# What are some good apple varieties for making a good fruity apple wine?



## wzazdzez

I live failry close to an apple orchard that grows a wide variety of apples. Which ones are best for fruity apple wines sweet or tart and which varities? Thanks in advance for any advice. ______________"There's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip."


----------



## winemaker_3352

Some like to use the Jonathon Apples - personally I have always used the Fuji and Gala apples - added a bit of spice to it - turned out wonderful!


----------



## loumik

wzazdzez,

Last year I made 3 gals of apple wine for the first time. I had read that tart apples make the more flavorful wines, of course everone has their own taste and oppinions. You'll have to decide what you are looking for.

I used mostly McIntosh apples with a few Granny Smiths and Galas. It turned out great. Has a good tart apple taste with just a hint of cinnamon. Also I did not use any water in my recipe, I used apple juice instead and one can of apple juice concentrate as an f-pac.

Good luck with your wine,
LOUMIK


----------



## vtwinemaker

*Apples - Winemaking*

I have made wine from Winesap apples and was very pleased. The wine won a silver medal in Winemaker Magazine Competition.


----------



## joeswine

*blending*

AN APPLE A DAY



THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IN APPLE TYPES IS ACIDITY,OR TARTNESS,BLENDING IS USUALLY THE WAY TO GO


----------



## FTC Wines

I've made Apple Wine from Fuji, Gala, Winesaps & a blend [unknown]. ALL turned out great. We couldn't pick 1 other the other. Never have any left from one year to the other. But we just tasted Johny Gold's this week & may have to make wine out of them, slightly tart, very juicy, & VERY appley. [if that's a word!] should make a great wine. I spice about 8 bottles a year, 25 bottles have a hint of spice & 25 bottles are aged 6 mo. longer [18+ mo. total] on oak. This year plan we on 85+ bottles, we like it that much. Roy PS. Living in the MIDDLE of Apple Orchards helps.


----------



## MargP

I live in southwestern ontario and it is Eden...we have fresh fruit and veg's everywhere. The local orchard owner sells his apple juice to me and does not pasteurize it .... he can only do this for wine making... no mess...no fuss...just though i would post as a food for thought for everyone who lives in their Eden.


----------



## djrockinsteve

I have always used a variety of what was available and tossed in some pears to sweeten it up. Very good.


----------



## jswordy

Crabapple is the best I have had. I have never made it but I have tasted it. Amazing. It seems that, much like grapes, the sourest most awful tasting fruit makes the very best wine. Crisp. 

I have been scouring my area for someone with a crabapple tree ever since that taste, no luck yet. Apparently they don't grow them much in the South. But I'm still looking!

I could see using crabapples as an adjunct to other sweet apples for a blended wine or in primary. Personally, I have found that the sweeter the apples I have used to make wine, the more disappointing the end results. These wines can be raised by working on the back end of it all, but I still hold out hope for 50 pounds of crabapples on the front end sometime.

I'd recommend finding the sourest fruit you can get your hands on. You're gonna be surprised.


----------



## SLOweather

Interesting thread. I'm looking forward to apple season this year. My friend Edward out at Creekside Farms generally presses 4 bushels at a time of field run apples (whatever varieties they are picking that day), so every batch is a little different.

I'll look out for or request a tart run....


----------



## the_rayway

Not sure if you have the same thing in the US, but here in Winnipeg and other cities in Canada we have something called 'Fruit Share'. Free fruit for a little bit of labour. Just in case anyone is interested. My first pick I took home 47Lbs of apples 

______________________________
It's the Ray Way or the Highway baby!


----------



## Arne

jswordy said:


> Crabapple is the best I have had. I have never made it but I have tasted it. Amazing. It seems that, much like grapes, the sourest most awful tasting fruit makes the very best wine. Crisp.
> 
> I have been scouring my area for someone with a crabapple tree ever since that taste, no luck yet. Apparently they don't grow them much in the South. But I'm still looking!
> 
> I could see using crabapples as an adjunct to other sweet apples for a blended wine or in primary. Personally, I have found that the sweeter the apples I have used to make wine, the more disappointing the end results. These wines can be raised by working on the back end of it all, but I still hold out hope for 50 pounds of crabapples on the front end sometime.
> 
> I'd recommend finding the sourest fruit you can get your hands on. You're gonna be surprised.


 

Too bad ya ain't a bit closer, Jim. Probably gonna have at least a hundred pounds on the tree in my yard. most of em are gonna go to waste. I need 10 pounds for last years recipe, and mite double that for 10 gal. this year. Lately everybody says the stuff is pretty good. Gonna get it in bottles in the next couple days. At least I cleaned the bottles tonite, will bottle shortly. LOL, Arne.


----------

