First Fruit Wine???

[earl]

I was looking on the online catalog and was wondering what to use for a fruit wine? Is buying the puree a good way to start? I do not want to mash fruit, yet, but would like to make a blueberry or a raspberry in a 3 to 5 gallon batch.


Any suggestions?


earl

 

[Steve]

I made aVintner's Harvest Fruit Bases Cherry and it turned out great right out of the carboy, my best wine yet. I used the 3 gallon recipe so I didn't lose to much body and flavor.

 

[jobe05]

Earl, I went to the store a few months ago and found Cherrie's packed in water (pie cherries) and pure, 100% Black cherry juice. I got a quart of the juice and four cans of the sweet cherries for a 1 gallon batch. At bottling, it was wonderfull, but a little weak on the cherry flavor. It was there...... but not as strong as I would have liked. So I went back over the weekend a got 5 cans of sweet cherries and 2 quarts of the blackcherry juice, total cost, about $22. This is a good wine and would love to do 3 gallons but need to perfect the recipe to my liking first. They also have blackberries packed in water and blueberries packed in water. I don't know dollar wise or flavor wise what would be better, the fruit packed in water, or the bagged frozen fruit. I would imagine the frozen fruit would be fresher tasting. But sice it's not cherry season and I can't find them frozen, the cans will do. Edited by: jobe05

 

[earl]

Steve---Did the fruit base have chunks of fruit in it? Where did you find the recipe?


Jobe---Did you have to use a strainer bag for the wine?


earl

 

[jobe05]

Earl, Yes, I open the cans and put it right into a straining bag then tie it off. I pour the black cherryjuice in, then adjust the SG to about 1.085 or so with sugar and water. Add the appropriate chemicals, wait 12 to 24 hours, then pitch the yeast. Every day I punch the bag down in the must and rack at 1.010. Ferment to dry then sweeten back before bottling. This was one of the easier fruit wines that I have made, and one of the earlier drinking fresh fruit (sorta), that I have ever made.