Two seasons ago, I made some Chardonnay using pure juice. The result
was quite pleasant. So this season I tried it again, but this time I
Chardonnay grapes (from California) as I usually make all my wine
traditionally by crushing and pressing the grapes. While still
drinkable, the appearance was dreadful. Very dark in color (brownish)
and extremely murky. Not even filtering changed the color. Any ideas
what could have gone wrong? I've never had this problem with other
varieties of white grapes. Any remedies?

TIA
RM

It sounds like an oxidation problem, did you keep it away from air and
did you sulfite? Juice comes presulfited, usually at 100 ppm free.

My Riesling is too dark from last year by the way, it's from juice out
of the central valley of California. It's good, but I expect to use
it up in a year. I tried fining with Polyclar and filtering and it
made very little difference on mine too.

Joe

Robert Merlo > wrote in message >...
> Two seasons ago, I made some Chardonnay using pure juice. The result
> was quite pleasant. So this season I tried it again, but this time I
> Chardonnay grapes (from California) as I usually make all my wine
> traditionally by crushing and pressing the grapes. While still
> drinkable, the appearance was dreadful. Very dark in color (brownish)
> and extremely murky. Not even filtering changed the color. Any ideas
> what could have gone wrong? I've never had this problem with other
> varieties of white grapes. Any remedies?
>
> TIA
> RM

It sounds like an oxidation problem, did you keep it away from air and
did you sulfite? Juice comes presulfited, usually at 100 ppm free.

My Riesling is too dark from last year by the way, it's from juice out
of the central valley of California. It's good, but I expect to use
it up in a year. I tried fining with Polyclar and filtering and it
made very little difference on mine too.

Joe

Robert Merlo > wrote in message >...
> Two seasons ago, I made some Chardonnay using pure juice. The result
> was quite pleasant. So this season I tried it again, but this time I
> Chardonnay grapes (from California) as I usually make all my wine
> traditionally by crushing and pressing the grapes. While still
> drinkable, the appearance was dreadful. Very dark in color (brownish)
> and extremely murky. Not even filtering changed the color. Any ideas
> what could have gone wrong? I've never had this problem with other
> varieties of white grapes. Any remedies?
>
> TIA
> RM

It sounds like an oxidation problem, did you keep it away from air and
did you sulfite? Juice comes presulfited, usually at 100 ppm free.

My Riesling is too dark from last year by the way, it's from juice out
of the central valley of California. It's good, but I expect to use
it up in a year. I tried fining with Polyclar and filtering and it
made very little difference on mine too.

Joe

Robert Merlo > wrote in message >...
> Two seasons ago, I made some Chardonnay using pure juice. The result
> was quite pleasant. So this season I tried it again, but this time I
> Chardonnay grapes (from California) as I usually make all my wine
> traditionally by crushing and pressing the grapes. While still
> drinkable, the appearance was dreadful. Very dark in color (brownish)
> and extremely murky. Not even filtering changed the color. Any ideas
> what could have gone wrong? I've never had this problem with other
> varieties of white grapes. Any remedies?
>
> TIA
> RM

try egg whites

Stephen SG

"Robert Merlo" > wrote in message
...
| Two seasons ago, I made some Chardonnay using pure juice. The result
| was quite pleasant. So this season I tried it again, but this time I
| Chardonnay grapes (from California) as I usually make all my wine
| traditionally by crushing and pressing the grapes. While still
| drinkable, the appearance was dreadful. Very dark in color (brownish)
| and extremely murky. Not even filtering changed the color. Any ideas
| what could have gone wrong? I've never had this problem with other
| varieties of white grapes. Any remedies?
|
| TIA
| RM
|

try egg whites

Stephen SG

"Robert Merlo" > wrote in message
...
| Two seasons ago, I made some Chardonnay using pure juice. The result
| was quite pleasant. So this season I tried it again, but this time I
| Chardonnay grapes (from California) as I usually make all my wine
| traditionally by crushing and pressing the grapes. While still
| drinkable, the appearance was dreadful. Very dark in color (brownish)
| and extremely murky. Not even filtering changed the color. Any ideas
| what could have gone wrong? I've never had this problem with other
| varieties of white grapes. Any remedies?
|
| TIA
| RM
|

"Joe Sallustio" > wrote in message
m...
> It sounds like an oxidation problem, did you keep it away from air and
> did you sulfite? Juice comes presulfited, usually at 100 ppm free.

As a confirmed member of the "brown juice" camp, I don't add any sulfite at
crush to clean, healthy grapes. The juice oxidizes to a murky brown, but
during fermentation all the brown stuff drops out of the wine. Then when
fermentation is complete I sulfite the wine to normal levels. The resulting
wine is an almost iridescent greenish straw colored wine that has less
potential for oxidation.

> My Riesling is too dark from last year by the way, it's from juice out
> of the central valley of California. It's good, but I expect to use
> it up in a year. I tried fining with Polyclar and filtering and it
> made very little difference on mine too.

Polyclar is pretty ineffective at removing browning from wine. It works
much better on _juice_.

Tom S

Tom,
I did that on my northern whites and it came out just as you say.
That must was a scary brown though...

> As a confirmed member of the "brown juice" camp, I don't add any sulfite at
> crush to clean, healthy grapes. The juice oxidizes to a murky brown, but
> during fermentation all the brown stuff drops out of the wine. Then when
> fermentation is complete I sulfite the wine to normal levels. The resulting
> wine is an almost iridescent greenish straw colored wine that has less
> potential for oxidation.
>
> > My Riesling is too dark from last year by the way, it's from juice out
> > of the central valley of California. It's good, but I expect to use
> > it up in a year. I tried fining with Polyclar and filtering and it
> > made very little difference on mine too.
>
> Polyclar is pretty ineffective at removing browning from wine. It works
> much better on _juice_.

I wouldn't agrue that, it did nothing for me on the wine. I still
don't understand the color, it tastes fine but looks about 4 years
old.

I used AR2000 right after fermentation, I usually do that much nearer
bottling but wanted to avoid the extra fining step. (I usually fine
whites with bentonite about a month or so after primary.) This year I
may change some of that process.

Joe

Tom,
I did that on my northern whites and it came out just as you say.
That must was a scary brown though...

> As a confirmed member of the "brown juice" camp, I don't add any sulfite at
> crush to clean, healthy grapes. The juice oxidizes to a murky brown, but
> during fermentation all the brown stuff drops out of the wine. Then when
> fermentation is complete I sulfite the wine to normal levels. The resulting
> wine is an almost iridescent greenish straw colored wine that has less
> potential for oxidation.
>
> > My Riesling is too dark from last year by the way, it's from juice out
> > of the central valley of California. It's good, but I expect to use
> > it up in a year. I tried fining with Polyclar and filtering and it
> > made very little difference on mine too.
>
> Polyclar is pretty ineffective at removing browning from wine. It works
> much better on _juice_.

I wouldn't agrue that, it did nothing for me on the wine. I still
don't understand the color, it tastes fine but looks about 4 years
old.

I used AR2000 right after fermentation, I usually do that much nearer
bottling but wanted to avoid the extra fining step. (I usually fine
whites with bentonite about a month or so after primary.) This year I
may change some of that process.

Joe