My 2004 reds had a lot of powdery mildew on them and after culling half, I
made wine, hoping the levels would be low enough to tolerate. They were not,
and after a year in the barrels (15 and 30 gals), there is a distinct mildew
taste. I hate to throw this all away, and am wondering if there is a fining
process which might remove some of this. Other than the mildewey aftertaste,
the wine is pretty good.
Some of the ideas I have considered are, heavy gelatin fining, followed by
bentonite, then perhaps adding some concentrate (from a kit) and a little
water to restore the lost flavor and also dilute the stuff a bit. I'm
assuming the fermentation would restart. Or maybe I should just throw it
away and forget 2004. Any thoughts? I sure would appreciate some help on
this! (And if anyone thinks organic grape growing is practical, I have an
opinion to share)