# Fontana Chardonnay with Joeswine Tweaks



## Ron0126 (May 27, 2017)

This is my first kit and I'm using a Fontana Chardonnay I purchased from Amazon (next up is the Cabernet Sauvignon). Here are my tweaks inspired by Joeswine "Tweeking Cheap Kits" http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51904

and by Ambugaton's willingness to share
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56845

1. Dissolved bentonite in 1 cup warm water until smooth and lump free
2. Added juice from kit
3. Rinsed juice bag with warm water to get residual juice (2x)
4. Added 1 cup of medium toast French oak
5. Filled bucket to 5 gallons (rather than 6)
6. SG reading: 1.092 -- good enough for me 
7. Rehydrated yeast for 15 min in one tablespoon sugar and 104 degree filtered water then pitched
8. Took pH reading of 3.2
9. Stirred daily
10. Have sampled a bit and it's delicious


Once primary fermentation is complete, I plan to:
-rack to a secondary
-add a bag of dried apricots
-add the zest of 1/2 grapefruit
-add chems per instructions and clarify
-put the bottle army to work (they're getting a bit restless)

Note on the pictures below, the SG pic was from late on the third day NOT the first day.

Does anyone see anything I'm missing?


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## Mismost (May 27, 2017)

I've done apricots in Chardonnay before and like it. I like the grapefruit zest and it is powerful stuff....I suggest using a bag and a string....taste it and pull when it's where you like it.

I also went 5 allons, but mine was a bigger kit....that Chardonnay is a stout, thick, strong....actually better if you add a 1/4 bottle of water which would put it right back up to around 6 gallons. I suspect you are good at 5 gallons.


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## Rocky (May 27, 2017)

Ron, be sure to check the ingredients on the dried apricots. They are normally treated with a preservative (likely a sulfite) and this could have an effect on the wine if you add it in secondary when the SG is still around 1.020 or so. Joe is the man on this, but I would wait until the wine fermented to dry before adding anything with preservatives.


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## Ron0126 (May 27, 2017)

Rocky said:


> Ron, be sure to check the ingredients on the dried apricots. They are normally treated with a preservative (likely a sulfite) and this could have an effect on the wine if you add it in secondary when the SG is still around 1.020 or so. Joe is the man on this, but I would wait until the wine fermented to dry before adding anything with preservatives.



Yes, they do have sulfites. I'll wait until it's completely dry.

Good catch. Thanks.


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## Stressbaby (May 28, 2017)

I'll second the caution from @mismost on the grapefruit.
I've pulled the grapefruit in as little as a couple of days.


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## Ron0126 (May 28, 2017)

Stressbaby said:


> I'll second the caution from @mismost on the grapefruit.
> I've pulled the grapefruit in as little as a couple of days.



Thanks. I'll take your advice (and @mismost's) and check the flavor regularly.


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## joeswine (May 28, 2017)

*Fontana white*

so far so good i my self have never used dried apricots,probably would have tried fresh ones and when you do use the zest leave it alone until your ready to bottle,there are all ways of adding the zest my style is to have full contact (wine to ) zest)..WHEN THE ZEST HAS DONE ITS JOB IN THE WINE IT WILL TURN WHITE SORT OF AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VESSEL.


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## joeswine (May 28, 2017)

Your flow looks spot on ..stay the course.


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## Ron0126 (Jun 26, 2017)

UPDATE:

6/1/17 -- racked into a secondary SG: 0.998 pH: 3.2
6/9/17 -- racked again SG: 0.996 Degassed for 15 minutes with homemade wine-whip. Added sorbate pkt and k-meta pkt
6/21/17 -- added clarifying packets four hours apart
6/26/17 -- clearing nicely


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## wineforfun (Jun 26, 2017)

joeswine said:


> Your flow looks spot on ..stay the course.



Couple of questions, following this thread. 
First, grapefruit keeps getting mentioned as a Chardonnay additive. The pic @joeswine always shows, shows a green color. All the grapefruit I see are yellow on the outer.
Second, his other pic states orange with everclear yet those are green looking fruit.
What am I missing with both issues?


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## joeswine (Jun 26, 2017)

*wineforfun*

What I was depicting was the zest falling out in to the bottom of the ball jar. I didn't explain that correctly sometimes I use the pics I have just as an example of what you should see, sometimes I need to be clearer. The example shows lime zest that's just the example. Was to late to change titles,oh well ...........


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## wineforfun (Jun 28, 2017)

joeswine said:


> What I was depicting was the zest falling out in to the bottom of the ball jar. I didn't explain that correctly sometimes I use the pics I have just as an example of what you should see, sometimes I need to be clearer. The example shows lime zest that's just the example. Was to late to change titles,oh well ...........



Ok, that makes sense as I keep reading about you using grapefruit zest on the Chardonnay yet I keep seeing lime zest in the pics. I was confused as to which one to use.


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## joeswine (Jun 28, 2017)

*lemon* is also quite good but a little sharper to the finish.


