Since this is the time of year when many of us give a gift of the wine's we
have made, what would be your surprise and disappointment wine-wise for the
year?

Of the (mostly kits) I have made, I was more than happy with an Argentinian
Malbec kit from BK --definitely one I need to make again.

As for disappointments-it was a Blackberry Merlot cooler. Just terrible. (and
it's not that I don't like all coolers--a peach merlot and graperfruit blush
were pretty tasty)

My biggest surprise and disappointment was in a Merlot I made from
juice from the "Home Wine" company (part of Alexander Sun Country, but
not a concentrate.

The juice looked a lot thinner than I expected for a merlot (actually,
it looked like a weak Pinot), and just a little oak turned it into
smoked-splintersville. If you get it really cold (say, straight out of
the fridge), you can get some fruit flavor before the tree hits your
tongue.

Their Sauvignon Blanc wasn't bad, though.

My biggest surprise and disappointment was in a Merlot I made from
juice from the "Home Wine" company (part of Alexander Sun Country, but
not a concentrate.

The juice looked a lot thinner than I expected for a merlot (actually,
it looked like a weak Pinot), and just a little oak turned it into
smoked-splintersville. If you get it really cold (say, straight out of
the fridge), you can get some fruit flavor before the tree hits your
tongue.

Their Sauvignon Blanc wasn't bad, though.

My biggest surprise and disappointment was in a Merlot I made from
juice from the "Home Wine" company (part of Alexander Sun Country, but
not a concentrate.

The juice looked a lot thinner than I expected for a merlot (actually,
it looked like a weak Pinot), and just a little oak turned it into
smoked-splintersville. If you get it really cold (say, straight out of
the fridge), you can get some fruit flavor before the tree hits your
tongue.

Their Sauvignon Blanc wasn't bad, though.

Two biggest successes of the year:

I had some 2002 California Cab. Sauv. that I was going to bottle at the
start of the year. I tasted it and it was very bland. Checked the pH and
it had gone up to 3.80. I brought the pH down to 3.35, added a second
treatment of oak, and put it back again. It is now a very nice, heavy
bodied wine. Proved it is never to late to make corrections.

I also made a Niagara from Welch's frozen concentrate using Jack's recipe.
At 3 months it was fantastic. At one year it is going down hill but it was
great when young. I will definitely make it again but in small batches.

Biggest disappointment: I made a Concord from Welch's frozen grape juice.
Started at SG of 1.088 and it stuck at 1.020. I never could get it going
again and I tried all sorts of things. This is the only wine I have tried
to make in 30 years that I could not get to ferment out.

Ray



"Insprucegrove" wrote in message
...
Since this is the time of year when many of us give a gift of the wine's
we
have made, what would be your surprise and disappointment wine-wise for
the
year?

Of the (mostly kits) I have made, I was more than happy with an
Argentinian
Malbec kit from BK --definitely one I need to make again.

As for disappointments-it was a Blackberry Merlot cooler. Just terrible.
(and
it's not that I don't like all coolers--a peach merlot and graperfruit
blush
were pretty tasty)

Ray,
With respect to the Welch's frozen grape juice which stuck. Been there. I
had one batch which stuck and I couldn't get it going either. When I began
making wine from the frozen juice concentrates, it always seemed to work,
now 3 years later I've run into more and more problems with it sticking and
being unable to ferment to dry. I'm beginning to think they (Welch's) have
changed something when they make it. Now, I add yeast nutrient, and I
ferment in a normal fermentation bucket, and treat it just like a wine I
would make from with fruit (and stirring it 2tx a day). Since I've done
that, I have not had a batch stick.
Darlene
Wisconsin

"Ray Calvert" wrote in message
m...
Two biggest successes of the year:

I had some 2002 California Cab. Sauv. that I was going to bottle at the
start of the year. I tasted it and it was very bland. Checked the pH and
it had gone up to 3.80. I brought the pH down to 3.35, added a second
treatment of oak, and put it back again. It is now a very nice, heavy
bodied wine. Proved it is never to late to make corrections.

I also made a Niagara from Welch's frozen concentrate using Jack's recipe.
At 3 months it was fantastic. At one year it is going down hill but it
was great when young. I will definitely make it again but in small
batches.

