An odd one. After many years of making wine from fruit other than grapes, I
am now faced with a bumper crop of greenhouse Black Hamburg. I have never
been successful with this base. What can I do with those grapes - a fruit
drink, an additive or what?
Alistair

Alistair,
Foolish question, what kind of grape are they? What do they taste like
(sweet, tart....?)? And why do you think you have been unsuccessful with
using this as a base? What do people usually do with these grapes (pies,
jam?)? I do a fair amount of experimenting myself, although usually not with
grapes.
Darlene

"Alistair Macdonald" wrote in message
...
An odd one. After many years of making wine from fruit other than grapes,
I am now faced with a bumper crop of greenhouse Black Hamburg. I have
never been successful with this base. What can I do with those grapes - a
fruit drink, an additive or what?
Alistair

"Alistair Macdonald" wrote in message
...
An odd one. After many years of making wine from fruit other than grapes,
I am now faced with a bumper crop of greenhouse Black Hamburg. I have
never been successful with this base. What can I do with those grapes - a
fruit drink, an additive or what?
Alistair
Alistair, here's a little info. on Black Hamburg;
MUSCAT HAMBURG:
According to the Geilweilerhof (Genres) database, see above, this variety
was derived from a Schiava Grossa x Muscat of Alexandria cross. Has over 30
synonym names, including Black Hamburg (see comments re. Schiava Grossa
synonym name), Black Muscat, Golden Hamburg, Hampton Court Vine, Queen's
Arbor and Venn's Seedling. Vigorous and productive the vine is cold tender
in the manner of its V.vinifera origin. Historically used, as one of the
parents, for a starting point leading to many French/American hybrid
varieties. Widely grown, its black-skinned berries are used for white-wine
production and as a tablegrape with good keeping properties. Under the name
Frankental it is popular in France as a tablegrape normally ripened under
glass, the very large blue/black bunches usually reaching peak condition in
mid-October. Used as a winegrape it is generally considered to produce
aromatic, yet mediocre wines mostly suited for blending although some rosés
are produced. Popular in Greece (see Moschato Hamburg), and also in Tianjin,
China where it is blended with Sylvaner and Welschriesling to make a
semi-dry wine known as "Dynasty".

Sounds like you could make a simple white wine from these grapes...perhaps
finish off dry. Maybe add some Opti White to enhance mouth feel. Maybe add
some enzyme to free up some of that muscat aroma.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas USA

Thanks Bill for the quite remarkable compilation on the subject of Black
Hamburg grapes. My mouth is still wide open, and I have tucked your
description into my file "Things not a lot of people know about" Seriously I
am very impressed.
Darlene asks - what are Black Hamburgs? From my humble and simplified
standpoint they are sweet, lots of seeds but swallowable, and certainly very
more-ish, but just too many.
Alistair