2010 Muscato

The grapes were juicy, but there were some
past their prime. This may produce a sweeter flavor,
but keep the yield in juice per box down.

I am making a Muscato, also called Muscatel or just Muscat, because my brother Glenn has made some excellent Muscato, and it is useful for blending with other wine. Also my DW likes it, although I'd need to finish it sweet for her to really like it.

2010 Muscato Recipe

72 lb Muscato grapes (Medaglia D-Oro, Stockton CA) 
4 g potassium bisulfite
5 g pectic enzyme
4 g yeast energizer
1 packet of Red Star Pasteur Champagne yeast from Red Star (added the next day)

I crushed the grapes in less than an hour --they were very juicy -- and then pressed them. The pressing was hard because they squeezed through all the gaps in the press. They squirted out of the wooden cage and made a mess. Later I pressed the escaped grapes in a nylon bag.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

I started the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon today because the grapes at the market (California Wine Grapes on Fort Street) looked so good. It is actually three cases of Cabernet Sauvinon and one case of Merlot -- all from California. The sugar content is good at 1.12 g/ml for over 13% alcohol content, however the refractive index measured at 23.2 Brix (whatever a Brix is), and that is good for 12%. I added another 550 g of sugar, which on approximately 10 gallons or 38 L of juice, should be good for 13.5 % alcohol or so.

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Recipe
108 lb (3 cases) Cabernet Sauvignon (Top Brass from Earlemart CA)
36 lb Merlot (Lodi Gold, Lodi CA)
13 g potassium bisulfite
10 g pectic enzyme
550 g sugar
10 g yeast energizer
1 packet Montrachet yeast from Red Star (added the next morning)


It took me about three hours to make the juice in my hand turned machine, and then I fished most of the stems out by hand.

In the grape crusher

May 13, 2012 Update

I allowed this to ferment for 20 months during which time I added 1 tablespoon of wine tannin to sharpen the flavor and 2 grams per liter for oak chips also for some sharpness. The result was a fairly simple wine that was strong, but not that fruity or that tannin-y. I wonder if more aging with help it. Currently it is inferior to the 2010 Zinfandel by a good bit.