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## Ron0126 (Jul 16, 2017)

Almost 2 months later ... racked twice, cleared with Chitosan and Kieselsol, plan to bulk age another couple of months and pop a cork around Thanksgiving.


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## joeswine (Jul 16, 2017)

Great color,mmmmm


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## Ron0126 (Aug 3, 2017)

Update: Added 1/8 cup of French Oak chips about a week ago. Sampling didn't offer much oak flavor to speak of and I like a very lightly oaked Chardonnay so we will see how this progresses. Still bulk aging under a towel to keep out any light.


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## wineforfun (Aug 3, 2017)

@Ron0126 I forgot you had this thread going, thanks for updating it. I like your detailed notes, it is how I do things. Wine is looking real good and clear. 
Look forward to hearing more about your extra oak addition and if you think it did anything. I started with a little extra up front but not sure about adding later. I don't like a very oaky Chardonnay.

Did you end up adding the apricots?


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## Ron0126 (Aug 3, 2017)

wineforfun said:


> Did you end up adding the apricots?



I did. Saw no ill effects from any potential preservatives. I could be wrong but they did seem to add some nice mouth-feel and flavor. I added them in the primary.

I've attached my work-in-progress wine log I keep my notes with (seems I change something every few batches). It's fun to look back over the last 14 batches I've made since January and see what I changed and what I've made. Looked at the stack of papers two days ago and said, "Oh yeah ... where is that strawberry wine?" It was about 4 months old and tasted okay but when I mixed it 50/50 with some Lemon-Lime Skeeter Pee, it was outstanding! Had to restrain myself from drinking the whole thing.

Feel free to "tweek" the log or use it if you like. If there's anything on there I should add, let me know that too! It's in PDF but I created it in Excel. For some reason, the site won't let me upload an xls or xlsx file. 

View attachment Winemakers Log.pdf


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## wineforfun (Aug 3, 2017)

Ron0126 said:


> I did. Saw no ill effects from any potential preservatives. I could be wrong but they did seem to add some nice mouth-feel and flavor. I added them in the primary.
> 
> I've attached my work-in-progress wine log I keep my notes with (seems I change something every few batches). It's fun to look back over the last 14 batches I've made since January and see what I changed and what I've made. Looked at the stack of papers two days ago and said, "Oh yeah ... where is that strawberry wine?" It was about 4 months old and tasted okay but when I mixed it 50/50 with some Lemon-Lime Skeeter Pee, it was outstanding! Had to restrain myself from drinking the whole thing.
> 
> Feel free to "tweek" the log or use it if you like. If there's anything on there I should add, let me know that too! It's in PDF but I created it in Excel. For some reason, the site won't let me upload an xls or xlsx file.



I'll see how this goes and then make a decision on any apricots, more oak, etc. Hoping it resembles a Chardonnay when done.

It is only my 5th kit. I mostly make fruit and specialty wines.

I know what you mean though, I find bottles of wine in my basement I forgot I made, as far as they have been aging for awhile. I built a 144 wine bottle wooden rack. I keep every slot labeled with what it is and what date I bottled it.

That is a great looking log. Thanks.
For me, I am old school and write everything down in notebooks. From start to finish and every step, measurement, etc. along the way. Then try to comment on taste when I open one of the bottles.


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## sour_grapes (Aug 3, 2017)

wineforfun said:


> I find bottles of wine in my basement I forgot I made, as far as they have been aging for awhile. I built a *144 wine bottle* wooden rack.



That's gross!


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## Redbird1 (Aug 3, 2017)

Well played.


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## wineforfun (Aug 4, 2017)

sour_grapes said:


> That's gross!



Ok, maybe it is because of Friday or my inability to recognize a joke, do explain.


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## sour_grapes (Aug 4, 2017)

Like 12 of something is called "a dozen" of them, 144 of anything is called "a gross" of them.


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## Redbird1 (Aug 4, 2017)

A gross is a unit of measurement for 144.


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## Redbird1 (Aug 4, 2017)

Oops. I should refresh before submitting a comment when I step away for a bit.


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## wineforfun (Aug 4, 2017)

sour_grapes said:


> Like 12 of something is called "a dozen" of them, 144 of anything is called "a gross" of them.



haha
See, that is my VERY literal side coming out. I may have gotten it if it was stated as "that's A gross", but the "that's gross" implied to me I did something gross.


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## pgentile (Aug 4, 2017)

sour_grapes said:


> Like 12 of something is called "a dozen" of them, 144 of anything is called "a gross" of them.



144 is a dozen dozen. Or a Gross.

12 x 12 =144


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## wineforfun (Aug 4, 2017)

pgentile said:


> 144 is a dozen dozen. Or a Gross.
> 
> 12 x 12 =144



I get it, I get it, fully aware of a gross. 

The confusion was leaving "a" out of the original post. "That's gross".

Back to my literal world.


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## sour_grapes (Aug 4, 2017)

wineforfun said:


> The confusion was leaving "a" out of the original post. "That's gross".



