2016 Riesling

I got to the grape dealer early this year, and they had Riesling in stock. Other years they have been sold out.

These grapes were very juicy --so juicy that the crates left a trail of grape juice when I carried them down the basement. As you might expect with juicy grapes the sugar level was low at 18 degrees Brix, which will make 9% alcohol. On the low side for me. Other years I would add sugar to get to 12%, but having been chastised by Grace, my son's girlfriend, for making only over-strong wines, I decided to leave this alone this year. Rieslings are often on the weak side. This Riesling will be finished dry.

I also did not kill the natural yeast with sulfite so that my wife might potentially drink it. Being more natural this year, I hope I don't regret it.

Riesling Grape Recipe

144 lb Riesling wine grapes (Pia; Madera, California)
10 g pectic enzyme
16 g yeast energizer
1 Pack Red Star Premier Cuvee

Other years I have added oranges or orange peel, but not this year. In the past I have added potassium carbonate as well. I will watch the pH, or perhaps taste it after the initial ferment.

I let the grapes warm to room temperature, crushed them (about 90 minutes), then pressed them. I added the additives. The fermentation was rapid with vigorous fermentation within a few hours.

2016 Raspberry Wine

I was so happy with last year's raspberry wine that I had to try it again. I really liked the aroma, and it blends so well with white grape wine

2016 Raspberry Wine Recipe

12.5 lb water

12.75 lb raspberries (Driscoll's, Watsonsville CA)
3 lb blackberries (Natureripe, Martinez GA)

7 lb sugar

1 lime - juice only

5 g pectic enzyme

5 g yeast energizer

1 Premier Curvee

I put the berries in the blender to make a puree. Dissolved the sugar in water, added it to the puree, and then checked the sugar content by refractive index. It came back at 30.4 brix which makes 16.5% alcohol. I added water down to 13.5% to give the recipe above. It produced 4.5 gallon of must.

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January 2017 Update
The wine wasn't fruity enough, and I thought it was too heavy as well.

I decided to try to sweeten it. I added another 4.5 pounds of sugar to the 15 L of wine that I had. I also added 2 teaspoons of potassium sorbate. Hopefully the sorbate will prevent further fermentation.

Initially, the new sweet version seems much fruiter. I don't know why that is, but it is much better. The bitter off-flavors seem to be gone as well.

Wife Jenny is very pleased with the taste of it that I gave her.


 

Banana Wine Recipe

I've never made Banana Wine, but I thought I'd put the recipe here in case I ever needed it. This is from  Phillip Pierrard on Facebook.

BANANA WINE 
3-1/2 lb. bananas 
1 lb. chopped golden raisins 
2 lb. granulated sugar 
1-1/4 tsp. acid blend 
1 tsp. pectic enzyme 
1/4 tsp. grape tannin 
1 gallon water 
wine yeast
nutrient 

Slice bananas into thin discs, leaving skins on fruit. 
Put into grain-bag, tie top, and place in 6 pints water. 
Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. 
Remove grain-bag to bowl to catch drippings while pouring liquor over sugar in primary fermentation vessel and stirring well to dissolve sugar
.Add acid blend, pectic enzyme and tannin, stirring again. 
When grain-bag cools, squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible and add liquid and drippings to liquor, discarding pulp. 
When liquor cools to 70 degrees fahrenheit, add yeast and nutrient.
Cover and set in warm place for seven days, stirring daily. 
Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit airlock, and move to cooler place, leaving undisturbed for two months. 
Siphon off sediment, add chopped raisins, and add water to bring to one gallon. 
Ferment another four months. 
Rack and allow to clear. 
Rack again and bottle. 
May taste after six months, but matures at two years. 

[Adapted from passed-on recipe, source unknown, taken from Jack Keller's site]

Greg's Egg Nog sometimes called GregNog

Greg's Egg Nog (GregNog)

3 cups of milk
1/2 cup pasteurized liquid eggs or 2 large eggs
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Dash cinnamon
1 1/2 spoon nutmeg

Mix in blender for 90 seconds


Uncooked eggs are traditional, but they can cause salmonella. I prefer the pasteurized liquid eggs.


If you want to add rum or whiskey hold out 1/2 c of milk and add 1/2 c of rum.

2015 Merlot

At our local wine grape vendor, California Wine Grapes, I walked through the coolers tasting the merchandise. I like the Merlot pretty well. When I got home, I made a little glass of grape juice that was less impressive. 

I decided to make the Cab Sav into a blush, and after pressing the blush, I took the left-over skins and put them into the Merlot to strengthen the flavor. 

2015 Merlot

108 lb Merlot grapes
Pressed grape skins from 72 lb of Cabernet Sauvignon
1200 g sugar
11 g Yeast Energizer
2 packets of Red Star Montrachet

The Merlot grapes were a little juicy and measured at 23.8 Brix (26.1% sugar) for 12.4% alcohol. To get to the desired 14.1% alcohol I would need 29.8% sugar so I added 1.2 kg of sugar on the estimated 31 kg (7.5 gal) yield. 

With the Cab Sav skins in the primary fermenter, there may be too many skins for the volume of liquid. I am a little worried about fungus growth on the surface. I hope the liquid weeps out of the solid material to make this work a little better. 

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Blush

So I got Cabernet Sauvignon when I thought I was getting Cabernet Blanc. The white grapes were really picked over. I decided to make a blush of it. The grapes turned out the be dry, so there was not much juice. 72 lb yielded 4.5 gallons. I am going to use the skins in the Merlot.

As always, the grapes are pressed immediately after crushing. The juice was 26.4 Brix which will make 13.8% alcohol -- good to go!

2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Blush Recipe

72 lb Cabernet Sauvignon (4.5 gallon of juice)
4 g pectic enzyme
6 g yeast energizer
1 packet Red Star Premier Crevee

2015 Primitivo Zinfandel

I found some grapes labelled Primitivo which is the Italian name for Zinfandel, as shown by DNA some time ago. The lady at the counter knew this. The grapes were great though. I did a taste test with the Cab Sav and my Merlot, and the Primitivo was winner.

The grapes were juicy so the sugar was a little low at 24.4 Brix. I added sugar up to 27% Brix or 14.2% alcohol.

2015 Zinfandel Wine Recipe

108 lb Zinfandel Grapes
2.4 lb sugar
11 g yeast energizer
1 pack Red Star Montrachet

Almost the same recipe as last year.