# Muscat Based wine



## Igor (Aug 28, 2018)

I found an old recipe for a muscat base wine.
Looks like a very simple blend. 90% Muscat and 10% Alicante.
I would assume it will be a dry Rose wine when done.

Has anyone make a Muscat grape base wine.. will it ferment to a dry wine?

Thanks, 

Igor


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## Cibb (Aug 28, 2018)

I've done several kits this year is my first year with a juice bucket. They will ferment dry.

My plan is to make a semi-sweet wine so I'll make mine and keep 1 liter of juice in reserve to add later to back sweeten.

Interesting adding the Alicante wine . I'd assume a dry rose as well.


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## salcoco (Aug 28, 2018)

I would think any red wine would work as the Muscat wine will be very aromatic and be large on the tongue.the red wine is just for color.


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## Igor (Aug 28, 2018)

Cibb said:


> I've done several kits this year is my first year with a juice bucket. They will ferment dry.
> 
> My plan is to make a semi-sweet wine so I'll make mine and keep 1 liter of juice in reserve to add later to back sweeten.
> 
> Interesting adding the Alicante wine . I'd assume a dry rose as well.




Just to clarify... I am not using Juice... This will be all grapes that I crush and press after open fermentation.


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## Igor (Aug 28, 2018)

Question..
What would be a better approach... fermenting the muscat on the skin? or NOT?


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## salcoco (Aug 28, 2018)

white grapes are usually crushed and pressed. let sit one day in cold environment to let juice settle. rack and then ferment.


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## Ajmassa (Aug 28, 2018)

Igor said:


> I found an old recipe for a muscat base wine.
> Looks like a very simple blend. 90% Muscat and 10% Alicante.
> I would assume it will be a dry Rose wine when done.
> 
> ...



Good timing Igor! I posted a related question the other day- wanting to replicate my family’s old recipe from grapes. Muscat/Alicante 2:1. I’ve only made it from juice until now. 
We used more Alicante than 10%, but would finish as a nice dry red wine. Medium bodied. Great at any meal. Family made it every year for a long long time. Planning a 6 gal batch next month. 
This recipe strays from standard practice. Ferment everything together- red and white skins. 

And don’t filter it! Even at 33% Alicante, for whatever reason the color stripped a crazy amount. Had myself a rosè afterwards. 

Here’s the thread it was discussed. Jump to post#541 for the Muscat Family Red convo. 
https://www.winemakingtalk.com/index.php?threads/2018-Grape-Season-Underway.64895/


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## GreenEnvy22 (Aug 28, 2018)

I've only ever made plain Muscat, haven't tried blending it but this sounds interesting.


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## sugar (Aug 29, 2018)

I make Muscadine from my Arbor.
Leaving the skins in for at least 5 days will improve the color and body.
Verses removing them.
I have wondered if anyone has made wine combining Muscat and Muscadine..sup supposed to be similar?


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## Igor (Aug 29, 2018)

My plan is to co-ferment all the gapes together with skin. 
Addition of Alicanti is mostly for color but I am sure it will contribute a layer of flavor as well.

Additional thought is to add 10% Alicanti and 10% Zin.


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## sugar (Aug 29, 2018)

Igor said:


> My plan is to co-ferment all the gapes together with skin.
> Addition of Alicanti is mostly for color but I am sure it will contribute a layer of flavor as well.
> 
> Additional thought is to add 10% Alicanti and 10% Zin.


It's like do I want a 3 story or 4 story?
More stacks of flavor.
Sounds yummy.


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## Ajmassa (Aug 29, 2018)

Actual recipe they used 2 part Muscat to 1 part Alicante and a handful of Thompson’s seedless tossed in for good measure. The cheapest way for a half decent early drinking result. 

Side note- found out recently that Alicante - so dark its black- is he only red grape the contains red juice within the berry before any maceration. 
Tons of color to give- without a big impact on tannin. I think another 10% zin is a good move btw.


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## sugar (Aug 29, 2018)

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Actual recipe they used 2 part Muscat to 1 part Alicante and a handful of Thompson’s seedless tossed in for good measure. The cheapest way for a half decent early drinking result.
> 
> Side note- found out recently that Alicante - so dark its black- is he only red grape the contains red juice within the berry before any maceration.
> Tons of color to give- without a big impact on tannin. I think another 10% zin is a good move btw.