Well, the nature of puns is to stretch meanings a little  Sorry for the consternation.

Best, Paul


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## wineforfun (Aug 4, 2017)

sour_grapes said:


> Well, the nature of puns is to stretch meanings a little  Sorry for the consternation.
> 
> Best, Paul



Oh no worries. I work in a compliance department and write construction standard and procedures. So by nature, I am a very black and white person, hence the misunderstanding with no "a".


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## JamesGrape (Mar 2, 2018)

Old thread I know. If you add fresh apricots to a kit Chardonnay - I presume you would halve them, pit them, and add them into primary fermentation?

Or would you smush them to a paste?

Leave them and treat them like lees? Leave em until racking?

I see pics of dried apricots - 8 oz - is that all you need for a 6 gal kit? Same for fresh?

Thanks in advance!


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## joeswine (Mar 2, 2018)

no if fresh destone and sauté them down to release there sugars until very soft then add to the fermenter as is,..*forget the Zesting pic,if you need to go to making an fpac and follow the flow..*


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## JamesGrape (Mar 2, 2018)

Thanks joeswine. My wife stopped at the store just now and said no fresh apricots here yet. So she brought back 8 oz of dried.

Since this is an old thread I hope I’m not hijacking here.

This is a 6 gal MV kit I plan to make to only 5 gal. In reading what others have done I guess I will:

I’ll use the dried apricots and add them at the start and leave em alone thru the primary fermentation. My instructions say to rack anything that will flow thru the siphon for secondary fermentation so the bulk of the apricots will get left behind at that point. I ’ll put grapefruit zest in a bag and add into the secondary fermentation and taste daily - and remove them when taste dictates.


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## joeswine (Mar 2, 2018)

Rehydrate the apricots in 2cups of the base wine ( sauted)then add it back directly into the primary then the yeast. Now your in the correct flow .What style wine is this to be?


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## JamesGrape (Mar 2, 2018)

Chardonnay


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## joeswine (Mar 2, 2018)

No zest ,by reducing the volume you increase the acholo .%if anything add 1cup toasted oak to the primary and that's it ,allow science to take care of the rest.. happy wine making. In the past have you followed my threads?and if so have you found them fun and helpful?


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## JamesGrape (Mar 2, 2018)

joeswine said:


> No zest ,by reducing the volume you increase the acholo .%if anything add 1cup toasted oak to the primary and that's it ,allow science to take care of the rest.. happy wine making. In the past have you followed my threads?and if so have you found them fun and helpful?



Absolutely! That’s why I am trying the tweak. Thank you.


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## RocketBee (Jan 3, 2020)

@Ron0126 I realize this thread is two and a half years old, and you've slept since then, but I didn't see a post on what you thought of your Fontana Chardonnay at Thanksgiving 2017. I'm also wondering what, if any, changes you would make to your process. I have a Fontana Chardonnay on its way to me.


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## Ron0126 (Jan 3, 2020)

RocketBee said:


> @Ron0126 I realize this thread is two and a half years old, and you've slept since then, but I didn't see a post on what you thought of your Fontana Chardonnay at Thanksgiving 2017. I'm also wondering what, if any, changes you would make to your process. I have a Fontana Chardonnay on its way to me.



It was good in 2017, a good deal better in 2018, and the few bottles I had left by 2019 were fantastic. I would not change anything. It had a good buttery, oaky flavor. But patience is your friend.


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## crabjoe (Jan 3, 2020)

I just picked up this kit since it was $40.. I'm gonna go with your recipe, but instead of the Apricots, I'm gonna use 8-10 ripe bananas. Mostly because I've heard banana wine tastes like Chardonnay.


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## Ron0126 (Jan 3, 2020)

crabjoe said:


> I just picked up this kit since it was $40.. I'm gonna go with your recipe, but instead of the Apricots, I'm gonna use 8-10 ripe bananas. Mostly because I've heard banana wine tastes like Chardonnay.



Good luck!
I’m sure it will be great!


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## bakervinyard (Jan 3, 2020)

@crabjoe, where did you purchase the kit for $40, on Amazon its 50.00 plus 15.00 for shipping.


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## crabjoe (Jan 3, 2020)

bakervinyard said:


> @crabjoe, where did you purchase the kit for $40, on Amazon its 50.00 plus 15.00 for shipping.



It was Amazon... It was $40 with prime shipping. I just checked and they're sold out now.


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## joeswine (Jan 4, 2020)

I wouldn't but its your wine ,


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## crabjoe (Jan 4, 2020)

joeswine said:


> I wouldn't but its your wine ,



You wouldn't what?


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## cmason1957 (Jan 4, 2020)

crabjoe said:


> You wouldn't what?


I believe that was in response to using bananas. I have only ever used them in a strawberry / banana wine and they don't bring much to the mixture. I don't find them to taste much like Chardonnay.


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## joeswine (Jan 5, 2020)

Correct.....not part of the taste profile.


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