What to blend with.........

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joeybudd

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I will end up with 6gal of Chardonnay that did not turn out just right (my error...long story) but don't want to dump it. What would be a good wine to blend it with? I'm thinking after I bulk age it I will put it in 6gal jugs and blend 1 gal at a time. I plan on having a peach/chardonnay, but need ideas for other blends. --JB
 
Joey, it would help us to suggest if you could describe the short comings of the Chardonnay that did not "turn out just right." When I blend a wine, it is because I am trying to enhance a good quality or diminish a bad trait of a wine. For example, if the wine is too dry, I might blend it with a sweeter wine. If the wine has a certain background taste such as blackberry, I might add blackberry puree to it.

What is it about your wine that you do not like?
 
Joey, it would help us to suggest if you could describe the short comings of the Chardonnay that did not "turn out just right." When I blend a wine, it is because I am trying to enhance a good quality or diminish a bad trait of a wine. For example, if the wine is too dry, I might blend it with a sweeter wine. If the wine has a certain background taste such as blackberry, I might add blackberry puree to it.

What is it about your wine that you do not like?

Basically what happened is I got a juice pail that was already almost fermented out. I didn't pay attention and went ahead and added more sugar to the mix as I wasn't thinking and was just looking at starting SG......So this batch will not ferment dry (hopefully when all is said and done it will end up about 1.020 or lower) and a high ABV.
 
Got it. I would assume then that you are going to end up with a high ABV, sweet chardonnay. Have you tasted any of the wine at this point? If the taste is good (and it may be masked by the alcohol) I would get another bucket or kit of Chardonnay and ferment it to dry (i.e. SG of around 0.992) and blend the two wines. Keep this first wine in a 6 gallon carboy until the dryer wine is finished. I don't know how experienced you are with making wine, but I might try starting the second batch at an SG of 1.075-1.080 or so by adding water to the bucket or more water to a kit. This would result in a wine with a lower ABV, which would compensate for the high ABV in the first wine.

From what you first stated, the bucket had started fermentation. Did you check the SG of the wine and if so, what was it? How much sugar did you add or to what SG did you raise the wine. Depending on the yeast you used, it may still ferment to something under 1.000 but it will be very high in ABV (i.e. it will be hot) for a Chardonnay and perhaps lose taste to the alcohol.

As far as a Peach Chardonnay is concerned, you could add peach puree to the second batch in primary or a faster way is to add a few drops of peach extract to the finished wine.

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Thanks Rocky--- It tastes good still, just "hot" as you said.... It's still bubbling away, so I'm letting it go for another week before moving it to a secondary carboy...It is just slow which I am assuming due to the higher alcohol content. I had originally planned to add some dried apricots to this batch but if I am going to blend it then I won't. Good idea on the 2nd batch with a lower ABV%. I'm in no hurry so that may be an option, just don't know what I will do with 12gal of Chardonnay...... I guess drink it eh?
 

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