Just wondering if any of you have had any luck with adding flavours to your
red wines (besides oak). I was thinking of things like black pepper,
vanilla, chocolate.

The following extract from a Wine Spectator review is quoted by way of
example

Vibrant, with cassis, black cherry and pomegranate flavors. Floral and spice
undertones offset the firm acid, and tannins grip on the tangy finish.

atrebla,

I make a blend of FA hybrids, based on Chambourcin. In addition to oak
and tannin, I add 1/2% to 1% (by weight) of fresh Blackberries. It adds
a brambly note without being identifiable.

I know of a _professional_ vintner who, back when peolple were talking
glowingly about Cabernet S. with "bell pepper" notes, pureed a bagful of
green peppers and added it to his vats. I'm told it was less than
successful. But then, so were his wines in general.

HTH, Mike MTM

"MikeMTM" > wrote in message
...
> I add 1/2% to 1% (by weight) of fresh Blackberries. It adds
> a brambly note without being identifiable.

That is an adjective that has long mystified me: Just what do "brambles"
_taste_ like? I always thought brambles were thorns. Do they, therefore,
taste like _blood_?

Tom S

Tom,

At least you have the good sense to admit it! I'll bet not one "educated
palate" in a dozen who use the term would know the taste of brambles
if you handed 'em a glassful. For real. I've done it. Often.

Brambles are simply the cane fruits or berries, like blackberries,
raspberries, Loganberries, etc. They have a collective fruitiness, but
some, like blackberries, have distinctive tastes which work well in full
bodied reds. Kinda reminds me of how a good Pinot Noir comes together,
if you know what I mean.



HTH, Mike MTM

I probably shouldn't admit this, but I had a lot of chuckles once by
distributing an anonymous dry white wine to several relatively
wine-knowledgeable friends and acquaintenances, and asking them to identify
the grape. Amazingly, not one of them guessed "pear"! And only one of them
got noticeably angry when I revealed the truth...

Bart




"MikeMTM" > wrote in message
...
> Tom,
>
> At least you have the good sense to admit it! I'll bet not one "educated
> palate" in a dozen who use the term would know the taste of brambles
> if you handed 'em a glassful. For real. I've done it. Often.
>
> Brambles are simply the cane fruits or berries, like blackberries,
> raspberries, Loganberries, etc. They have a collective fruitiness, but
> some, like blackberries, have distinctive tastes which work well in full
> bodied reds. Kinda reminds me of how a good Pinot Noir comes together,
> if you know what I mean.
>
>
>
> HTH, Mike MTM
>

bwesley7 wrote:

> I probably shouldn't admit this, but I had a lot of chuckles once by
> distributing an anonymous dry white wine to several relatively
> wine-knowledgeable friends and acquaintenances, and asking them to
> identify
> the grape. Amazingly, not one of them guessed "pear"! And only one of
> them got noticeably angry when I revealed the truth...
>
> Bart

You can also fool many with grapefruit wine.

>
>
>
>
> "MikeMTM" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Tom,
>>
>> At least you have the good sense to admit it! I'll bet not one "educated
>> palate" in a dozen who use the term would know the taste of brambles
>> if you handed 'em a glassful. For real. I've done it. Often.
>>
>> Brambles are simply the cane fruits or berries, like blackberries,
>> raspberries, Loganberries, etc. They have a collective fruitiness, but
>> some, like blackberries, have distinctive tastes which work well in full
>> bodied reds. Kinda reminds me of how a good Pinot Noir comes together,
>> if you know what I mean.
>>
>>
>>
>> HTH, Mike MTM
>>

You did do some serious misleading by asking them to identify the grape
instead of the fruit! Shame on you! ;o) Almost anyone who tries a dry
lychee wine will think that he is drinking a dry Gewürztraminer. Just that
the bouquet is a bit more floral. Paul is right about the Grapefruit.

