# Vintners Harvest Cherry Wine



## Wade E (Nov 11, 2006)

I'm going to purchase and start a 6 gallon batch of the Vintners
Harvest Cherry wine tommorrow. A local store has it on sale for $19.95
so I can not resist the temptation. Plus I have 2 primaries empty and 1
6 gal. carboy crying to be filled.






Feed me! Yes they talk to me. I will keep everyone updated on this from
beginning to end to see if it is as good as the black currant.

*Edited by: wadewade *


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## bmorosco (Nov 11, 2006)

Good luck with that!! I am waiting for my delivery from George to attempt my first fruit base wine...Raspberry....Just saying the name sounds good..


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## pkcook (Nov 11, 2006)

I did a cherry last year made from cherry concentrate and added a few cans oforegon tart pie cherries for good measure. It turned out very good. Cherry wine has become a staple for me.


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## kutya (Nov 13, 2006)

Wade, sounds great... I made some cherry wine this year. It's bottled, and aging. I couldn't stand it and tried a bottle after 1 month on the rack, and was rather happy with the outcome thus far. It was a little sweeter than I prefer, but the wife really liked it... good luck... jh


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## bmorosco (Nov 13, 2006)

The sweetness will not go away will it? So if it is sweet now it will be in 2 ,4,6 months right?


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## kutya (Nov 13, 2006)

bm, It will not go away, but should mellow a little with age... That's what I'm hopping anyway??? jh


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## bmorosco (Nov 13, 2006)

JH,


What was the SG when you started? Just want to know because im gonna start a fruit wine.. I figure the SG will be higher in a "fruit" wine than a Grape wine..


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## Wade E (Nov 13, 2006)

Most fruit wines you will start with an SG of 1.090, but you may go
higher like up to 1.110 or down to 1.070 safely. If you want it
to finish with a little sweetness just use a weaker strain of yeast
like Cotes Des Blanc.


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## kutya (Nov 13, 2006)

bm: I think I started that at 1.092. I was looking for about 13% ABV. I use quite a bit of Lavlin yeast. I think it's 1116? for fuit wine..


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## bmorosco (Nov 13, 2006)

How much yeast?


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## Wade E (Nov 13, 2006)

I would imagine just one sachet. I think he means that he prfers Lalkin over Red Star or thats what hi LHBS carries.


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## kutya (Nov 14, 2006)

Thank you wade, I do mean only one packet at a time. I just prefer the Lalvin brand, and it is the easiest one for me to obtain in my local (local meaning 150 miles away) wine shop. I have used Red star with good luck...


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## NorthernWinos (Nov 14, 2006)

Just the thought of Cherry Wine makes my mouth water....just the thought of any fruit wine makes my mouth water....the thought of fresh fruit brings back memories of summer....How sweet it was.*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## pkcook (Nov 14, 2006)

Hey Wade, 


The next time you are at Wally World, check in the area where the refrigerated juices are kept (produce sectionin the store near here) and see if they carry the Brownwood Acres cherry concentrate. I ordered it from Brownwood back in the winter, but Wally is carrying it now. It comes in a quart container and will make 2 gallons.It's pricey at $14 a quart, but my cherry wine made from this stuff turned out wonderful! 

*Edited by: pkcook *


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## Wade E (Nov 14, 2006)

Thanks for this cause if the Vintners dont work well I'll be looking for your recipe.


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## pkcook (Nov 14, 2006)

You might even try backsweetening with it. The flavor is intense!


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## Wade E (Nov 15, 2006)

I probably will.


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## kutya (Nov 15, 2006)

I back sweetened part of mine with honey without much success. I don't know what I did wrong, but I have whisps of honey floating in the bottles. I then sweetened some with sugar water, then I sweetened some with fruit juice, that I rendered? I wish I would have known about Brownwood. I don't live to far from cherry growning area, so next year I will look into that when I back sweeten....


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## Wade E (Nov 18, 2006)

Here is the Cherry must with the cherries in the mesh bag right before racking.


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## Wade E (Nov 18, 2006)

Here is the Cherry getting racked using that wonderful thing, a spigot.


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## Wade E (Nov 18, 2006)

Here is the Cherry in its new home. What a beautiful color and taste. This one's gonna be a definite repeater.


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## OGrav (Nov 18, 2006)

Looks really good. Was that just the concentrate or did you add some cherries also? I looked for the juice that pkcook mentioned, but couldn't find it in our local WM. I did find the cans of Oregon pie cherries though. That and blueberry is all they had for fruit.


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## Wade E (Nov 18, 2006)

That is the Vintners Harvest Cherry Wine Base which has the fruit in it
that you have to put in a ferm. bag. If you look on page 2 you can see
that there is a good amount of fruit in it.


*Edited by: wadewade *


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## kutya (Nov 19, 2006)

Hey wade, what did you do with the cherries after fermentation? I saved a bunch and froze them. I was thinking about adding them to a mead. Do you think there would be any flavor/value to doing this or are they just trash???? What i mean here is can they be fermented a second time around????


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## Wade E (Nov 19, 2006)

Not when I'm done squishing every little droplet of that precious juice
out of them. Dont forget , I make a 6 gallon batch out of what is
designed to do 5 so every little bit matters.


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## kutya (Nov 19, 2006)

I guess I'll just eat them over vanilla Ice cream then....