Sounds delicious.
Stumbled onto the use of sweetened dates, instead of rasins,to feed the yeast.
In my Sharaz.. it's sure worked well.
Delicious.


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## sugar (Aug 29, 2018)

sugar said:


> Sounds delicious.
> Stumbled onto the use of sweetened dates, instead of rasins,to feed the yeast.
> In my Shares... it's sure worked well.
> Delicious.


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## Ajmassa (Aug 29, 2018)

sugar said:


> Sounds delicious.
> Stumbled onto the use of sweetened dates, instead of rasins,to feed the yeast.
> In my Sharaz.. it's sure worked well.
> Delicious.



You speak as if using “raisins to feed the yeast” is a common thing. But I’m unfamiliar. Can you elaborate a little bit for me? Thanks


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## sugar (Aug 29, 2018)

I follow a thread here on tweaking cheap Wine kits(which has a lot of good wine making imfo.
They use different dried fruits for yeast nuitrients to feed on along with the sugar.
Kind of like vitamin.
Leaving another layer of depth.
Currants are used the most.
I couldn't find any, so i subed dates.
I like them.
That's a personal taste though.
They encourage thinking out of the box on the thrrad.
It's creative.
Enjoy the creating.


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## Ajmassa (Aug 29, 2018)

sugar said:


> I follow a thread here on tweaking cheap Wine kits(which has a lot of good wine making imfo.
> They use different dried fruits for yeast nuitrients to feed on along with the sugar.
> Kind of like vitamin.
> Leaving another layer of depth.
> ...



Always viewed those different zests, currants, related berries, etc... as flavor packs.. but never viewed it as food for the yeast (aside from the sugar)- just a bump in flavor. 
But we are making our wines from grapes. I’ll have about 11gallons of must with 3gallon of that being grapeskins. Those additions are essentially making up for the lack of these skins which wine from grapes provide i thought. But if it ain’t broke....
I just never really understood the raisin/currant thing. Common practice to sort grapes removing bad clusters, mold, leaves, and .....raisins. Yet added to kits by many. Didn’t know it was aiding the yeast. Have at it!


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## sugar (Aug 29, 2018)

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Always viewed those different zests, currants, related berries, etc... as flavor packs.. but never viewed it as food for the yeast (aside from the sugar)- just a bump in flavor.
> But we are making our wines from grapes. I’ll have about 11gallons of must with 3gallon of that being grapeskins. Those additions are essentially making up for the lack of these skins which wine from grapes provide i thought. But if it ain’t broke....
> I just never really understood the raisin/currant thing. Common practice to sort grapes removing bad clusters, mold, leaves, and .....raisins. Yet added to kits by many. Didn’t know it was aiding the yeast. Have at it!





Ajmassa5983 said:


> Always viewed those different zests, currants, related berries, etc... as flavor packs.. but never viewed it as food for the yeast (aside from the sugar)- just a bump in flavor.
> But we are making our wines from grapes. I’ll have about 11gallons of must with 3gallon of that being grapeskins. Those additions are essentially making up for the lack of these skins which wine from grapes provide i thought. But if it ain’t broke....
> I just never really understood the raisin/currant thing. Common practice to sort grapes removing bad clusters, mold, leaves, and .....raisins. Yet added to kits by many. Didn’t know it was aiding the yeast. Have at it!


Well actually I agree with your assessment.
However,
The dried fruits are concentrated sugar with the added flavor enhanced.
It's vitamin sugar the yeast consumes leaving another layer behind.


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## Igor (Aug 30, 2018)

Ajmassa5983 said:


> Actual recipe they used 2 part Muscat to 1 part Alicante and a handful of Thompson’s seedless tossed in for good measure. The cheapest way for a half decent early drinking result.
> 
> Side note- found out recently that Alicante - so dark its black- is he only red grape the contains red juice within the berry before any maceration.
> Tons of color to give- without a big impact on tannin. I think another 10% zin is a good move btw.



in 2016 I made a Zin blend... 70% Zin... 20% Muscat and 10% Alicante... and if I place several different wines on the table at a party, everyone goes for the Zin blend after tasting them... 

This years recipe is kind of a reverse on the Zin blend. with Muscat being the majority ...


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