Can I blend a malo'd wine with a finished wine with sorbate added?

[RandyR]

Hello all -

I have some cab franc from grapes that is going through malolactic fermentation right now. I know the rule is not to add potassium sorbate to the wine since it might result in a rotten geranium smell. I would like to blend some of the cab franc when the malo is complete. The only cabernet sauvignon I have is from a winexpert kit which uses both meta and sorbate in the final step before clearing. Will blending my cab franc with a cab wine that had sorbate added also produce the off odors?

 

[Julie]

Yes, the wine you want to blend with has sorbate in it so when you blend that with the cab franc it is the same as adding sorbate.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Not to contradict Julie, but I would highly recommend against blending a kit wine that has sorbate added to it, to a wine that is going through MLF. I can't tell you if it will produce off odors and taste, but I wouldn't risk two wines.

 

[sour_grapes]

P-man, I find your message confusing. If you wouldn't risk the wines, isn't that an argument against blending? Why do you "highly recommend blending" in that case?

 

[Boatboy24]

P-man, I find your message confusing. If you wouldn't risk the wines, isn't that an argument against blending? Why do you "highly recommend blending" in that case?

I don't waft to put words in his mouth, but I think he meant to say: highly recommend NOT blending.

 

[Julie]

I don't waft to put words in his mouth, but I think he meant to say: highly recommend NOT blending.

Well if that is the case, what did I say wrong that he didn't want to contradict me? I was confused, too. I'm thinkin he was doing to many tastings today

 

[vernsgal]

Well if that is the case, what did I say wrong that he didn't want to contradict me? I was confused, too. I'm thinkin he was doing to many tastings today

either that or I think he has taken too many cold medicines yesterday

 

[Julie]

either that or I think he has taken too many cold medicines yesterday

Oh I forgot, he was sick earlier. LOL

 

[Boatboy24]

Bottom line: MLF + Sorbate = BAD! Whether the sorbate is dissolved in wine or not.

 

[Pumpkinman]

sorry, was typing too fast, I meant to write "I would highly recommend against blending"

 

[sour_grapes]

Okay, thanks for clarification. I had considered boatboy's interpretation, but had rejected it due to the same point Julie raised.

Life is good, then. Avoid sorbates + MLF.

Hey, we are constantly told (or at least I think this is the message) that you cannot do MLF on a kit wine. Is it ONLY the sorbate that precludes this? If you skip the sorbate, can you MLF a kit? (Not that I want to, at the moment?)

 

[CBell]

No, it's not just the sorbate. You can't MLF a kit wine because of the way that they are balanced. Allegedly if you MLF a kit wine it will make it taste like crap, and not just because of the sorbate.

 

[sour_grapes]

No, it's not just the sorbate. You can't MLF a kit wine because of the way that they are balanced. Allegedly if you MLF a kit wine it will make it taste like crap, and not just because of the sorbate.

Okay, thank you for that clarification. No MLF for me for the foreseeable future, then! Thanks.