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## Wade E (Dec 28, 2006)

Welp, shes still fermenting nice and slow, have to rack it tommorrow as
theres a good1/2" to 3/4" thick lees now. Shes really clear for a wine
thats still fermenting though. Ill post some pictures and let everyone
know where the SG is. Shes going nice and slow with the cool temps in
the basement. I got to get some of those sticky thermos but will float
a thermo in tommorrow to see what the actual temp is. I know shes
chilly though.


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## kutya (Dec 28, 2006)

glad to hear it's coming along.


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 29, 2006)

Cherry Wine sounds like one I would like to try. Do all those Vintners Harvest Wines ferment so slowly??? Or are you wanting it to be a slow fermenter???

I think I will also try a Vintners harvest Cherry at some point...have planted some cherry trees, but think it will be about 3 years before first harvest...so...will order a 'bumper crop' of cherries from Vintners Harvest and give it a try someday.




*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## CajunTim (Dec 29, 2006)

Wade, did you use 1 can or 2? Look like a lot of cherrys and juice for 1 can.


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## Wade E (Dec 29, 2006)

1 can and its slow due to the cold temps in the basement. I'll update
this later with pictures and specifics as I will rack it tonight.


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## Wade E (Dec 29, 2006)

Okay the Cherry is racked at an SG of 1.002 and a temp. of 60*. Hard to
believe this and the Raspoberry are doing so well at this temp. Here
are some pics. that I promised. It was still bubbling, see what happens
now that its been racked without the lees.


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## Wade E (Dec 29, 2006)

In its new home for awhile!






Just noticed that I am snagged with my sampling off to the right. It is
very good but I still think the Black Currant is the best. 


*Edited by: wade *


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## pkcook (Dec 29, 2006)

Hey Wade,


That looks very good. My cherry was very dark as well. How's the taste?


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## Wade E (Dec 29, 2006)

Its pretty darn goo, almost as good as the Black Currant which is hard to beat in my opinion.


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## Waldo (Dec 29, 2006)

It would have to be very very good to beat that Black Currant wade...looking great my man


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## Wade E (Dec 29, 2006)

Waldo, the 2nd batch is still aging. It is stabilized and clear at least as far as I can tell. The stuff is so dark ya know.


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 29, 2006)

All your wine are looking great Wade...introduce us to them and tell us at what point they are in their 'lives'....anxious to see you bottle some of these.

I can hardly wait to mix up some of the Wine Base wines and get a taste of them....

Waiting is so hard!!!!


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## Wade E (Dec 29, 2006)

Front left is the Black Currant which has been bulk aging for about 3
or 4 months now. Behind that is the Raspberry that came out of primary
about three weeks ago and is still bubbling pretty good with little
bits of fruit going up and down like a lava lamp. By the way, my father
has a collection of lava lamps, about 32 in all and he lights um all up
about every night! Front right is the cherry and extreme right is the
Welches Niagara that was oaked with my wood from work that I toasted.
All the way in the back which you might not be able to see is the
conccoction like Waldo made of all the leftovers that wouldnt fit after
sweetening up carboys.It has Welches melomel, Strawberry orange banana,
Cranberry and will probably contain some black Currant, cherry, and
raspberry eventually before I bottle thayt too.


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 29, 2006)

It's nice to look at them and know what stage they are at..One more question...What yeasts do you use in the Vintners Harvest Wines????

The Niagara is so nice and clear...looks about ready to bottle...

32 lava lamps, huh...interesting...thanks for sharing...*Edited by: Northern Winos *


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## Coaster (Dec 29, 2006)

Northern Winos said:


> What yeasts do you use in the Vintners Harvest Wines????




I just started my Black Current tonite and I used Red Star Cotes des Blacs because it said to use that if you want a sweeter wine; otherwise it recommends Cuvee. It's my first Vinter's Harvest attempt so can't say how it will turn out. Starting SG was 1.100.


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## NorthernWinos (Dec 30, 2006)

I saw on the can they recommended the Red Star Primier Cuvée..I have some Lalvin EC-1118...it looks like they are the same strain.

I had thought of using one of the yeasts for bold reds, like Lalvin RC-212 or the equivalent Red Star Montrachet or Red Star Pasteur Red...... but maybe should follow their directions...any thoughts on using different yeasts???


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## Wade E (Dec 30, 2006)

I do believe that any yeast will work but that is just an opinion! I
think that is just the brand that they back! Did you make the 3 or 5
gallon recipe?

*Edited by: wade *


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## Wade E (Apr 10, 2007)

Finally labelled My Cherry so I can get these out of the basement and out of harms way.


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## Bert (Apr 10, 2007)

Nice looking labels and great looking wine bottles....You did a very nice job with putting the wine and the label and cap togather, they really look great....awesome job


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## Waldo (Apr 11, 2007)

_I will have to agree with Bert wade.......looks great !!!_


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## NorthernWinos (Apr 11, 2007)

Looks great...your putting them downstairs in the demolition zone...watch out that your construction crew doesn't get into them....


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## Wade E (Apr 11, 2007)

No NW, Im getting these out of the basement!


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## grapeman (Apr 11, 2007)

Excellent finished package Wade. How's the flavor doing on them?


I degassed mine this last weekend after racking. It was so clear I could have bottled already, but I stabilized and now have sweetened a little. I drew off a 12 ounce glass on Easter so I would have room to add everything and used it for sampling sweetness at different amounts. By the time I was done sampling and sweetening(boy the sweetness brought out the Cherry flavor), anything would have tasted great.


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## Wade E (Apr 11, 2007)

The Cherry came out pretty nice if I do say so myself. Still no Black Currant though.


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