# petite pearl wine



## JustJoe (Sep 5, 2022)

I just found out that I will be getting 10 gallons of frozen petite pearl juice today. I have not been able to find anything in WMT about making Petite pearl wine. Has anyone made it? is there a preferred yeast? any tips. ideas, suggestions? 
This was a complete surprise to me so I am scrambling a bit here,


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## Ohio Bob (Sep 5, 2022)

At least it’s frozen, so you’ve got some time to make a plan. No rush.


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## VinesnBines (Sep 5, 2022)

There are several folks growing Petite Pearl and making wine. Search using only “Pearl” and sort through the posts.


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## winemaker81 (Sep 5, 2022)

I've no personal experience with Petite Pearl, but the description is a heavy red. For that I'd use Lalvin RC-212 or Red Star Pasteur Red, as they are good for varietal character.

It's juice, so it's not going to be a heavy wine like you'd get from grapes. I'd add 2 to 4 cups shredded medium toast oak prior to fermentation to help preserve color and increase body.


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## JustJoe (Sep 5, 2022)

Thanks for the tips. I just received it, opened the pails and discovered that it's not juice as I was told, it is frozen whole destemmed grapes.
also, looking through the forums I found some comments that petite pearl is acidic and very tannic. I can't check the ph until it's thawed so I don't know yet what this batch is like.


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## ChuckD (Sep 5, 2022)

I’ll be following this thread. I have some petite Pearl on the way myself.


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## JustJoe (Sep 6, 2022)

The grapes are now thawed and there is 6 1/2 gallons. 26 Brix and Ph 3.56. The comment I found about acidity must have an exception unless this is the exception. In any case thee acidity looks good and the juice tastes good, no bitterness at all. I don't know if excess tannin is something you can taste in the unfermented juice but I don't know if there is any test that can be done for tannin.
I will be using avante yeast. I used that with Marquette grapes and the result was wonderful.


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## Vern (Sep 6, 2022)

JustJoe said:


> The grapes are now thawed and there is 6 1/2 gallons. 26 Brix and Ph 3.56. The comment I found about acidity must have an exception unless this is the exception. In any case thee acidity looks good and the juice tastes good, no bitterness at all. I don't know if excess tannin is something you can taste in the unfermented juice but I don't know if there is any test that can be done for tannin.
> I will be using avante yeast. I used that with Marquette grapes and the result was wonderful.


I too have marquette and petite pearl vines. Read about Avante yeast and would like to try, where can I find this in smaller quantities?


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## JustJoe (Sep 6, 2022)

As far as I know, the only place to get it in small quantities is direct from Lodi labs. You can find it online at Avante (Andante) YeastCarboy


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## Khristyjeff (Sep 6, 2022)

I've got 6 gallons of PP in carboy going on 2 years old. Advice given to me on this forum for petite pearl was to be patient--so I wait. I also fermented some Marquette and Foch last year that I'm toying with the idea of blending.


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## Vern (Sep 8, 2022)

Khristyjeff said:


> I've got 6 gallons of PP in carboy going on 2 years old. Advice given to me on this forum for petite pearl was to be patient--so I wait. I also fermented some Marquette and Foch last year that I'm toying with the idea of blending.


My petite pearl is very good after 18 months.


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## wood1954 (Sep 8, 2022)

bosa grape also sells small quantities of Renaissance yeast.


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## Steve Wargo (Sep 9, 2022)

I've crushed Petite Pearl and Marquette and made wine. 

The RC212 is good for the Marquette ferment, but must be fed nutrients about 2 days after the start of ferment and maybe a little afterward. The Pinot Noir Red is part of the Marquette grape DNA. The Marquette can be too acidic for some, but the old Pinot Noir bottles of wine had to be acidic to grow so old and still have a "bright" mouth feel. IMO 

If your starting Marquette or Petite Pearl PH juice level is good, then you shouldn't have to do anything to tame down the acidity to ferment it. 

I've used BM4x4 to ferment the Petite Pearl. To me, it resembles some of the wines from Spain. The Petite Pearl starts off tannic but will mellow with age. I've blended the Petite Pearl with 30-percent Marquette 70-percent Petite Pearl and it turned out great.

