MLF and whites (Cayuga)

[spaniel]

I gave a coworker a bottle of the dry 12% White Cayuga I made last year (my own vines). This individual has what I consider to be a relatively refined wine palate; he lived in Europe for 4 years and still maintains an impressive cellar of CA and French wines.

I was clear that I expected an HONEST assessment of the wine. He indicated that it was a very good white; fruity, citrus flavor with no hint of any off-flavor or negative aftertaste. He felt it was better than most American variety whites he had tasted.

However, he felt it did not have a lot of body, and lacked a better term for what was missing. So my question is, with this specific type of wine, would a MLF perhaps help add some of the body feel to the wine? I have 3 5gal batches this year; one I want to do like last year, one I want to go semi-sweet, I am considering piloting a MLF with the other. Thoughts?

 

[Chateau Joe]

I'm doing a Cayuga White myself right now for the first time. I personally would not do a MLF but perhaps add a little glycerine for more mouthfeel.

 

[grapeman]

DO NOT do an mlf on Cayuga in my opinion. Fruitiness and a slight acidity is desireable and mlf would ruin that.Sweetening it a bit does add more mouthfeel and will put it in balance if not oversweetened.

I use ES 6-16-30 (an Elmer Swenson variety) to add mouthfeel to any wine that needs it (whites at least). It has great body and when made correctly as a varietal, it imparts a bit of pineapple flavor also.

 

[spaniel]

Too late to change yeast, but I will keep that in mind for next year.

Perhaps this should be a whole other thread....but what SG would be a slightly semi-sweet wine, at 12% ABV? Frankly most of the "semi-sweet" white wines I buy from local wineries are almost sickeningly sweet.

 

[Arne]

Draw a sample of your wine. Sweeten it til you get it where you like it. CHeck its specific gravity, then you can bring the whole batch up to that specific gravity. Before doing the whole batch tho, make sure it is stabalized. Don't need the dreaded bottle bombs. Arne.

 

[robie]

Don't try to stop fermentation, so the wine will remain sweet. This is very difficult for a home wine maker to do and almost always ends in popping corks or bursting bottles.

Let the wine ferment completely to dry, then back sweeten. Sorbate should be utilized if a wine is back sweetened.

 

[spaniel]

Don't try to stop fermentation, so the wine will remain sweet. This is very difficult for a home wine maker to do and almost always ends in popping corks or bursting bottles.

Let the wine ferment completely to dry, then back sweeten. Sorbate should be utilized if a wine is back sweetened.

I'm far from a winemaking newbie, but this is only my second year with grapes as I stuck with fruit until I had my own vines producing. I haven't blown a bottle since 1998.

The wine is already fermented dry and cold stabilizing in my kegerator. I was just wondering is there is some rule of thumb regarding SG of a semi-sweet wine. I can always do the taste method, but it is certainly helpful if someone already has and could suggest an estimated SG to think about.

 

[grapeman]

I enjoy Cayuga in the 1.002 to 1.004 range. That takes the edge off and brings out the fruit, but doesn't make it too sweet.

By the way ES 6-16-30 is a grape variety from Elmer Swenson, not a yeast. Not a lot of it grown, but it adds great body and flavor. You should be able to get some from Northeastern Vine Supply http://www.nevinesupply.com/whitewinevines.php as he got some budwood from me a few years ago.

 

[spaniel]

I enjoy Cayuga in the 1.002 to 1.004 range. That takes the edge off and brings out the fruit, but doesn't make it too sweet.

By the way ES 6-16-30 is a grape variety from Elmer Swenson, not a yeast. Not a lot of it grown, but it adds great body and flavor. You should be able to get some from Northeastern Vine Supply http://www.nevinesupply.com/whitewinevines.php as he got some budwood from me a few years ago.

Thanks, the numbers help as a starting point.

Ah, if the ES is another grape variety I think I have my hands full with what I have already. That would open the door to further additions I don't have time for.