# Choclate cherry port? Any suggestions or recipes you've tried?



## Kidringo (Jan 5, 2014)

I'm making a 1 gallon recipe from tart cherry juice and dark unsweetened cocoa powder.does anyone have a tried and true recipe or suggestions they would share? Thanks.


----------



## Deezil (Jan 6, 2014)

My preference to tackle this would be to make a cherry wine first, get it fermented down, cleared, stabilized, and age it for about 6 months. 

During those 6 months, you could make a chocolate extract using Ghirardelli's 100% Cacao chocolate bar (black wrapper) and some vodka. 

When the wine has aged some, you could try adding a small amount of the extract to the wine.

You could also add some oak, vanilla (in the same extract form).. And finish with a brandy/everclear (whatever your preference, i prefer brandy for flavor layers) for the 'port' aspect.

I havent used cocoa powder myself, although I've heard/read of people doing so, and I believe it takes it sweet time clearing, but not 100% on that.

Give this thread a read as well


----------



## salcoco (Jan 7, 2014)

go to Jack Keller's blog, he has a recipe for strawberry chocolate that could be modified for cherry. his secret is using Dutch cocoa powder that use a alkaline method in development thus more fat and less bitterness. I believe he has a list of manufacturers that produce the powder here commends. I found it a Penzy's Spices which I believe are on the web. He might have the recipe on his web site as well.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 7, 2014)

I used 100% pure dark unsweetened baker squares chocolate in my secondary and it worked like a charm no issues clearing and no issues with residue or whatnot it only imparts flavour and doesn't melt in the wine.


----------



## GrandpasFootsteps (Jan 8, 2014)

I just started a chocolate cherry port a few days ago! I did the chocolate strawberry port from the recipe here on WMT 2 years ago and everyone loved it. This time I am mostly following the same recipe but instead of strawberries I am using a can of cherries from Vintners Reserve. The can has a ton of cherries within. Smells very chocolate-ish already. I racked it to the secondary yesterday. I hope it turns out as good. For some reason, this one smells a lot more chocolate-ish than I seem to remember from the chocolate strawberry port.

So basically my recipe is the recipe from here, but instead of strawberries, I added a can of Vintners Reserve Cherry juice AND a can of Vintners Reserve Cherry Puree. The SG was about 1.120 when I started. That took about 14 pounds of sugar cooked into syrup.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 8, 2014)

I'm definitely going to be trying chocolate cherry port at some time in the near future! Sounds delicious... Has anyone tried "the chocolate shop" wine before? I can't even remember what the label said whether it actually had any cherry influence but every sip tasted just like one of those individually boxed chocolate covered cherries - yum! I had picked up a bottle over the holidays out of curiosity. Now I'm not a sweet tooth I drink most of my wines pretty dry but that was good... So been thinking of a choco-cherry port ever since!

Also i can't get my hands on those WE chocolate orange port kits either up here... So that will be on my to do list too...


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 8, 2014)

This might be a great idea? Not sure if anyone else has used these top shelf products but it comes in so many flavours! I may try it on mine - it says it can flavour up to 2 40oz bottles of ever clear or what not...

http://www.clickabrew.com/mobile/shopexd.asp?id=1163


----------



## Tsutt (Jan 8, 2014)

I have had a cherry chocolate port in the carboy for a couple of months now. It has turned out with a heavier cherry flavor with a hint of chocolate. I have it sitting on some medium oak to add more layers to the wine. Still has a while to age, so far so good. I did use a cherry concentrate from e.c Kraus for the cherry but could be supplemented. If you need a recipe to build off of let me know.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 8, 2014)

Tsutt said:


> I have had a cherry chocolate port in the carboy for a couple of months now. It has turned out with a heavier cherry flavor with a hint of chocolate. I have it sitting on some medium oak to add more layers to the wine. Still has a while to age, so far so good. I did use a cherry concentrate from e.c Kraus for the cherry but could be supplemented. If you need a recipe to build off of let me know.



That sounds wonderful! Yes I'm in search of a recipe... Was going to try to modify the chocolate strawberry port but if you have something more fine tuned for the cherry I'd appreciate the share!


----------



## Tsutt (Jan 8, 2014)

Chocolate cherry port 
This makes 4 gallons 

After looking this is similar to the chocolate strawberry port but with some tweaks that may help. I am by no means a pro like many on here but here's what I did and to me it turned out pretty good. Hope you enjoy.