Parallel 44 wineries of Wisconsin used to post the blend mixtures of their Hybrid grape wine. I'm not sure if they still do.


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## Vern (Sep 9, 2022)

I now field blend 25% Marquette, 25 % Verona and 50% Petite Pearl. This blend is very good and many say its one of favorites.


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## ChuckD (Sep 9, 2022)

Steve Wargo said:


> Parallel 44 wineries of Wisconsin used to post the blend mixtures of their Hybrid grape wine. I'm not sure if they still do.


They still do. Their Nouveau Rouge is a semi sweet blend of Frontenac and PP. they also make a pretty good Marquette.

ETA. Their “M” is probably the best Marquette varietal I have tasted. 

I can vouch for @Vern ‘s field blend… I hope to make something as good . I’m adding Frontenac to the vineyard next year to go with my Marquette and PP.


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## Steve Wargo (Sep 10, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> They still do. Their Nouveau Rouge is a semi sweet blend of Frontenac and PP. they also make a pretty good Marquette.
> 
> ETA.  Their “M” is probably the best Marquette varietal I have tasted.
> 
> I can vouch for @Vern ‘s field blend… I hope to make something as good . I’m adding Frontenac to the vineyard next year to go with my Marquette and PP.


Glad to hear the ideas from other people growing and making wine from these French Hybrid grapes. Everyone I give a bottle to tells me how good the wine was and how different it is compared to other wines they drink.


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## countygrapeguy (Sep 10, 2022)

Vern said:


> I now field blend 25% Marquette, 25 % Verona and 50% Petite Pearl. This blend is very good and many say its one of favorites.


Glad to hear this, I'm planning to do similar, but with more Verona than anything.

This year I've only got small quantities so I'll be blending with Frontenac Blanc too and making a rose


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## BRossi (Sep 11, 2022)

Thanks for the yeast and blending advice! I‘m hoping to get my first real harvest off of 4 year old Marquette and Frontenac and 3 yr old Petite Pearl. I’m excited, nervous and worried they won’t get enough sugar because they seem behind getting ripe.


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## ChuckD (Sep 11, 2022)

BRossi said:


> Thanks for the yeast and blending advice! I‘m hoping to get my first real harvest off of 4 year old Marquette and Frontenac and 3 yr old Petite Pearl. I’m excited, nervous and worried they won’t get enough sugar because they seem behind getting ripe.


Do you have any Brix readings? I’m curious because these are the exact grapes I’ll be working with.


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## wood1954 (Sep 11, 2022)

My Marquette is at 23 Brix now, but I focus on acid more. You can always add sugar. My ph is 3.2. I use a yeast that metabolizes about a third of the malic and MLF consumes most of what’s left. Huge difference between my early vintages that didn’t go through MLF and my 2021 vintage. Im hoping for 3.6 ph in the finished wine. Good luck with yours, I’m harvesting next weekend rain or shine


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## ChuckD (Sep 11, 2022)

wood1954 said:


> My Marquette is at 23 Brix now, but I focus on acid more. You can always add sugar. My ph is 3.2. I use a yeast that metabolizes about a third of the malic and MLF consumes most of what’s left. Huge difference between my early vintages that didn’t go through MLF and my 2021 vintage. Im hoping for 3.6 ph in the finished wine. Good luck with yours, I’m harvesting next weekend rain or shine


Do you measure TA or just rely on pH?


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## wood1954 (Sep 11, 2022)

Prior to harvest I check ph, I’ll check TA after crushing


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## Bossbaby (Sep 11, 2022)

I made 12 gal petite pearl last fall using Go ferm to hydrate BM 4×4 and then 2 additions of fermaid K during primary. I added CH 16 ML bacteria at about 1.014 . I used a medium toast french oak. This wine is good at one year, low acid high tannin. I can imagine the tannin will melt with the oak a little better in the next year or so but definitely compares to a decent Cab sauv. I am in line to pick this grape in a couple weeks and plan on using Renaissance -Avante yeast and again CH 16 MLB.


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## BRossi (Sep 12, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> Do you measure TA or just rely on pH?


