# Cherry Vanilla Port



## corntassel (Dec 22, 2011)

Cleaned and delaboled 30 bottles today so I can bottle 6 gal. of Cherry Vanilla port. It has been aging happily for 1 year & 10 months. Has robust cherry flavor and a suttle hint of vanilla after taste. 19% A.B.V. High alc. taste has mellowed with the age. Taking some to my son for new year along with some 2 year old pear and some 3 year old concord.


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## Deezil (Dec 22, 2011)

This is on my list of wines to make, can i talk ya into posting your recipe / steps? Sweet or sour cherries? How'd you add the vanilla - beans or liquid? Curious minds wonder!


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## corntassel (Dec 22, 2011)

I will post the recipt tomorrow when I have my log in hand. I used sour cherries. I used Madagascar vanilla beans. Got a good price on them at Costco vacum sealed 4 beans to the glass tube and 2 tubes to the package so I stocked up. can't remimber the price it was 2 years ago.


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## corntassel (Dec 23, 2011)

40lbs.sour cherries
41/2 gal. water ( this will give you some extra for topping up)
8# sugar or enough for 1.090 sg.
3 Table spoons acid blend ( do acid test may take more or less)
3 tsp. pectic enzyme
2 Table spoons yeast nutrient
1 tsp tannin
1/4 tsp K-meta.
1 packet Lavlin K1-V1116


Pit and freeze cherries for 3-4 weeks. Thaw and place in strainer bags. Add water sugar and all ingrediants except pectic enzyme and yeaast. After 12 hrs add pectic enzyme. After another 12 hrs add yeast sarter. Push down and stir 2 times a bay till sg is 1.010 then rack to secondary. After 2 months rack again and add K-meta. Continue to rack till clear. After clear add K-meta & K-sorbate add sugar to taste ( port should be sweet). Add 5 bottles of cherry flavored brandy then let age. 2 months before bottling put 4 vanella beens split open to carboy. This recipt is only a gide please feel free to tweek it as you see fit.


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## robie (Dec 23, 2011)

Thanks for the recipe. That will be a great one to make.


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## dnye (Jun 26, 2012)

A couple of questions before I mess this up 

1. You state to "add all ingrediants except pectic enzyme and yeaast", but then say to add K-meta twice more. Is that 1/4 tsp of K-meta not a starting ingredient and is just added later, and 1/4 tsp each time? 
2. Same question for the K-sorbate? Not a starting ingrient, only added after clear?
3. When you say add sugar to taste, how much roughly are you talking...a pound, couple pounds? Does the k-sorbate keep this from re-fermenting or is that not a problem after you have racked enough times?
4. How long roughly do you recommend bulk aging before bottling?
5. 5 bottles of cherry brandy....are the bottles liters or something smaller? I don't want to overdo it!

This is my first port. I've made some fruit wines off and on that turned out pretty good, but this is really intriguing me.

Thanks for the help!

Dale


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## saramc (Jun 26, 2012)

dnye said:


> A couple of questions before I mess this up
> 
> 1. You state to "add all ingrediants except pectic enzyme and yeaast", but then say to add K-meta twice more. Is that 1/4 tsp of K-meta not a starting ingredient and is just added later, and 1/4 tsp each time?
> *K-meta dose is common at the start of the ferment specifically when fresh or fresh/frozen fruit is used---this "kills" the wild yeast allowing the wine yeast to proliferate. And then there is a dosing schedule typically every 3-4 months while clearing/racking, and then the k-meta PLUS sorbate is used as a stabilizer if you plan to backsweeten with a fermentable sugar source.*
> ...


 
*Hope my bolded answers above help. *
*Sara*


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## dnye (Jun 27, 2012)

saramc - thank you so much for the clarification. It all makes sense to me. I'll look up the Pearson's Square, but now at least I can write this all down and have a reproducable recipe. The tasting trial sounds like a great idea. Wish I had thought of that years ago! THANKS!


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