Prickly Pear wine

[Mismost]

I bottled this last Nov. and tried it last night. I was completely disappointed. First the smell, which is not really known to me was kinda off putting...not terrible but very strange. It was more of a uggg instead of a ummm if you get my drift.

Initial taste was sharp bite...so I did the cork and shake CO2 test and I have plenty of gas. Let it sit for an hour and tasted it again. Mehhh...not much there taste wish...it is dry...it is effective, fairly warm going down. Just a very forgetable, thin, dry wine.

First time making this wine and it was a lot of work...sticky business too. I did boil the fruit according the recipe I had....have since seen other recipes that say don't do that. The pears were gathered in a very dry year...I have seen much better looking pears, maybe that had something to do with it too. I'm up in the air about trying this one again.

Have about 9 bottles left...no problem letting them sit longer now!

 

[Julie]

You should never follow a recipe as is. That recipe is based on those pears. Every year the pears are going to have a different acid level and sugar level. Actually this goes for any wine you make. For fruits have your ph between 3.5 and 3.6 and sg should be around 1.080. Also, pear normally needs to age at least a year but two years is way better.

 

[Jericurl]

needs to age at least a year but two years is way better.

Yes. So much this. We oaked ours and at year one, I could barely drink a glass of it. It was much, much better this year. Too bad I can't get Manthing back out to pick more prickly pear tunas this year....hmmm....I may have to start plotting...