Biggest disappointment: I made a Concord from Welch's frozen grape juice.
Started at SG of 1.088 and it stuck at 1.020. I never could get it going
again and I tried all sorts of things. This is the only wine I have tried
to make in 30 years that I could not get to ferment out.

Ray



"Insprucegrove" wrote in message
...
Since this is the time of year when many of us give a gift of the wine's
we
have made, what would be your surprise and disappointment wine-wise for
the
year?

Of the (mostly kits) I have made, I was more than happy with an
Argentinian
Malbec kit from BK --definitely one I need to make again.

As for disappointments-it was a Blackberry Merlot cooler. Just terrible.
(and
it's not that I don't like all coolers--a peach merlot and graperfruit
blush
were pretty tasty)

Dar, I apologize for going off-topic, but I did a search for
apple-cherry concentrate wine from Old Orchard and I see that you've
had some success with this blend. Would you mind sharing your recipe?
Thanks, Paul

Dar, I apologize for going off-topic, but I did a search for
apple-cherry concentrate wine from Old Orchard and I see that you've
had some success with this blend. Would you mind sharing your recipe?
Thanks, Paul

Paul,
Not at all. Here's the recipe. Please follow my comments to Ray. These
can stick (just like Welch's)before fermenting to dry, so please don't try
to ferment in a carboy with a bung & airlock.

2 - 12 oz frozen concentrate 100% Old Orchard Apple-Cherry juice (thawed)
1 gallon water (boiled and cooled)
1 - 6 oz frozen lemonade (thawed and strained)
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1/4 tsp tannin
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
1 package wine yeast

This sugar level should give you about a 11% alcohol by volume, depending on
how much sugar is in the lemonade concentrate. If you want to have some
leftover to top-up later on, increase the water by about a pint. Good-luck.
Darlene
Wisconsin
wrote in message
ups.com...
Dar, I apologize for going off-topic, but I did a search for
apple-cherry concentrate wine from Old Orchard and I see that you've
had some success with this blend. Would you mind sharing your recipe?
Thanks, Paul

Thanks Dar, The batch that stuck was started in a primary covered with a
towel. when it dropped to 1.020 I racked it to secondary. At that point it
stuck. Jack suggested that maybe I left behind too much of the yeast. He
might be correct but noting I could do would restart it. I tried repiching
twice and added nutrient again. Then I added 2 pints of a strongly
fermenting mustang wine to the 3 gal batch. Then I added all the sediment
plus a gallon of the wine from a just finishing cherry wine. By then the SG
had dropped to 1.010, probably from mixing in all the wine that was further
along. I then gave it up as a bad job. I am aging it out as a low alcohol
sweet wine.

Ray

"Dar V" wrote in message
...
Ray,
With respect to the Welch's frozen grape juice which stuck. Been there.
I had one batch which stuck and I couldn't get it going either. When I
began making wine from the frozen juice concentrates, it always seemed to
work, now 3 years later I've run into more and more problems with it
sticking and being unable to ferment to dry. I'm beginning to think they
(Welch's) have changed something when they make it. Now, I add yeast
nutrient, and I ferment in a normal fermentation bucket, and treat it just
like a wine I would make from with fruit (and stirring it 2tx a day).
Since I've done that, I have not had a batch stick.
Darlene
Wisconsin

"Ray Calvert" wrote in message
m...
Two biggest successes of the year:

I had some 2002 California Cab. Sauv. that I was going to bottle at the
start of the year. I tasted it and it was very bland. Checked the pH
and it had gone up to 3.80. I brought the pH down to 3.35, added a
second treatment of oak, and put it back again. It is now a very nice,
heavy bodied wine. Proved it is never to late to make corrections.

I also made a Niagara from Welch's frozen concentrate using Jack's
recipe. At 3 months it was fantastic. At one year it is going down hill
but it was great when young. I will definitely make it again but in
small batches.

Biggest disappointment: I made a Concord from Welch's frozen grape
juice. Started at SG of 1.088 and it stuck at 1.020. I never could get
it going again and I tried all sorts of things. This is the only wine I
have tried to make in 30 years that I could not get to ferment out.