Ray

"bwesley7" > wrote in message
news:86b%b.10768$TT5.3426@lakeread06...
> I probably shouldn't admit this, but I had a lot of chuckles once by
> distributing an anonymous dry white wine to several relatively
> wine-knowledgeable friends and acquaintenances, and asking them to
identify
> the grape. Amazingly, not one of them guessed "pear"! And only one of
them
> got noticeably angry when I revealed the truth...
>
> Bart
>
>
>
>
> "MikeMTM" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Tom,
> >
> > At least you have the good sense to admit it! I'll bet not one "educated
> > palate" in a dozen who use the term would know the taste of brambles
> > if you handed 'em a glassful. For real. I've done it. Often.
> >
> > Brambles are simply the cane fruits or berries, like blackberries,
> > raspberries, Loganberries, etc. They have a collective fruitiness, but
> > some, like blackberries, have distinctive tastes which work well in full
> > bodied reds. Kinda reminds me of how a good Pinot Noir comes together,
> > if you know what I mean.
> >
> >
> >
> > HTH, Mike MTM
> >
>
>

"MikeMTM" > wrote in message
...
> Brambles are simply the cane fruits or berries, like blackberries,
> raspberries, Loganberries, etc.

I get what you mean, but aren't the brambles (strictly speaking) the thorns
themselves, rather than the fruit that accompanies them?

They have a collective fruitiness, but
> some, like blackberries, have distinctive tastes which work well in full
> bodied reds.

I've occasionally thought that a barrel aged blackberry wine would be
_really_ nice - but who could afford to make one? Enough berries to fill a
228 liter barrel (plus topping) would cost a _fortune_! I could probably
buy Rutherford Cabernet for less.

Tom S

The essence of making blackberry wine is that it comes "free". In later
summer I go out and head for my favourite wild blackberry patches -- and,
if I have beaten my local rivals to the picking, will come home with about
10+ kg of blackberries to process! More than enough to make 23 litres of
wine plus a stock of fruit to keep me in blackberry and apple pie till the
next picking time.
Mind you it would take a while to fill your 228 litre barrel but it would
take a while to pick enough grapes wouldn't it?
:-}

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire, England
Remove "PSANTISPAM" from my address line to reply.
All outgoing mail is scanned by Norton
Anti Virus for your protection too!
"Tom S" > wrote in message
om...
>
<snip><snip>
> I've occasionally thought that a barrel aged blackberry wine would be
> _really_ nice - but who could afford to make one? Enough berries to fill
a
> 228 liter barrel (plus topping) would cost a _fortune_! I could probably
> buy Rutherford Cabernet for less.
>
> Tom S
>
>

Tom S wrote:
>
> I get what you mean, but aren't the brambles (strictly speaking) the thorns
> themselves, rather than the fruit that accompanies them?

In one sense, I guess so. But to gardeners, the term is used for the
whole plant, generically. I don't think there's much chance of anybody
eating anything except the berries, especially the thorns. 'Tho I can
see how you get the idea that brambles taste like blood.


> I've occasionally thought that a barrel aged blackberry wine would be
> _really_ nice - but who could afford to make one? Enough berries to fill a
> 228 liter barrel (plus topping) would cost a _fortune_! I could probably
> buy Rutherford Cabernet for less.

Perhaps a bit less than you'd think. My best batch used only 6 pounds of
fruit and two pounds of sugar per gallon. Maybe 375 lbs fruit? I wonder
what you can get Oregon blackberries for in season? It might work out to
$3-$4 per bottle.

HTH, Mike MTM

"atrebla2" > wrote in message news:<76B_b.591427$JQ1.358158@pd7tw1no>...
> Just wondering if any of you have had any luck with adding flavours to your
> red wines (besides oak). I was thinking of things like black pepper,
> vanilla, chocolate.
>
> The following extract from a Wine Spectator review is quoted by way of
> example
>
> Vibrant, with cassis, black cherry and pomegranate flavors. Floral and spice
> undertones offset the firm acid, and tannins grip on the tangy finish.

---snip

Yea, and I'm waxing one of my oak barrels with saddle leather...
For real!

SG Brix