On Jan 30, 8:17 am, Wayne Harris wrote:
...
I have purchased some Cabernet concentrate from Williams Brewing.
...
I was curious what anyone's thoughts were on using this as my base to
make my must.

I have no experience with this particular concentrate, but I've made a
lot of wine from Alexander's concentrate. I've found it difficult to
make a really good wine purely from concentrate. I've used black
seedless grapes and elderberries to bolster several batches; they are
presently showing a lot of promise.


I also have questions about obtaining fresh juice. I live in Ohio and
do not have ready access to Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet grapes. I am
looking at local varietals. But most here are very sweet. Concord,
Catawba, Reliance, DeChaunac,

There are a number of grape varieties that are popular in the Midwest
from which good dry red wine can be made. Among them are Norton/
Cynthiana, Chambourcin, Frontenac, Leon Millot, Marechal Foch,
Marquette, Noiret , Regent, and Vincent. I don't believe that any of
these are quite as good as the noble vinifera varieties, but they can
be made into good dry wine, especially so if they are blended with
some of the noble varieties.

By the way, the varieties you mentioned only end up making sweet wine
when the must is chaptalized.

Greg