dried) into 20x its weight of distilled water at 68-86F for 15 minutes



6. Add to wine. Stir in gentle.



7. Stir gently for one week



You should get a Chromotograpghy test lit to know when mlf is done but
you can wing it and just watch it closely to see when the fermenting has
stopped but if you are doing a lot of wine I would recommend getting
the kit and doing it right.