Mixed Muscadine varieties

[Danny]

Planted 4 vines three years ago over the internet from a nursery here in Tennessee and can't remember what variety they said that each was. One died in the first winter, but has since come back from root. The other three, though, have thrived and have produced a LOT of fruit this year (will be interesting to weigh and see exactly how much).


As the grapes are just now ripening, however, it is obvious that two of the vines are of a large bronze variety, similar to Fry. The other is a smaller black variety and looks likeNoble.


When making wine, will it makea difference in mixing the juices? I hope to make a wine with a rose color, so assumeI would just use the "noble" grapes in my straining bag?


Any thoughts?

 

[gaudet]

You could do that, or you could ferment two separate batches of wine and experiment with blending them to achieve the rose you desire.

As to your grape variety, perhaps it is carlos. It makes a mighty fine wine on its own.

 

[Danny]

Actually thought about that after posting. Probably will have enough of both types to at least make a 3 gallon batch of both red and white muscadine. Will see how much I get of both and go from there.

 

[Waldo]

Danny
If you decide to mix them during fermentation I would not go over a 70% black-30% blend and much prefer gaudets thougts on fermenting seperate and blending later..like right before bottling

 

[Danny]

Great ideas. Still learning about muscadines and just now starting to harvest. Gonna be an interesting fall of wine making. Have about 20 lbs. of homegrown blackberries already harvested, too, that I'll start on in a few weeks.

 

[toddrod]

I find that the bronze varieties give more of that nice muscadine flavor and floral aspect when making wine from them as compared to the black varieties that have more acid and tannins to them. I mix and match them and make them straight, whites and reds, and have not had a bad batch. Mixing them will surely give you a different flavor profile.

 

[Danny]

I've already processed all my reds for the year, but still have about 30# of whites in the freezer and a gallon of white ready to bottle. Will consider making a blend with some of my grapes this year if the yield is as good or better than this past year. As my vines are not yet fully developed on the trellis, I should have more this year.
Will be fun as you say to experiment year-by-year to see if blending can give me a better overall taste. The red I made this year, though, will be hard to beat.