intoxicating
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
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- 137
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I made fruit "wineshine" from Mexican Plums that won a silver medal from the Winemaker Magazine Port division. I started out with a fruit wine recipe, and went a little heavy on the fruit. When the SG dropped, I brought it back up to "sweet wine" level. Added three times before the SG finally stoppped dropping. I didn't know enough about the yeast to risk it finishing with too much sugar. It got some k-meta, but I didn't know about sorbate for the first batch, and the yeast was maxed out on alcohol, so there was no chance of the fermentation re-starting. Roughly 17 percent.
It was the 2006 batch that I submitted this year, and one of the judges said it tasted young. Another said it was a little tart, I expect he didn't know it was made from WILD plums. I was shocked how much like domestic fruit it tasted after two years.
I think that for the most part, if I want a fortified wine in the future, I will chose my yeast carefully and keep adding sugar. It is so much cheaper than everclear. I am waiting to see how the fortified port ages out. I did add Hennesy to part of a Port kit. Last time I opened one it was just rough and hot. The bottles I added chocolate to are coming along nicely.
It was the 2006 batch that I submitted this year, and one of the judges said it tasted young. Another said it was a little tart, I expect he didn't know it was made from WILD plums. I was shocked how much like domestic fruit it tasted after two years.
I think that for the most part, if I want a fortified wine in the future, I will chose my yeast carefully and keep adding sugar. It is so much cheaper than everclear. I am waiting to see how the fortified port ages out. I did add Hennesy to part of a Port kit. Last time I opened one it was just rough and hot. The bottles I added chocolate to are coming along nicely.
