Commercial wine sweetness

[BobF]

How many of you have your back sweetening down to target SGs?

There is a commercial BB wine that is SWMBO's favorite. Too sweet for me; perfect for her.

I finally got around to testing it a few days ago. SG = 1048! I haven't tested any other commercial wines yet.

 

[Tom]

WOW !
Thats high.. What is it?

 

[BobF]

WOW !
Thats high.. What is it?

St James Blackberry ...

http://www.stjameswinery.com/shop/wine/fruit/blackberry.html

Their fruit wines are all very good, but the bb is sweet

 

[almargita]

I have found that I like a medium sweet, somewhere between 1.012 & 1.015. Never completely accurate when I'm doing the final backsweetening, just want close to those numbers.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Months ago we bought some wines at the State Store just for research. We got a blueberry that was @1.030 maybe higher. I haven't sweetened anything over 1.023 and that could have been my blueberry.

1.048 Tha'll give ya tooth rot.

 

[Tom]

St James Blackberry ...

http://www.stjameswinery.com/shop/wine/fruit/blackberry.html

Their fruit wines are all very good, but the bb is sweet

Go for it if SWMBO likes it. The price is right

 

[winemanden]

R&D

Months ago we bought some wines at the State Store just for research. We got a blueberry that was @1.030 maybe higher. I haven't sweetened anything over 1.023 and that could have been my blueberry.

1.048 Tha'll give ya tooth rot.

I've done a fair bit of that sort of research myself Steve. One thing I've learned from it is that my wine is as good and sometimes better.

Regards to all, Winemanden.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

st. james oversweetens most of their wines, imo. almost all of the wineries in MO do the same to the fruit wines. i sweeten to taste and hope it's not too dry for most, but it doesn't seem like it for the feedback we are getting. most wines are in the 1.010-1.015 range. some more dry and some slightly sweeter. it's more about each batch and variety than just fruit wines for me, IMO.

for example, i can make an elderberry be 1.005 and still be good. a strawberry would be much harder to do that low, but imo, it can be done with enough fruit and aging.

 

[BobF]

st. james oversweetens most of their wines, imo. almost all of the wineries in MO do the same to the fruit wines. i sweeten to taste and hope it's not too dry for most, but it doesn't seem like it for the feedback we are getting. most wines are in the 1.010-1.015 range. some more dry and some slightly sweeter. it's more about each batch and variety than just fruit wines for me, IMO.

for example, i can make an elderberry be 1.005 and still be good. a strawberry would be much harder to do that low, but imo, it can be done with enough fruit and aging.

st james cherry is pretty good - I haven't measured that one. It's REALLY good with this:
http://www.bluebunny.com/Products/d/Premium_Ice_Cream_Bordeaux_Cherry_Chocolate

or this:
http://www.bluebunny.com/Products/d/Premium_Ice_Cream_Bunny_Tracks

Sometimes I prefer a semi-sweet red raspberry with the latter

 

[malweth]

What's the average S.G. of a table wine? Is a commercial "dry" wine really under 1.000?

 

[BobF]

What's the average S.G. of a table wine? Is a commercial "dry" wine really under 1.000?

They taste <1000 to me!

 

[Midwest Vintner]

What's the average S.G. of a table wine? Is a commercial "dry" wine really under 1.000?

pretty much. depends on your taste really. i would say it's dry up to 1.002-4 or so. 1.002-4 - 1.007-9 is semi dry and 1.007-9- 1.012-4 is semi sweet and anything up is sweet. the small range takes into account acidity and tannins. that's kinda my opinion on the ranges from what i've tasted and what i've checked the sg's on. still got alot more tasting and checking to do. i've been checking wines in the past 4 months or so, but before that, it was sweetened to taste without checking the sg.

i've read that, below 1 is dry, 1-1.005 is semi-dry, 1.005-1.010 is semi sweet and anything above that is sweet.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5847

in all reality, it's how sweet do you like it? also remember that it will mellow and somewhat sweeten with aging. leaving it just slightly dryer than you like it seems to do the trick for me. after aging, it's like wow, i did good as it is just sweet enough now

bobF, IIRC, the bb was the last one i tried from st. james and maybe that's why it's sticking with me that they're so sweet. i might have to pick up of a bottle of something similar to what we are making if they have it. i've been watching the competition. buwuahahaha! ....and it doesn't hurt to drink some wine anyhow right?

 

[BobF]

bobF, IIRC, the bb was the last one i tried from st. james and maybe that's why it's sticking with me that they're so sweet. i might have to pick up of a bottle of something similar to what we are making if they have it. i've been watching the competition. buwuahahaha! ....and it doesn't hurt to drink some wine anyhow right?

If I make it up your way next summer, I'll have to try a bottle or two of yours.

Maybe we can do an exchange in the back room ;-)

 

[djrockinsteve]

I believe the standard is;

DRY .990 ~1.000

MEDIUM DRY 1.001 ~ 1.008

SEMI SWEET 1.009 ~ 1.015

SWEET 1.016 and above

 

[Midwest Vintner]

bobF, it would be great to have you out and would like to try your wine, but i gotta do everything legit. that said, i would like to have anyone out from winemakingtalk. i can however maybe have a private dinner or something on our side of the property. tastings are going to be free. we have not pulled anything from the commercial side yet, but we do plan on doing some more R&D. that wine would be our personal use wine as we are allowed 200 gal just like anyone else here in the US. if i can set this up, i would provide the food free, but only on private grounds. the winery and our property are together, but are treated different.

anyhow, we do have some personal wine from the past. it won't be gone anytime soon. i don't mind having visitors and don't mind criticism either. if anyone wants to come by, just ask.

mark

 

[djrockinsteve]

I'm sure it's a ton of work. Good Luck and much success to you.

 

[Midwest Vintner]

I'm sure it's a ton of work. Good Luck and much success to you.

thanks dj. it's a lot of work. we've been doing it the same as we've always done, which means by hand. not easy doing 100+ gallons at a time, but we feel that we should make the same or better for our customers that we've been making for the last 6 years at home. nothing like putting in 8+ hrs in just working the fruit!