# WHAT THE HECK IS BLACK CURRANT?



## Waldo (Oct 29, 2006)

Today was a very special day for me in my life of experiencing new and different wines. I was very privileged and honored to have received a bottle of Black currant wine from wadewade this past week.









It came without benifit of an appropriate label. And for this wine it would take something very special indeed to dress the bottle appropriately for its contents. In all honesty people, I have never experienced a wine with so much complexity in aroma as well as taste as this one was. From the moment of uncorking and pouring the first glass I began trying to ascertain just what a Black currant was. I am no closer as this was my first experience with the fruit but I assure it it will not be my last. As I swirled the wine in the glass, there came to me aromas of fig, peach, a hint of chocolate and spices. The complexity carried over into the tasting as I swished the first drink around in my mouth trying to determine if it was going to be appropriate for the meal of seafood I had prepared.It is my determination that this wine would be appropriate with just about anything you wanted to pair it with. It is truly awesome. The only fault I had with it was that it was just a little sweeter than what I really like but not so sweet as to distract from the complexity of this truly awesome wine. For thje meal I had grilled bacon wrapped shrimp which had been marinated in olive oil and garlic with just a pinch of rosemary, Steamed some Alaskan King Crab legs and oven baked some Halibut fillets in a mixture of garlic, butter, lemon pepper and a bit of Cajun seasoning. For dessert it was Blueberry Pie that I baked this morning, using the pulp from 3 lbs. of Blueberries that I had juiced this morning with my Steamer/Juicer. 








The Black Currant wine I believe enhanced the flavors of every item. I'm gonna have to just come right out and say that I believe This is the best damn wine I have ever had....bar none and has definately beaten out Blackberry and Muscadine as my wine of choice for the future. THANK YOU WADEWADE !!!! 


HOW 








GOOD











WAS














IT

















It was good enough that I just ordered enough from George to make me 10 gallons of it. 











*Edited by: Waldo *


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## masta (Oct 29, 2006)

"This is the best damn wine I have ever had" Congrats to Wade!!!


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## grapeman (Oct 29, 2006)

Wow, now that is a meal completely gone Waldo. Did you eat alone today? Only got one plate. I bet your wife was jealous if you ate that meal alone and dind't give her any.


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## Wade E (Oct 29, 2006)

Well I guess you liked a little bit. This was my very first fruit wine
and it was because of a local winery that we had a wine tasting at in
Shelton, Ct. I have a nother batch of this going right now. And I added
extra sugar as I did last time to make these a 6 gallon batch. Gotta
get every bit out of it as I can you know.I also addback some of the
flavor by back sweetening with a reduced black currant juice that I buy
from a nature store. Waldo you probably either will not want to back
sweeten or just reduce the amount of back sweetening though. My wife
and I tend to like our wines a little sweeter than others.


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## NorthernWinos (Oct 29, 2006)

The meal looked awesome Waldo...you truely amaze me...
good idea to make pie out of the blueberry pulp....did you start the wine today too????


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## Waldo (Oct 29, 2006)

appleman said:


> Wow, now that is a meal completely gone Waldo. Did you eat alone today? Only got one plate. I bet your wife was jealous if you ate that meal alone and dind't give her any.


There were actually 4 of us dining together but the others are camera shy and thankfully the two guests ( my neighbors) do not drink any alcoholic beverages at all.


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## Waldo (Oct 29, 2006)

Northern Winos said:


> The meal looked awesome Waldo...you truely amaze me...
> good idea to make pie out of the blueberry pulp....did you start the wine today too????




Thanks NW My neighbors sure enjoyed it, Was the first time they had everf had Halibut and loved it..I am going to use the juice to back sweeten my Blueberry Melomel


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## Waldo (Oct 29, 2006)

wadewade said:


> Well I guess you liked a little bit. This was my very first fruit wine and it was because of a local winery that we had a wine tasting at in Shelton, Ct. I have a nother batch of this going right now. And I added extra sugar as I did last time to make these a 6 gallon batch. Gotta get every bit out of it as I can you know.I also addback some of the flavor by back sweetening with a reduced black currant juice that I buy from a nature store. Waldo you probably either will not want to back sweeten or just reduce the amount of back sweetening though. My wife and I tend to like our wines a little sweeter than others.




I liked it a bunch wade........Thanks again podner for sharing it with me. My cellar is open for your request.


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## Wade E (Oct 29, 2006)

You're quite welcome, I wish I had enough to send everyone a bottle who
has helped me in this wine making passion that is consuming my house
and my money.


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## Angell Wine (Oct 29, 2006)

Let's see here, Little rock is 6 hrs away subtract 30 Min's if I'm going north on I-30. Leave the house around noon that would put me there in time for a little wine before dinner. Now driving home might be a problem so a reservation at a hotel. Be there tomorrow for dinner Waldo. sure looks good!!


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## PatrickRB (Oct 29, 2006)

Great write up, Waldo. I always look forward to posts about enjoying wine with food. I'm adding Black Currant to my list of things to try.


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## paubin (Oct 29, 2006)

Hey Wade, sounds like your black current was a big success! As I just got finished moving all my stuff into my new house my biggest project is trying to get my new wine room straightened out. I already have berry and fruit tree sites bookmarked and will be ordering black currents this spring. I only hope that mine will be as well received as yours was. Congrates bud.


Pete


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## Waldo (Oct 30, 2006)

Angell Wine said:


> Let's see here, Little rock is 6 hrs away subtract 30 Min's if I'm going north on I-30. Leave the house around noon that would put me there in time for a little wine before dinner. Now driving home might be a problem so a reservation at a hotel. Be there tomorrow for dinner Waldo. sure looks good!!




