# Red currant wine 2009



## Arne (Sep 2, 2010)

1 gal. water, 3lb Sugar, 1tssp yeast nutrient, 3lb currants, 1/8 tsp tannin, 1/2 tsp pectic enzime, 1 Campden tab, Montrachet yeast.
Opened a bottle last night, was pretty darn good. Had plenty of fruit flavor. Had a little taste for lack of a better description, like the old Mogan David wines. About the only time there was wine in our house was at Christmas and everybody got a little taste, kids and all. lol. Anyway have a bunch of currants frozen. Was going to up the fruit to 5lb per gal. but the way this was, I don't believe I will. Those currants are small berries and everybody on here says the small berries have more flavor, this makes a believer out of me. This was started on the 25th of Jul. last year, Bottled it on May 3, reason for sitting in the carboy that long was didn't need the gal. jug. Probably best I didn't do much tasting back then or it would never of made it thru the winter. lol Just to let you know if you can find some currants they are worth the work to use them. They come ripe here in central Nebr. along towards the end of June. They also are a lot of work, no big bunches to pick and getting the stems off afterwards is quite a chore. We put em in the kitchen sink and rinse em off float em in water, and hand pick the leaves, stems, and whatever out of them. If anybody knows of a better way to clean them next year, please let me know. Arne.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Sep 5, 2010)

Arne, its hard to go over 3 or 4lb gallon with the currants as the acid builds up fast. We grow a couple of bushes on our farm. I plan on using them for the acid and flavor plus some elderberries to see how that taste works out together. Crackedcork


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## Runningwolf (Jul 15, 2013)

Bringing up an old post since I'll be making this soon. I think I will steam my berries. Thanks Arne.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 15, 2013)

Update time then, the red currant elderberry is very nice, the acid from the currants balanced nicely with the elders. The reds are ripe now, not sure if we will get to pick them this year as blackberries are just about to start. WVMJ


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## Runningwolf (Jul 15, 2013)

Hey Jack I have about 14 pounds right now I just put in the freezer. I was shooting for 18-22 pounds. What do you think? Have you tried steaming them? I was going to make this a straight Red Currant wine and let it finish the decide if I want to blend with a Cayuga, Catawba or maybe Niagara.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 15, 2013)

Not sure how steaming them better gets you to your goal? How acidic are they? Even very ripe and soft ours will pucker you up like a lemon. 100% juice, even steamed isnt an option with ours in the past. My first one was made with storebought berries, they were ever ripe, even a few with mold, cleaned out the bad fruit and made a nice little wine from it, kind of rose. Se we grew our own, acid over the top, so for us its a blender, cant add enough to get body from just the currants so something low in acid goes very well. Not sure about your grapes, I only do concord and niagras 

Do you work for Presque Isle?

WVMJ


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## Runningwolf (Jul 15, 2013)

Jack, Yes I do. One reason for using the steamer is because I paid a ton for it several years ago and it's still in the box. Steam will add some water. I was thinking 3-4 pounds per gallon unless you think I should stick with just three. Blending with a low acid white grape I thought would give it the body and balance with addition of sugar. Again the blending would be done with finished wines. I'm looking at a six or seven gallon batch.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 16, 2013)

That sounds like a good plan RW, they are a unique taste, we discovered red currant jelly a couple of years ago from Switzerland, you could put that stuff on anything and it would be good. WVMJ


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## Arne (Jul 16, 2013)

Dan, I think you will be fine with 3 lbs. per gal. These little guys have a lot of flavor. I do not know how they will come out of the steam juicer, tho. Started picking this years crop Sunday, don't know if I am going to pick any more. The chiggers showed up on me yesterday and I was pretty well soaked with bug spray. Mite have to wait for next year. Think the currants are going to join the rest of the cherries and be bird food. Good luck with the currant wine, let us know how it comes out. Arne.


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