Is there a recipe for a pretty good clone of Fonseca Bin 27 port. What type
of grapes to use, temperatures, type of brandy to add and when or any other
ingredients? Can't find anything on the net using google.

Martin -
I doubt you'll find a "recipe" for this particular brand of port.
You can find general directions for making a port-style wine (or you
can buy a "port" kit). Fonseca refers to Bin 27 as a "vintage
character port", i.e., a non-vintage port that they believe is similar
in style or "character" to a vintage port. This would be a "ruby"
style of port, as opposed to the other major style, "tawny". Unless
you live in Portugal, I don't think you'd have much luck finding the
same grape varieties that Fonseca uses, so you'd probably be better
off using something full-bodied and "fruity" that is readily
available. Outside of Portugal, wineries use just about any grape
variety (usually red) to make "port"-style wines. Zinfandel is
apparently commonly used in California, along with numerous other
varieties.

Similarly, although descriptions of port production usually refer
to adding "brandy" to halt fermentation before all the grape sugars
have been converted, further research usually indicates that this
"brandy" is not the 80 proof (40% alcohol) stuff you buy in the liquor
store, but closer to "white lightning" -- 150 proof or higher, and
without a lot of "brandy" character. So you might just as well find
the highest-alcohol vodka or other reasonably neutral spirit you can
buy, and use that. One advantage is you are adding much less volume
(compared to store-bought brandy) and hence are diluting the port much
less.

That is about as close as you are likely to come - if it were
really that easy for amateurs to duplicate the taste of products like
Bin 27 at home in their spare time, companies like Fonseca wouldn't
stay in business very long. You should, though, be able to make some
very pleasant and drinkable "port-style" wine, and (after some
experimentation and a good deal of patience) you may be able to make
something fairly similar in style to Bin 27.

Good luck, and happy fermenting -

Doug


Martin Pisz > wrote in message >.. .
> Is there a recipe for a pretty good clone of Fonseca Bin 27 port. What type
> of grapes to use, temperatures, type of brandy to add and when or any other
> ingredients? Can't find anything on the net using google.

Thanks for the advice. I think I might take that route. Just go with red
wine port with fermentation stopped by spirt.








Doug wrote:

> Martin -
> I doubt you'll find a "recipe" for this particular brand of port.
> You can find general directions for making a port-style wine (or you
> can buy a "port" kit). Fonseca refers to Bin 27 as a "vintage
> character port", i.e., a non-vintage port that they believe is similar
> in style or "character" to a vintage port. This would be a "ruby"
> style of port, as opposed to the other major style, "tawny". Unless
> you live in Portugal, I don't think you'd have much luck finding the
> same grape varieties that Fonseca uses, so you'd probably be better
> off using something full-bodied and "fruity" that is readily
> available. Outside of Portugal, wineries use just about any grape
> variety (usually red) to make "port"-style wines. Zinfandel is
> apparently commonly used in California, along with numerous other
> varieties.
>
> Similarly, although descriptions of port production usually refer
> to adding "brandy" to halt fermentation before all the grape sugars
> have been converted, further research usually indicates that this
> "brandy" is not the 80 proof (40% alcohol) stuff you buy in the liquor
> store, but closer to "white lightning" -- 150 proof or higher, and
> without a lot of "brandy" character. So you might just as well find
> the highest-alcohol vodka or other reasonably neutral spirit you can
> buy, and use that. One advantage is you are adding much less volume
> (compared to store-bought brandy) and hence are diluting the port much
> less.
>
> That is about as close as you are likely to come - if it were
> really that easy for amateurs to duplicate the taste of products like
> Bin 27 at home in their spare time, companies like Fonseca wouldn't
> stay in business very long. You should, though, be able to make some
> very pleasant and drinkable "port-style" wine, and (after some
> experimentation and a good deal of patience) you may be able to make
> something fairly similar in style to Bin 27.
>
> Good luck, and happy fermenting -
>
> Doug
>
>
> Martin Pisz > wrote in message
> >.. .
>> Is there a recipe for a pretty good clone of Fonseca Bin 27 port. What
>> type of grapes to use, temperatures, type of brandy to add and when or
>> any other
>> ingredients? Can't find anything on the net using google.

