richardtrillo
Junior
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2012
- Messages
- 3
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We have two large white vines, in a garden in southwest London which regularly produce 70–100kg of grapes. I made wine successfully in 2009 (the first time I tried), using a rented crusher and press and following wine shop instructions. In 2010, I left the grapes too long before picking, and there were too many rotten ones and the wine just tasted musty and off. In 2011, there was virtually no crop. This year, 2012, I had a bumper crop and ended up with eight 5-litre demijohns, bubbling away in the middle of October. The fermentation lasted a week or more. However, I've been very busy, and had no time to get on with racking off into bottles, and I didn't add any sulphite or anything else. Today is bottling day, but I think I've left it too late. The wine is crystal clear, with a very thin base of sedimant, and has a fruity, soft aroma. However, there's a very sharp edge to the flavour, almost fizzy, which wasn't present at bottling time in 2009, when I racked off as soon as fermentation was finished. The specific gravity of this batch is 1000–1005.
So have I ruined it? Will it improve? And it's a mistake to have left it so long, is there anything I can do? I can put it down to experience - again - but it seems a pity to throw out 40 litres if there's anything that can be done with it.
Thanks for any help.
Richard Trillo
So have I ruined it? Will it improve? And it's a mistake to have left it so long, is there anything I can do? I can put it down to experience - again - but it seems a pity to throw out 40 litres if there's anything that can be done with it.
Thanks for any help.
Richard Trillo