vincent p. norris > wrote:

> Why do you add Concord juice to your berry wine? Is it to add some
> nutrient missing in other fruit?

The Concord juice increases the vinosity of the wine. It helps it to
ferment, and it improves the body and flavour. There are many
nutrients (and combinations of nutrients) in grapes (and thus grape
juice and raisins) which do not occur in other fruits. Similarly, I
add Thompson juice to certain white fruit wines, and raisins to apple
wines. The addition of grape juice (or grape juice concentrate) is
very common in "country wine" recipes.

> I make blueberry and raspberry, elderberry, mulberry, and strawberry,
> using only that fruit, with good results. (E.g., a gold medal at the
> local AWS tasting a month ago for the blueberry, and missed a gold by
> one point for the elderberry and .4 of a point for plum.)....
> (And I recognize that a local AWS tasting is not quite the same as a
> rating from the Wine Spectator.)

There are many different ways to make good wine. I do NOT enter
competitions. I make wine to please my palette, not a panel of
"experts". However, when I do share my wines with others, including
"experts", the comments I receive are usually in the nature of "That's
the best .... wine I have ever tasted!" This is more satisfying to me
than any gold medal.