Help me with my daughters Wedding Wine!

[smikes]

So for Christmas, my Daughter got engaged. They are planning for a late summer 2010 wedding. Courtney works at an upscale spa that is well known enough to be visited by Oprah,Tyra Banks and others, so the foods and wines and even beers are high end and usually very organic.


For her birthday each year she gets a free pass for two for dinner and this year she took me. She ordered a wine,I never heard of it, that she loved. It was very Grapefruity, and I thought to myself "Self, why don't you make a grapefruit wine for the wedding? (This wasn't made from grapefruit though)


I would say it was Semi dry withvery littlebite.The grapefruit was there in both nose and taste, but not at all overpowering.


So what I am asking is, has anyone made a grapefruit wine that they were very happy with? And would you care to share a guideline reciepe?


Would 1 1/2 years be enough time for it?


Thank you for any input!

 

[vcasey]

I saw this in an issue of Winemaker Mag. I recently tasted some grapefruit wine at one of our local wineries and I thought it was really very good and have added to my long "gotta try and make this wine" list.

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<![endif]-->Sweet Grapefruit Dessert Wine

Makes 1 gallon (3.8 L) of wine



Ingredients</span>

6 large grapefruit

3 lbs. (1.4 kg) cane sugar

water (enough to make the final wine volume equal 1 gallon)

1/2 tsp. pectic enzyme

1/8 tsp. tannin

1 crushed Campden Tablet

fining agent

wine yeast (such as Sauternes)

1/2 tsp. potassium sorbate



Step by Step

Juice all of the grapefruits. This can be done by hand or in a juicer. Be sure
not to get any seeds in the juice. Save a cleaned peel and juiced pulp from one
of the grapefruit. Clean out the pith from the inside of the peel and add it to
the juice along with half of the sugar, the Campden tablet, tannin, yeast
nutrient, and water to make one gallon (3.8 L) of juice.


Dissolve the sugar well in the mixture by stirring. Add the pulp making sure
there is not pith or seeds on it. These can add bitterness and off flavors to
the wine.


Allow the juice to sit 12–18 hours covered. Add the pectic enzyme per
manufacturers instructions. Allow the juice to sit for at least 12 more hours
and then add the yeast. After 2 days of fermentation, add the remaining sugar
and dissolve it well. Allow another 4–5 days of fermentation.


After this, strain out the peel and pulp through a strainer and rack into
secondary fermenter. Rack regularly and ferment for another 6 months. You may
add water to bring it back to a gallon of wine. Likewise, you may use a fining
agent and stabilizer at this time. You sweeten it by adding a half cup of sugar
to boiled water. You must add potassium sorbate at this time to stabilize the
wine and prevent refermentation. Bottle and allow to age at least 6 months.</font>


</span>
VPC</font>

</a>

 

[Tom]

I made a GRILLO wine that was a WE limited edition. It was about 3 years ago. If you can find another that would be in the taste you want.

 

[Waldo]

A good high end "Geurtztraimner" wine kit would be great too

 

[uavwmn]

I agree with Waldo. A nice Geurtz would be really nice.

 

[Tom]

A good high end "Geurtztraimner" wine kit would be great too

I concure.
If looking for a drier wine buy a bottle of Grillo and compare that to a more sweeter Geurtztraminer. I am not sure if there is still a Grillo kit available. I would call George and ask.


I made the WE LE kit a few years ago and was nery sastisfied.

 

[grapeman]

I don't think the Gewürztraminer grape would be mistaken for for grapefruit, but maye. It is a very nice aromatic wine though. A lot of the hybrid grape wines I make have fruity esters mimicing may fruits, such a apricots, pear, apples, pineapple and so on. If you had a chance to get some LaCrescent or even Frontenac Gris grapes, I think you could make a wine very much liked by her. I don't know what kits would come close to grapefruit, but maybe call George and he might have a suggestion.