Ray



"Insprucegrove" wrote in message
...
Since this is the time of year when many of us give a gift of the wine's
we
have made, what would be your surprise and disappointment wine-wise for
the
year?

Of the (mostly kits) I have made, I was more than happy with an
Argentinian
Malbec kit from BK --definitely one I need to make again.

As for disappointments-it was a Blackberry Merlot cooler. Just terrible.
(and
it's not that I don't like all coolers--a peach merlot and graperfruit
blush
were pretty tasty)

Ray,
You really did try, didn't you...wow. So what do you think is going on with
these frozen concentrates? Did Jack have any other ideas? Making wine out
of these frozen concentrates was my first beginner step to making wine; easy
to do and you didn't need a lot of materials. Now, it seems it is much more
difficult, which is to bad for the beginners out there. I'm aging the batch
I had trouble with as a very young low alcohol sweet wine as well - my
parents really like it. Happy holidays.
Darlene
Wisconsin

"Ray Calvert" wrote in message
...
Thanks Dar, The batch that stuck was started in a primary covered with a
towel. when it dropped to 1.020 I racked it to secondary. At that point
it stuck. Jack suggested that maybe I left behind too much of the yeast.
He might be correct but noting I could do would restart it. I tried
repiching twice and added nutrient again. Then I added 2 pints of a
strongly fermenting mustang wine to the 3 gal batch. Then I added all the
sediment plus a gallon of the wine from a just finishing cherry wine. By
then the SG had dropped to 1.010, probably from mixing in all the wine
that was further along. I then gave it up as a bad job. I am aging it
out as a low alcohol sweet wine.

Ray

"Dar V" wrote in message
...
Ray,
With respect to the Welch's frozen grape juice which stuck. Been there.
I had one batch which stuck and I couldn't get it going either. When I
began making wine from the frozen juice concentrates, it always seemed to
work, now 3 years later I've run into more and more problems with it
sticking and being unable to ferment to dry. I'm beginning to think they
(Welch's) have changed something when they make it. Now, I add yeast
nutrient, and I ferment in a normal fermentation bucket, and treat it
just like a wine I would make from with fruit (and stirring it 2tx a
day). Since I've done that, I have not had a batch stick.
Darlene
Wisconsin

"Ray Calvert" wrote in message
m...
Two biggest successes of the year:

I had some 2002 California Cab. Sauv. that I was going to bottle at the
start of the year. I tasted it and it was very bland. Checked the pH
and it had gone up to 3.80. I brought the pH down to 3.35, added a
second treatment of oak, and put it back again. It is now a very nice,
heavy bodied wine. Proved it is never to late to make corrections.

I also made a Niagara from Welch's frozen concentrate using Jack's
recipe. At 3 months it was fantastic. At one year it is going down hill
but it was great when young. I will definitely make it again but in
small batches.

Biggest disappointment: I made a Concord from Welch's frozen grape
juice. Started at SG of 1.088 and it stuck at 1.020. I never could get
it going again and I tried all sorts of things. This is the only wine I
have tried to make in 30 years that I could not get to ferment out.

Ray



"Insprucegrove" wrote in message
...
Since this is the time of year when many of us give a gift of the
wine's we
have made, what would be your surprise and disappointment wine-wise for
the
year?

Of the (mostly kits) I have made, I was more than happy with an
Argentinian
Malbec kit from BK --definitely one I need to make again.

As for disappointments-it was a Blackberry Merlot cooler. Just
terrible. (and
it's not that I don't like all coolers--a peach merlot and graperfruit
blush
were pretty tasty)

"Dar V" wrote in message
...
Ray,
You really did try, didn't you...wow. So what do you think is going on
with these frozen concentrates? Did Jack have any other ideas? Making
wine out of these frozen concentrates was my first beginner step to making
wine; easy to do and you didn't need a lot of materials. Now, it seems it
is much more difficult, which is to bad for the beginners out there. I'm
aging the batch I had trouble with as a very young low alcohol sweet wine
as well - my parents really like it. Happy holidays.
Darlene
Wisconsin

No, that was Jack's suggestion but then I did not press him for any other.
I want to try the Niagara again, it was so good. If it comes out, I will
maybe try the concord again.

Ray