Mine are not fully ripe yet. I‘m in the UP of MI, so I think I am behind most people. i am very worried about them getting ripe without too much rain because we have about a week of rain coming up. I will post what I end up with when I pick.


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## wood1954 (Sep 12, 2022)

I was watching a video of a winery picking their Marquette in Maine it looked like the vines had shed most of their leaves. So hang in there


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## Cnem (Sep 19, 2022)

My Petite pearls were 21 Brix and 2.5 pH yesterday. I am worried that the pH will not increase enough by harvest time. Anyone have any numbers to compare ? I am in Southern WI


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## JustJoe (Sep 19, 2022)

I have a batch of petite pearl fermenting now. The grapes came from Iowa, picked about 3 weeks ago and were destemmed and frozen when I got them. When they thawed and before I did anything to them they were at 25 brix.


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## Vern (Sep 19, 2022)

Cnem said:


> My Petite pearls were 21 Brix and 2.5 pH yesterday. I am worried that the pH will not increase enough by harvest time. Anyone have any numbers to compare ? I am in Southern WI


I am also in Southern WI. I will check mine and post Tuesday


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## Vern (Sep 21, 2022)

Checked a 10 berry sample today. Brix 22. PH. 3.35. Picking tomorrow.


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## wood1954 (Sep 21, 2022)

Vern said:


> Checked a 10 berry sample today. Brix 22. PH. 3.35. Picking tomorrow.


Sounds perfect


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## Cnem (Sep 21, 2022)

wood1954 said:


> Sounds perfect





Vern said:


> Checked a 10 berry sample today. Brix 22. PH. 3.35. Picking tomorrow.


I’ll have to recheck mine.


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## Cnem (Sep 21, 2022)

I rechecked tonight. 23 brix and 2.8 pH. My pH meter is calibrated. So it looks like I wait and watch the yellow jackets!


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## Cap Puncher (Sep 23, 2022)

I know a local winery in SE WI waits until the last couple weeks of October to pick their petite pearl. The seeds were nice and mature. It is the last grape they pick. In 2018, I made some with D254 and got a “2nd” in the WI state fair (2021). 

However, I think Avante yeast or Bravo would go nicely.


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## BRossi (Sep 29, 2022)

Well, my husband is helping me pick my Marquette and Frontenac today. Frontenac was not ripe but I didn’t have a lot of choice. The Marquette seemed pretty ripe, but the sugar is still not adequate. It came in at 15 Brix and Ph of 2.83. So I’m very disappointed. It’s been a long haul for 4 years trying to get to this point and I was hoping to have better results. We had a rainy cooler summer, so I hope that’s what caused the poor results. I still have 25 vines of Petite Pearl to pick, which will probably be the next few days. We’re starting to get close to frost at night, so I don’t want to wait too much longer. The joy of living in a northern climate!

I’ll make adjustments for ph and add sugar, so hopefully my wine will be drinkable!


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## ChuckD (Sep 29, 2022)

BRossi said:


> We’re starting to get close to frost at night, so I don’t want to wait too much longer.


Close! You must be near the lake because I’m in NE WI and we had a hard freeze last night with another coming tonight. My beans and pepper plants are


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## ChuckD (Sep 29, 2022)

How are the Pearl looking? And what were your numbers for the Frontenac? I’m putting in a dozen of those next spring.


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## BRossi (Sep 29, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> Close! You must be near the lake because I’m in NE WI and we had a hard freeze last night with another coming tonight. My beans and pepper plants are


We are close to Lake Superior, that’s why I thought weather would be ok for growing hybrids.


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## BRossi (Sep 29, 2022)

ChuckD said:


> How are the Pearl looking? And what were your numbers for the Frontenac? I’m putting in a dozen of those next spring.


My Petite Pearls look really good, but sugar is still not very high. I’m going to give them a few more days. Frontenac was taking longer to get ripe, but ph was slightly better than Marquette.


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## Bossbaby (Oct 1, 2022)

I just spent the last 6 hours bottling last years petite pearl, I used BM 4×4 for yeast and then decided to do MLF, I also added a medium toasted oak spiral to each carboy. I am pretty happy with the results. I just picked 250lbs of petite last weekend and I will make it roughly the same way again this season I think. Good luck with your petite this season!!


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