Thanks for the advice. I think I might take that route. Just go with red
wine port with fermentation stopped by spirt.








Doug wrote:

> Martin -
> I doubt you'll find a "recipe" for this particular brand of port.
> You can find general directions for making a port-style wine (or you
> can buy a "port" kit). Fonseca refers to Bin 27 as a "vintage
> character port", i.e., a non-vintage port that they believe is similar
> in style or "character" to a vintage port. This would be a "ruby"
> style of port, as opposed to the other major style, "tawny". Unless
> you live in Portugal, I don't think you'd have much luck finding the
> same grape varieties that Fonseca uses, so you'd probably be better
> off using something full-bodied and "fruity" that is readily
> available. Outside of Portugal, wineries use just about any grape
> variety (usually red) to make "port"-style wines. Zinfandel is
> apparently commonly used in California, along with numerous other
> varieties.
>
> Similarly, although descriptions of port production usually refer
> to adding "brandy" to halt fermentation before all the grape sugars
> have been converted, further research usually indicates that this
> "brandy" is not the 80 proof (40% alcohol) stuff you buy in the liquor
> store, but closer to "white lightning" -- 150 proof or higher, and
> without a lot of "brandy" character. So you might just as well find
> the highest-alcohol vodka or other reasonably neutral spirit you can
> buy, and use that. One advantage is you are adding much less volume
> (compared to store-bought brandy) and hence are diluting the port much
> less.
>
> That is about as close as you are likely to come - if it were
> really that easy for amateurs to duplicate the taste of products like
> Bin 27 at home in their spare time, companies like Fonseca wouldn't
> stay in business very long. You should, though, be able to make some
> very pleasant and drinkable "port-style" wine, and (after some
> experimentation and a good deal of patience) you may be able to make
> something fairly similar in style to Bin 27.
>
> Good luck, and happy fermenting -
>
> Doug
>
>
> Martin Pisz > wrote in message
> >.. .
>> Is there a recipe for a pretty good clone of Fonseca Bin 27 port. What
>> type of grapes to use, temperatures, type of brandy to add and when or
>> any other
>> ingredients? Can't find anything on the net using google.

Thanks for the advice. I think I might take that route. Just go with red
wine port with fermentation stopped by spirt.








Doug wrote:

> Martin -
> I doubt you'll find a "recipe" for this particular brand of port.
> You can find general directions for making a port-style wine (or you
> can buy a "port" kit). Fonseca refers to Bin 27 as a "vintage
> character port", i.e., a non-vintage port that they believe is similar
> in style or "character" to a vintage port. This would be a "ruby"
> style of port, as opposed to the other major style, "tawny". Unless
> you live in Portugal, I don't think you'd have much luck finding the
> same grape varieties that Fonseca uses, so you'd probably be better
> off using something full-bodied and "fruity" that is readily
> available. Outside of Portugal, wineries use just about any grape
> variety (usually red) to make "port"-style wines. Zinfandel is
> apparently commonly used in California, along with numerous other
> varieties.
>
> Similarly, although descriptions of port production usually refer
> to adding "brandy" to halt fermentation before all the grape sugars
> have been converted, further research usually indicates that this
> "brandy" is not the 80 proof (40% alcohol) stuff you buy in the liquor
> store, but closer to "white lightning" -- 150 proof or higher, and
> without a lot of "brandy" character. So you might just as well find
> the highest-alcohol vodka or other reasonably neutral spirit you can
> buy, and use that. One advantage is you are adding much less volume
> (compared to store-bought brandy) and hence are diluting the port much
> less.
>
> That is about as close as you are likely to come - if it were
> really that easy for amateurs to duplicate the taste of products like
> Bin 27 at home in their spare time, companies like Fonseca wouldn't
> stay in business very long. You should, though, be able to make some
> very pleasant and drinkable "port-style" wine, and (after some
> experimentation and a good deal of patience) you may be able to make
> something fairly similar in style to Bin 27.
>
> Good luck, and happy fermenting -
>
> Doug
>
>
> Martin Pisz > wrote in message
> >.. .
>> Is there a recipe for a pretty good clone of Fonseca Bin 27 port. What
>> type of grapes to use, temperatures, type of brandy to add and when or
>> any other
>> ingredients? Can't find anything on the net using google.