Edelweiss grapes

[JustJoe]

Does anyone have any experience making wine with edelweiss grapes? I have an opportunity to get a large quantity of them and I have found little info on making wine from them. Jack Keller had one recipe and from his comments on that recipe, it sounded like they are "OK", nothing to write home about.

 

[salcoco]

just the same as any other white grape. crush and press. let juice settle in cool place rack off the sediment. adjust acid and sugar. Ferment with a aromatic retention yeast, I would use Cotes De Blanc, keep fermentation cool to keep aromatics. bottle a coupe of months after clearing. do some taste test and bench trials before bottling if necessary to adjust acid further

 

[JustJoe]

just the same as any other white grape. crush and press. let juice settle in cool place rack off the sediment. adjust acid and sugar. Ferment with a aromatic retention yeast, I would use Cotes De Blanc, keep fermentation cool to keep aromatics. bottle a coupe of months after clearing. do some taste test and bench trials before bottling if necessary to adjust acid further

Thanks!

 

[user 36973]

I made some edelweiss a couple years ago. I suspect that the grapes may have been harvested a bit late or not stored properly. The juice seemed dark, a little oxidized and possibly had some VA. Sadly the wine followed the grapes and was "meh" for me. I'll take the blame when I make a mistake but in this case I feel the grapes were subpar.

When I inquired to our state extension office about it, they said that edelweiss was prone to high pH and browning. They suggested adjusting the pH down if it came in over like 3.4 and consider using activated charcoal to improve the color.

No matter what I think the grape is nothing to write home about. It is like a flabby Cayuga white.

 

[salcoco]

I would suggest that you pick the grapes with about 16 brix. that should keep the wine fresher so to speak. Edelweiss I believe has a Lambrusca parent( ie like Concord) and an early picking will reduce the "foxy" character. It also may reduce the browning issue above, picking early will yield a higher acid and lower ph a suggested.

 

[JustJoe]

I made some edelweiss a couple years ago. I suspect that the grapes may have been harvested a bit late or not stored properly. The juice seemed dark, a little oxidized and possibly had some VA. Sadly the wine followed the grapes and was "meh" for me. I'll take the blame when I make a mistake but in this case I feel the grapes were subpar.

When I inquired to our state extension office about it, they said that edelweiss was prone to high pH and browning. They suggested adjusting the pH down if it came in over like 3.4 and consider using activated charcoal to improve the color.

No matter what I think the grape is nothing to write home about. It is like a flabby Cayuga white.

Well, I guess I can get a lot of table grapes.

 

[JustJoe]

I would suggest that you pick the grapes with about 16 brix. that should keep the wine fresher so to speak. Edelweiss I believe has a Lambrusca parent( ie like Concord) and an early picking will reduce the "foxy" character. It also may reduce the browning issue above, picking early will yield a higher acid and lower ph a suggested.

Thanks, I'll check to see where they are now. But I suspect I have a big pile of table grapes.