I'm hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. Early in my
winemaking career (last fall), I bought a can of Vintners Harvest
Blackberry fruit wine base. It was a 96 oz can of blackberries and
water. I had the option of making a 5 gal or a 3 gal batch, and I
chose the 3 gal hoping it would have more body. The beginning SG was
1.090 and ending was .992, I used Cote Des Blancs yeast. I've racked
a couple times and it has been bulk-aging in my 58 degree basement for
about 3 mos now. I tried a sample the other night, it is extremely
thin and what little taste there is is very harsh. My questions are,
will the addition of wine conditioner (or glycerin) add sufficient
body to it? Is there a better way of adding body? I have a small
bottle of blackberry extract (ID Carlson), does anyone know if this
product will actually add flavor to a blackberry wine, or is it too
artificial?? Any insight/advice from you would be very much
appreciated...thanks.

Paul

I can't really answer your query since I have never made a similar "fruit"
wine from a kit. My only suggestion is that when I make my blackberry wine
( 4/1 Blackberries/elderberries), I bulk age for two years before bottling.
In my experience fruit wines ( strawberry is an exception) need a much
longer period to mature and develop taste, flavour and aroma. Now that I
live in a small flat (apartment) I have to limit my fruit wines because of
lack of space -- I make strawberry every year, blackberry and apricot
nearly every year and fortified elderberry about every 3 years
HTH

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire, England
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"Paul" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. Early in my
> winemaking career (last fall), I bought a can of Vintners Harvest
> Blackberry fruit wine base. It was a 96 oz can of blackberries and
> water. I had the option of making a 5 gal or a 3 gal batch, and I
> chose the 3 gal hoping it would have more body. The beginning SG was
> 1.090 and ending was .992, I used Cote Des Blancs yeast. I've racked
> a couple times and it has been bulk-aging in my 58 degree basement for
> about 3 mos now. I tried a sample the other night, it is extremely
> thin and what little taste there is is very harsh. My questions are,
> will the addition of wine conditioner (or glycerin) add sufficient
> body to it? Is there a better way of adding body? I have a small
> bottle of blackberry extract (ID Carlson), does anyone know if this
> product will actually add flavor to a blackberry wine, or is it too
> artificial?? Any insight/advice from you would be very much
> appreciated...thanks.
>
> Paul

I have always made berry wines from fresh wild berries. I use 4 to 6 lbs /
gal. 96 oz is only 6 lbs. That is only 2 lbs / gal. And from what you
say, they were probably put up with water. Lack of fruit is probably what
caused it to be thin.

Ray

"Paul" > wrote in message
om...
> I'm hoping someone can steer me in the right direction. Early in my
> winemaking career (last fall), I bought a can of Vintners Harvest
> Blackberry fruit wine base. It was a 96 oz can of blackberries and
> water. I had the option of making a 5 gal or a 3 gal batch, and I
> chose the 3 gal hoping it would have more body. The beginning SG was
> 1.090 and ending was .992, I used Cote Des Blancs yeast. I've racked
> a couple times and it has been bulk-aging in my 58 degree basement for
> about 3 mos now. I tried a sample the other night, it is extremely
> thin and what little taste there is is very harsh. My questions are,
> will the addition of wine conditioner (or glycerin) add sufficient
> body to it? Is there a better way of adding body? I have a small
> bottle of blackberry extract (ID Carlson), does anyone know if this
> product will actually add flavor to a blackberry wine, or is it too
> artificial?? Any insight/advice from you would be very much
> appreciated...thanks.
>
> Paul

Paul wrote:

> I have a small
> bottle of blackberry extract (ID Carlson), does anyone know if this
> product will actually add flavor to a blackberry wine, or is it too
> artificial?? Any insight/advice from you would be very much
> appreciated...thanks.


Paul,

I once made a thin blackberry wine (too little fruit) which was vastly
improved by adding that exact product. There was no artificial taste,
and nobody knew the difference. I can't give you details on amounts, but
the bottle has rough guidelines, and I just played it by ear...er, palate.

HTH, Mike MTM

MikeMTM > wrote in message >...
> Paul wrote:
>
> > I have a small
> > bottle of blackberry extract (ID Carlson), does anyone know if this
> > product will actually add flavor to a blackberry wine, or is it too
> > artificial?? Any insight/advice from you would be very much
> > appreciated...thanks.
>
>
> Paul,
>
> I once made a thin blackberry wine (too little fruit) which was vastly
> improved by adding that exact product. There was no artificial taste,
> and nobody knew the difference. I can't give you details on amounts, but
> the bottle has rough guidelines, and I just played it by ear...er, palate.
>
> HTH, Mike MTM

Thanks Mike, I'll try the extract. Did it seem to add body as well or
just improve the taste???

Paul

I've also used the 96oz can of Vitners Harvest to make a 5 gallon batch,
I add a 48oz can of Alexander's Vino Blanc for body, along with pectic
enzyme and acid blend. Added sugar to SG of 1.07 to keep the Alcohol
down to the 9%ABV range.

After it ferments dry, I add Sorbate, and 12fl oz of sugar syrup to make
it a semi-dry rose-like wine.
This wine is ALWAYS asked-for by everyone who has tasted it. I probably
never make enough to satisfy friends and family.

Paul wrote:

> MikeMTM > wrote in message >...
>
>>Paul wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I have a small
>>>bottle of blackberry extract (ID Carlson), does anyone know if this
>>>product will actually add flavor to a blackberry wine, or is it too
>>>artificial?? Any insight/advice from you would be very much
>>>appreciated...thanks.
>>
>>
>>Paul,
>>
>>I once made a thin blackberry wine (too little fruit) which was vastly
>>improved by adding that exact product. There was no artificial taste,
>>and nobody knew the difference. I can't give you details on amounts, but
>> the bottle has rough guidelines, and I just played it by ear...er, palate.
>>
>>HTH, Mike MTM
>
>
> Thanks Mike, I'll try the extract. Did it seem to add body as well or
> just improve the taste???
>
> Paul

Paul wrote:
>
> Thanks Mike, I'll try the extract. Did it seem to add body as well or
> just improve the taste???
>
> Paul

Paul,

It might have helped the body a bit, but the main effect was the taste.

HTH, Mike MTM