Green Tomato Wine

[Brewgrrrl]

A few years ago I tasted a strange wine that reminded me of a bit of Chardonnay. When I found out I was drinking green tomato wine I couldn't believe it. I have wanted to try making it ever since. When my uncle gave me almost a full bushel of green tomatoes this year, I made the following recipe (based on several recipes I reviewed and adjusted to what I had available).

Green Tomato Wine (makes 6 gallons - I know, I might be crazy but what the heck, the tomatoes were free)

21 lbs green tomatoes
36 cloves
3 oz. ginger root, chopped
6 cans Welch's white grape concentrate (69 oz)
10 lbs sugar
juice of 6lbs of lemons
juice of 5 valencia oranges
1 1/2 tsp tannin
6 tsp yeast nutrient
6 tsp pectic enzyme
water to 6 gallons
6 campden tablets
Lalvlin EC-1118 wine yeast

Wash the tomatoes, remove bruises and blemishes, chop (I used a food processor). Place in a straining bag with the cloves and ginger root. Add the sugar and about two gallons of water and stir. Add remaining ingredients (except yeast) and leave overnight.

I plan on adding Lalvlin EC-1118 yeast tomorrow evening. My SG=1.120, which is a little higher than I'd expected, but my acid was right at .70. I plan on racking and removing the pulp/cloves/ginger when the SG=1.040.

Here's a picture of my 6 gallon green machine right now:

Wish me luck (fingers are definitely crossed on this one - this is by far the strangest thing I've tried to ferment to date).

 

[vcasey]

One of our local wineries makes a tomato wine and they add hot peppers. I think maybe I'll try it again next time I visit, maybe. I like their carrot & banana wine much better, but the best is the orange coffee.
Here is the web site with their list of wines http://www.floridawine.com/wine_selection.htm
VC

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Interesting stuff! Thanks for the link. I wonder how a green tomato wine is different from a red tomato wine... I would think it might have a sharper ("green") flavor to start that might have to mellow more over time but I don't know. I've heard that red tomato wines have a strange flavor at first that has to mellow out over many months before it's drinkable. It will be interesting to see how this all turns out. Maybe I'll design a label while I wait...

 

[Brewgrrrl]

It's a healthy fermentation so far (Lalvlin EC1118 yeast), but also quite possibly the grossest looking one I've seen in a while. Hard to believe that the final wine is going to be light gold...

 

[grapeman]

I hate to say this, but THAT LOOKS GROSS!

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Seriously. It's the GROSSEST!
It looks and smells like a healthy fermentation though so - gosh darn it, it's so crazy, it just might work...

 

[paubin]

I'm seriously wanting a pic once this is in the glass.










Pete

 

[Waldo]

That just does not look right

Keep those pictures coming on this one. I lke the idea of adding some hot peppers to the must too. Im going to save your recipe and give this one a try next year.


Gaudet made a tomato wine, maybe he can jump in here and give us his take on it.

 

[Brewgrrrl]

I've been under the weather so I just got around to racking this off the pulp.

Needless to say, there will be no second-run tomato wine... for obvious reasons.

It's a bit less green now...

(hey, if I said this was green apple you'd be all over it, right? Well - it's NOT)

And finally... (I did pause for a long while at this moment)...

Yes. Yes I did.
It's very strong alcoholic-flavor but not very tomato-ey any more. When I figure out how to describe the taste I'll let you know. I'll almost certainly be aging this a bit on oak at some point. That's all for now.

(at least I didn't post this at dinner time, right?)

 

[ibglowin]

Wow,

You are indeed a brave "brew girl"!

It looks like a Chardonnay but has Lycopene!

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Ha! Perhaps I should reference anti-cancer properties on the label... (not verified by the FDA, of course)

 

[xanxer82]

Wow... Just wow... that's some bravery there. I would try it though. I'd try any wine once.

 

[gaudet]

That just does not look right

Keep those pictures coming on this one. I lke the idea of adding some hot peppers to the must too. Im going to save your recipe and give this one a try next year.


Gaudet made a tomato wine, maybe he can jump in here and give us his take on it.

I made mine from red tomatoes. It turned to a nice golden / straw color. When I do it again I will not back sweeten as much. I like the taste though. You can get the hint of tomato, but one might not know what it is if they were not told firsthand.

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Gaudet, how do you think the green tomato might compare? To date it's never tasted very tomato-ey - more "green" than anything (although 11 days in is probably a bit early to be judging the flavor profile - ha ha). Any thoughts on this?

 

[gaudet]

Honestly I don't know....................... Ever eat fried green tomatoes? They are tart and a bit acidic, so I would expect the same from your wine.

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Well, I'm going for a dry white so that sounds hopeful. We'll see how things go over the next few months...

 

[boozinsusan]

Any updates?


I just made a one gallon batch from your recipe last night. Pitched yeast this morning.


First batch that I am totally on my own! I would have liked to go with a kit (which I have) but the tomatoes had to be dealt with, right?

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Sweet! I'd love to see pictures of your little green machine.

Mine's still in the secondary, so not much to report. When I racked it the fermentation got pretty active again for about two weeks. Now it's quieted down but I'm going to wait a few more weeks before I rack it again. I'll post pictures the next time I work with it.

 

[boozinsusan]

I really like the smell! It isgreen. citrusy, and yeast-y.


I am also surprised by the color - I thought it would resemblepond scum.

 

[Brewgrrrl]

Yes, I don't think it's actually as gross as the pictures looked here, but given the amount of time/work I put into it I'm also a little biased. I also agree that the fermentation smell was nice - the wine has really seemed very healthy and I'm looking forward to tasting it when it's finished.


My batch has lightened up quite a bit in the secondary. I also have a batch of Pinot Grigio going right now (about two weeks younger than the green tomato wine) and they actually don't look that different.