Start off with 1 can 46 oz of country fair cherry concentrate add to primary. 
Add in 1 gal of warm water as well as 1/8 tsp kmeta
Add 1tsp tannin 
4 tsp east nutrient 
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
Heat water and create sugar mix I added 8.5 lbs of sugar to 1 gal of water
Add sugar and 3/4 gal of cool water to the primary
Then take 4 cups of water and place in blender with 2.5 cups of coco powder blend till smooth
SG should be 1.100
let sit for 24 hrs in primary 
Add 1.5tsp pectic enzyme 
Test acid level bring to .6%
Add yeast I used red star Pasteur red yeast 

Let sit till sg is down to 1.020
Rack to carboy 
Add .42 gals of everkleer to bring alcohol content to 20% 
Stir vigorously to ensure everkleer is mixed throughout 
All bubbles from fermentation should have ceased 
Check sg for the next couple of days to ensure fermentation has ceased 
Let set for a month

Rack; if you like oak add your oak and let sit till desired taste 
Add clearing agent and wait to enjoy. 



Hope this helps and the math adds up. Build and change. Enjoy and good luck I will post couple of pics of the final product.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 8, 2014)

Tsutt said:


> Chocolate cherry port This makes 4 gallons After looking this is similar to the chocolate strawberry port but with some tweaks that may help. I am by no means a pro like many on here but here's what I did and to me it turned out pretty good. Hope you enjoy. Start off with 1 can 46 oz of country fair cherry concentrate add to primary. Add in 1 gal of warm water as well as 1/8 tsp kmeta Add 1tsp tannin 4 tsp east nutrient 1/2 tsp yeast energizer Heat water and create sugar mix I added 8.5 lbs of sugar to 1 gal of water Add sugar and 3/4 gal of cool water to the primary Then take 4 cups of water and place in blender with 2.5 cups of coco powder blend till smooth SG should be 1.100 let sit for 24 hrs in primary Add 1.5tsp pectic enzyme Test acid level bring to .6% Add yeast I used red star Pasteur red yeast Let sit till sg is down to 1.020 Rack to carboy Add .42 gals of everkleer to bring alcohol content to 20% Stir vigorously to ensure everkleer is mixed throughout All bubbles from fermentation should have ceased Check sg for the next couple of days to ensure fermentation has ceased Let set for a month Rack; if you like oak add your oak and let sit till desired taste Add clearing agent and wait to enjoy. Hope this helps and the math adds up. Build and change. Enjoy and good luck I will post couple of pics of the final product.



Thanks so much I'll add this to my recipe book!! I look forward to seeing the pics


----------



## Tsutt (Jan 8, 2014)

Not a problem let me know how it turns out.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 8, 2014)

This is a bit of an odd size for me as I only have 1 -3 gallon carboy and no 1 gallon jugs... So I'm hoping to up this to 6gals... Have lots of those... I'll have to do some math :-D


----------



## Mercury713 (Jan 20, 2014)

this is making me thirsty! Im about to go make me some right now. im going to test some out at http://www.growingdeals.com/chocolate-com-coupons/ and then make it.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 22, 2014)

Me too can't wait to try this...


----------



## Tsutt (Jan 22, 2014)

Sittings at about 2 months and is becoming pretty clear. Had to sample a glass to see how it's turning out. Still has a dominate cherry taste and the chocolate is starting to come through a little more. Can't wait to see the change in a couple more months!


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 22, 2014)

[ QUOTE=Tsutt;485091]View attachment 13234

Sittings at about 2 months and is becoming pretty clear. Had to sample a glass to see how it's turning out. Still has a dominate cherry taste and the chocolate is starting to come through a little more. Can't wait to see the change in a couple more months![/QUOTE]


OMG wow! Looks beautiful! Now I'm wanting to try this sooner than later! What an awesome colour and the clarity is decent! How many rackings have you done already since transferring tithe secondary?


----------



## Tsutt (Jan 22, 2014)

Two so far. I'm trying to let it age longer but my wife enjoys sampling this wine a little to much. Might not have much left to bottle! I haven't had much sediment drop out of the wine since the second rack.


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 22, 2014)

Haha! I have the same problem with hubby! He already drank my DB top up... That sounds great it's pretty clear after just two rackings...


----------



## ckvchestnut (Jan 22, 2014)

Hmmm I see the recipe calls for everclear which I can't get up here - bummer I'm sure that's why you have such a nice cherry color to your wine! I might have to try this with brandy which will give it a more traditional port color... Or going to try to take a trip to the Quebec side to get some alcool...


----------

