Prickly Pear Wine

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Still day-glo fuschia/purple!

I racked it on the last day of November. I'm not seeing anything else dropping out so I will probably leave it be til around February and bottle it then.
I didn't taste it this time around.

Sgx2, I really do love the bright color of this wine but if it has to turn white, I certainly wouldn't mind the color of yours.
How does it taste?
 
...How does it taste?

It's really interesting - herbaceous, reminiscent of clover in hot summer days, with a hint of black pepper spiciness. I'm going to enjoy sampling this over the course of a few months to see if it changes.

I'm not sure why the colour changed, and despite the persistent haze (which survived two-stage clarification, pectic enzyme, amylase enzyme and filtering with #2 pads :?) it's a beautiful white...
 
It's really interesting - herbaceous, reminiscent of clover in hot summer days, with a hint of black pepper spiciness. I'm going to enjoy sampling this over the course of a few months to see if it changes.

I'm not sure why the colour changed, and despite the persistent haze (which survived two-stage clarification, pectic enzyme, amylase enzyme and filtering with #2 pads :?) it's a beautiful white...

PH is know to affect color. How is the PH?
 
Darn good question - I haven't got pH testing equipment here, so I don't know... :(
 
I stabilized this back in January and backsweetened with 2 cups of sugar.

When I tasted it, I felt like it needed something, so I added 2 oz of rum soaked american oak cubes.

I just racked it off the cubes and tasted it.

This may be the best wine I've made so far.
It's still very hot tasting but man is this good!
 
Well, in the carboy it's too dark to make out a color.
I suppose I'll have to draw off a glass to take a proper picture. And of course I'll have to drink said glass then.....sigh.....the things I'm willing to do for you guys.....
 
Well, I took a few pictures and only one turned out.

The bright pink color is actually quite true to life.

prickly pear wine.jpg
 
Jericurl,

That looks very interesting! It also looks like it is nice and clear.

I take it you and your guy will be making more this year?
 
Wow, that wine looks amazing. I wish prickly pear weren't endangered in ontario or I would totally make some! I'm sure my wife would love it even if it didn't taste good just based on the colour!
 
So,

I dragged out my carboy full of prickly pear wine. It's going to be the next item to get bottled.

It's got an interesting flavor to it.
I backsweetened it just a bit a few months ago.

It just tastes kind of...meh.
Nothing really spectacular about it.
I'm not really sure what to do with it now.
 
Jericurl,

I am so sorry!

Can you expand on why you find it disappointing? I think at one time you thought it rather good. Has the flavor faded?
 
It's a little hard to describe what I don't care for.
Manthing actually thinks it's decent and I should go ahead and bottle it and just let it age a little.

It has a spicy kind of undertone. The fruity and hay flavors are still present. It's...thick? I think they call that having good legs? If you swirl the glass around the wine coats the sides for a second before it slides down. I don't think it needs anymore sugar.
I added acid at the beginning.
It just tastes...I don't know, boring maybe?

I am terrible at this.
I'll sit down this afternoon with a glass and try to write out some impressions.
 
Hey Jeri,
When you sit down with it, try it 'regular', then add a pinch of acid blend. I had issues with my Blackberry and Raspberry meads where they just tasted 'Meh' for ages. Then I added some acid and BAM! There's the flavour.

Let us know how it goes.
 
I'll dig around for some acid tomorrow. What I could find was an almost empty package.
Can I use citric acid (the same used in canning?)? I have plenty of that.
 
Jeri, try citric. I read that citric acid is the acid of choice for fruit, and I would call this a fruit.

If that helps some but not enough I'd do a bench test. I have bunches of extracts I try till I find what I feel adds to the flavor in a good way. It's not always the flavor I thought would be best. Just grab about 8 oz wine in a cup, a stack of plastic cups, your box of flavors, and head outside to enjoy yourself. put about an ounce of wine in each glass and add a drop or two of a likely flavor, swirl and taste. Move on to next glass if flavor 1 doesn't help. I've found chocolate to be great in most reds, but it varies with white and blushes. You might or might not find a fab mix but you will surely enjoy the testing.

Pam in cinti
 
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