Favorite fruit wines?

[Rocknrandyc]

I have about 14 different fruit wines in various stages of fermentation going right now. I started with dandelion wine last april, graduated to blackberry in August, ( All hand picked) and continued to start 1-3 gallons a week since then. I want some feedback about which fruit wines are "favorites" from some of you experts. Blackberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Pear would be my guess. Where should I go from here?

 

[non-grapenut]

Hey, Rocknrandyc! I like to make 2 gallon batches of various fruit wines and blends and then decide to make 5-6 gallons of the ones I and my friends liked best. So far: Pineapple/mango, Blackberry/pomegranate with Celestial Seasonings Sugarplum Spice tea added (this was my xmas brew) and Hard iced tea (so far, the cheapest and most-easiest hooch to make). I have a 5 gal batch of rose petal wine going now, only becuz 6 gallons of fresh rose petals fell in my lap. Strawberry is very fragrant, though. That may be another 5 gallon-er. What I did find out is that if any of my wines lacked bouquet, adding strawberry or pineapple solved that right away. What are your favorites? And why?

 

[Wade E]

My absolute favorite is Black Currant.

 

[Luc]

Starwberries en Elderberries are my abosolute favorite.

Elderberries is even better when mixed with blackberries.

Strawberries are good on their own.

Lychees are a good follow up.
Or apple mixed with peach.

Luc

 

[Boozehag]

I was just wondering this myself this morning. I have some passionfruit which I want to use but not enough to make 1 gallon so wondered what would be nice with it/ Any ideas?

I like the sound of strawberry and blackberry wine mmmmmmmmm

 

[mjdtexan]

As I am the new guy currently waiting (and waiting) on my first batch of wine (and mead) to get done, I think each of you should send me a bottle of the wines you listed as your favorites. I've never even had fruit wine (except grapes of course). Yep, that seems proper.

 

[Wade E]

Send them????? Oh no you come over here and get it personally!!!!!!!!

 

[St Allie]

Elderberry flower champayne
elderberry wine
I made a dandelion and plum wine which seems very promising..too early to test it yet.
have also paired strawberry and cranberry.. the colour is a beautiful clear claret red.. also too early to test!

I will confess to just making up recipes by the way..

 

[Boozehag]

I will confess to just making up recipes by the way..

I can imagine you do too! Great to see you on here!

Im hunting around for a peach wine receipe tha suits what i want to do and so far this is the best Ive found so far, please note I have adapted all the ingredients upto a 23 litre batch from a 4.5 litre receipe by adding in 5 x of everything. Bbut am wondering if the sugar or anything else is too much and do I add 5 campdon tablets or one... Anyones thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Peach and Raisin Wine

6.8 kg ripe peaches
2 1/2 cup chopped raisins
5.65 kg granulated sugar
5 large lemons
2 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
5 litre boiling water
1 (or 5?) crushed Campden tablet
5 tsp yeast nutrient
Sauterne wine yeast
Wash peaches in cool water. Do not peel. Slice thinly into primary, discarding stones. Mash the peaches and add chopped raisins and half the sugar. Pour in the boiling water and stir to dissolve sugar. Cover primary with sterile cloth and set aside until reaching room temperature, then add cool water to equal 23 litres. Add juice of lemons and crushed Campden tablet. Recover and set aside 12 hours. Add pectic enzyme and set aside another 12 hours. Stir in yeast nutrient and sprinkle yeast on top of must. Allow to ferment 5 days, stirring twice daily. Strain through nylon straining bag, squeezing firmly to extract juice. Add remainder of sugar, stir well to dissolve, then pour into secondary without topping up and fit airlock. Top up when fermentation dies down. Rack every three weeks until wine clears and fermented to bone dryness. Allow another two weeks, rack final time and bottle. Can drink right away, but will mellow considerably in six months.

 

[Wade E]

you will want 5 campden tablets. Never go by what is stated for sugar and use your hydrometer go with an sg of 1.085 on this and you will be happy.

 

[Boozehag]

Thanks Wade, will do so. Im still trying to work out the hydrometer. Ive used it to get the sg of my wines but dont really understand how you work out what the final percentage will be. i.e the conversion of the sg/fg
I realise I need to know as soon as possible as I am getting to the finishing stages of my first wine this week.

Can you expalin for me how it works please

My first wine was 1.052 to start and its down to .994 at present. Its supposed to be around 6% when ready according to the kit instructions.

 

[Wade E]

You take the initial gravity of say 1.095 and then subtract the finished gravity of say .996 which equals .099 and then multiply that by 131.4 and your abv is 13.0086.
1.095
-.996
.099 x 131.4 = 13.0086

 

[Boozehag]

Fabulous thanks once again Wade. The other calulations I was given made this wine 16% and no way was it supposed to be. I figured it was wrong.

This sounds much more like it...so it sits at 7.62% at this stage.

I take the final reading just before I bottle right?

 

[Wade E]

Correct, or right before you sweeten.

 

[Skyhawk]

For a non-grape wine, my favorite is wild blueberry wine, and elderberry coming in a close second. Chokecherry is another of my favs. Each of these berries has lots of tannin, and you have to test as you ferment. For blueberry, I usually let it ferment completely out with the skins.

 

[Boozehag]

Wild blueberry sounds divine.

I must remember to book in for berry picking in December, theres this farm here that allows you to pick as much as you want (and eat as much as you want as you go!) for two days only between Christmas and New Year. I doubt their blueberries will be wild though!

Id like to know more about the kits for red wines, can anyone direct me to a thread thats similar for this but for grape wines?