Nanking Cherry wine.

[UBB]

Anybody have any experience making this? What were your results? Any tips?

I have a batch right now in a glass secondary. Starting S.G. was 1.088 and I racked it at 1.02.

I had broken my degassing tool so I didn't degas it when I racked it so I ended up putting in a blowout tube instead of a standard airlock. It subsided enough after a couple of days so the airlock has been reattached. It's still quite bubbly though.

I have lots of these bushes in the orchard so I'm hoping the wine turns out!

 

[Arne]

I have never tried the Nanking cherries, but if they make good pies or are good eating, they should make a fine wine. I have made several batches with sour pie cherries, takes a while but it is a good wine. Arne.

 

[UBB]

The color is quite nice as well. I couldn't tell you if they make good pies, up until this summer they were basically just bird feed.

I am optimistic though.

 

[docanddeb]

The pit is too large to make anything but jelly, syrup or wine, really. the birds really love them. I used to have a few bushes at my last house.
Over on winepress.us there is a guy named nanking cherry... he's made it for sure. They are sweeter than pie cherries and better balanced for wine than sour cherries.
You should have a great wine there!

Debbie

 

[knobren]

I made some wine out of Nanking cherries a couple of years ago. It was my first try at wine-making, and it was excellent!

 

[UBB]

I thought I'd bump this thread as we are getting closer to bottling. Good and bad news to report.

First the good news. This wine IMO, is absolutely fabulous despite doing some things backwards as I was experimenting and trying to learn.

Now the not so good news. Due to the weird weather this spring I will have zero cherries this season to make more

I have some different varieties of cherries coming (I hope) from a local grower so I will be trying a different recipe.

 

[Brian Ritchie]

I am interested in a recipe for nanking cherry wine or cordial. I planted 6 nanking cherry bushes this fall. Um, I have been making pear wine and hard cider and related vinegars for 10 years and I have most of the gear but I am still hit and miss on some things.