Come on up Angell


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## Waldo (Oct 30, 2006)

wadewade said:


> Well I guess you liked a little bit. This was my very first fruit wine and it was because of a local winery that we had a wine tasting at in Shelton, Ct. I have a nother batch of this going right now. And I added extra sugar as I did last time to make these a 6 gallon batch. Gotta get every bit out of it as I can you know.I also addback some of the flavor by back sweetening with a reduced black currant juice that I buy from a nature store. Waldo you probably either will not want to back sweeten or just reduce the amount of back sweetening though. My wife and I tend to like our wines a little sweeter than others.




"Liked it a little bit" is quite an understatement there podner. My wife and I were still talking about this wine when we went to bed last night. Kathy commented that she just could not get over the initial rush of flavors , followed by the second rush as you swished it around in the mouth and let it slide down the tongue, leaving the palate begging for another taste as the flavors lingered" 
I have gotta see if I can grow Black Curfrants in my area.


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## grapeman (Oct 30, 2006)

Waldo said:


> [
> I have gotta see if I can grow Black Curfrants in my area.




Waldo, 
I tried looking up "Black Curfrants" on the internet but all I could find is Black Currants.






ROFLMAO - Here's your chance Joan!




Seriously,Good luck with growing them Waldo. We do get currants to grow here, but they just don't thrive on my sandy soil.


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## NorthernWinos (Oct 30, 2006)

I planted Red Currants a few years ago, the bushes are kind of pretty....They haven't produced yet that I know of...maybe the birds beat me to them....Wonder if they would make good wine too?????

I planted many bushes for the wildlife when we moved here....think I am going to have to try some wine with some of these berries....Last year the Nanking Cherries tasted so good and I just left them for the birds....What was I thinking????

Here is a Site that I have gotten many of our fruit trees and bushes....

http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/eorn.html#Red Currant

Many of our wildlife shrubs I got through our County Soil & Water Conservation office....get 25 plants for $20....I mix and match bundles with neighbors, so get a good deal at .80 cents per plant...They grow real well and are suited for our area....
Got to look up and see if Black Currants are hardy here....Sounds like some yummy wine....*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## Coaster (Oct 30, 2006)

I see black current base on the site, but it says needs to be crushed. I don't have a crusher (yet) can I still process this some other way?


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## Waldo (Oct 30, 2006)

I found this site and contated them today. They are sending me info on growing the Black currants. They are puroprtedly the only dedicated CurrantNursery in the US.
http://www.currantc.com/index.php?src=gendocs&amp;link=Purchase%20Plants&amp;category=About%20Us
They also sell the Currants frozen as well as the juice.


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## Waldo (Oct 30, 2006)

appleman said:


> Waldo said:
> 
> 
> > [
> ...




Not fair now appleman...I had just drank a bottle of Black Currant wine when i wrote that post


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## Wade E (Oct 30, 2006)

Just so everyone knows, the black "curfrant" wine base is only juice,
there are no berries in this one. The cranberry and the Mrionberry both
need mesh bags though. The black currant is easy, no bag, no mess to
clean up. There is also white currants as I have seen the juice at my
grocery store. Might have to try that if it does not have
sorbate.Thanks for all the compliments everyone.


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## Coaster (Oct 30, 2006)

wadewade said:


> Just so everyone knows, the black "curfrant" wine base is only juice, there are no berries in this one.




So I can make 1 6 gal batch by ordering http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDetA.asp?PartNumber=3330and stretching it to 6 gal?


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## Wade E (Oct 30, 2006)

Thats what I did. Added a little more water and sugar to it. Then like
I said I back-sweetened it with the black currant juice reduced to add
any flavor I might have lost by diluting it in the beginning.


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## Joanie (Oct 30, 2006)

Appleman, isn't curfranting what you do when you're reeeally mad?


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## Waldo (Oct 31, 2006)




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## Coaster (Oct 31, 2006)

How many gals in the base? Could it be made as a 3 gal batch?


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## Wade E (Oct 31, 2006)

There are directions on the 64 oz. can to make either a 3 or 5 gallon
batch. Like I said, I adjusted it to make 6 gallons instead.


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## pkcook (Oct 31, 2006)

Wade,


With all the fan fare on this one, I'm going to have to put it on my list of must try wines!


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## Wade E (Oct 31, 2006)

I hear George is now selling this and the other fruit bases like crazy
now. I have only tried this, the cranberry which is still fermenting
and the marionberry which died a severe death by slfite but right out
of the can I was not impressed with that one. Would not recommend the
Marionberry.


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## geocorn (Oct 31, 2006)

I have sold more fruit bases this week than in the last several months. I want to thank Wadewade and Waldo for this thread. I just have one favor, next time give me a heads up so I can have plenty of stock. I do not like dissapointing my customers by being out of stock.






But as my wife points out, there are worse problems than running out of stock, like not selling the stock.


Seriously, thank you both, very much. Santa might find something to put your stockings!


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## Waldo (Nov 1, 2006)

Dammit............Now where did I storemy stocking at !!!!!


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## Waldo (Nov 1, 2006)

pkcook said:


> Wade,
> 
> 
> With all the fan fare on this one, I'm going to have to put it on my list of must try wines!




It is definately a "must do"


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## Funky Fish (Nov 1, 2006)

Coaster said:


> How many gals in the base? Could it be made as a 3 gal batch?


Something else you can do, rather than stretching one can to 6 gallons, is order two cans to make a 6 gallon batch that will have a bit more body to it.


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## Wade E (Nov 3, 2006)

I am suprised Martina did not chime in on this one. I was searching the
internet for wine info and ran into mywinerecipes and discovered that
the Vintners Harvest Black Currant recipe is there and she rated it #1.
A must maker.


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 7, 2006)

Waldo...thank you so much for turning me on [to the Photo-Bucket] 
Here are some Black Currants for you to enjoy!!!


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