# Can tomato wine be made with tomato paste?



## crabjoe (Nov 27, 2019)

I've got a friend trying to make tomato wine and so far he's tried twice and failed both times. I'm not sure what he did wrong. I do know he used grocery store tomatoes.

Since he failed, I'd like to give it a shot. My problem is, every recipe I've found says to use ripe tomatoes.. and grocery store tomatoes aren't ripe, not matter how red they might be. This got me thinking canned tomatoes.

With that in mind, I started checking online to see if there are any recipes that used canned tomatoes. I couldn't find any. Then I was thinking using tomato paste since I always heard tomato paste was always made with the ripest of tomatoes.

Does anyone have a recipe made with canned tomatoes or tomato paste? Has anyone even tried a tomato wine made with either? If so, how did it taste when compared to wine made with fresh tomatoes?

Thanks


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## Rice_Guy (Nov 28, 2019)

* tomato paste is tomato which has been run through a blending and filtering operation and then evaporated to increase the solids. It has had roughly an hour of 100C after all this to produce commercially sterile cans. Yes you could use paste, it will probably have some cooked notes, it may take longer to clarify.
* canned tomato sauce is similar to tomato paste except that it has not gone through the evaporator. The flavor will be slightly fresher.
* diced tomato has not been blended, but CaCl is added to firm up the fruit. Again it has roughly an hour at 100C. It is available in food service size which will be cost effective.
* fresh tomato is what is called a climacteric fruit. This means that they continue to ripen with an increase in sugar and a drop of TA if they are stored at room temperature. This can be sped up by adding ethylene gas (an apple) in a paper bag to the green tomato. When I pick I pull em at the tinge of red and allow to ripen in a flat box (before birds/slugs). Last years roma was pH 4.48 with a TA of 0.5%.
. . All of the above could be used to create a clarified tomato wine. . .

A fully ripe tomato will require acid blend/tartaric to pull the pH below 3.5. The juice is fairly clear so for cosmetic purposes it looks prettier with about 1% of a red fruit like raspberry or beet juice.


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## sour_grapes (Nov 28, 2019)

Rice_Guy said:


> * fresh tomato is what is called a non-climacteric fruit. This means that they continue to ripen with an increase in sugar and a drop of TA if they are stored at room temperature. This can be sped up by adding ethylene gas (an apple) in a paper bag to the green tomato.



You mean, "tomato is what is called a _climacteric_ fruit," right?


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## Rice_Guy (Nov 28, 2019)

sour_grapes said:


> You mean, "tomato is what is called a _climacteric_ fruit," right?


yes I’ll fix that


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## crabjoe (Nov 28, 2019)

Thanks.. I think I'm going to try 2lbs of fresh Tom's and 1 6oz can of paste for ever gallon.

I'm being told from my buddy that it's a sweet wine. Is that true? Im asking because I saw a youtube video that said tomato wine tastes like Chardonnay.


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## Rice_Guy (Nov 28, 2019)

crabjoe said:


> I'm being told from my buddy that it's a sweet wine. Is that true? Im asking because I saw a youtube video that said tomato wine tastes like Chardonnay.


As with any wine you all could make is sweet. Most that I’ve had has been spicy to hot. The citric makes the flavor sharp.


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## BernardSmith (Nov 29, 2019)

Why not try using tomato juice? Presumably the tomatoes used to make the juice are ripe and sweet and so you start off with the raw materials best suited for making a tomato wine...


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## crabjoe (Nov 29, 2019)

BernardSmith said:


> Why not try using tomato juice? Presumably the tomatoes used to make the juice are ripe and sweet and so you start off with the raw materials best suited for making a tomato wine...



When I looked at the labels for tomato juice, they have added salt. Not sure if that matters, but I figured it wasn't a good thing.


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## Mr_S_Jerusalem (Dec 5, 2019)

Tomato passata wine recipe



He also has another video where he makes it with canned tomatoes.

Unfortunately he has not yet posted a results video, however in one of the videos he assures us that he has done it before and it's good lol


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## Happy Homestead (Dec 7, 2019)

Mr_S_Jerusalem said:


> Tomato passata wine recipe
> 
> 
> 
> ...




These two wines, the pasata and the tinned tomato are still being bulk aged, nearly ready for bottling and a taste test / comparison between the two will be done!


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## Mr_S_Jerusalem (Dec 7, 2019)

Oh you’re on here! 

Sorry I blagged your video lol, but it seemed entirely relevant.

I’d just like to say I watched your brewing videos on YouTube and I think they’re excellent lol. The banana wine recipe is great, I made some a few months ago. 

Have you ever made hop wine?


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## HillPeople (Dec 8, 2019)

Just noticed this tomato wine thread.
We've made it the last two years- the first year as an experiment and the last one because the first turned out so well.
If I were me, I'd only use ripe tomatoes- cherry, full size- whatever- that can be harvested free end of season.
We use about 4-5 lbs per gallon, starting SG of 1.095. 
Fermented to dry at .995 on D-47. Oaked 3 months on French oak cubes.
Rack and let it sit for another 4-6 months.


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## Happy Homestead (Dec 12, 2019)

HillPeople said:


> Just noticed this tomato wine thread.
> We've made it the last two years- the first year as an experiment and the last one because the first turned out so well.
> 
> Fermented to dry at .995 on D-47. Oaked 3 months on French oak cubes.




It really does turn out well indeed, and love the idea of oaking it - that would defo add alot to the character of the wine. 

I've done my taste test on the pasata and tinned tomato wine. . . My verdict, both are brilliant, but the tinned tom just about nips it in the bud (pardon the pun!) 

Anyway, here is the video follow up to the recipe video


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## Mr_S_Jerusalem (Dec 12, 2019)

Cracking review there, in your videos I think it's dried basil you add? Can you detect any in the end product? And therefore is it worth adding?


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## Happy Homestead (Dec 12, 2019)

Thank you! 

Indeed the basil does come though really well - I think that is what gives it a herby grassy warmth. I had actually forgotton about the addition of the basil when I did the review, then after when re-watching the recipe video I thought "Aha, that's the flavour!"


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## Mr_S_Jerusalem (Dec 12, 2019)

Lol this is clearly an excellent idea, I'm going to have to try it. And ridiculously cheap - added bonus.

When you racked it, (there must've been a fair amount of sediment) what did you top up with? I'm always concerned if I use water it will dilute the flavour


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## Happy Homestead (Dec 12, 2019)

Mr_S_Jerusalem said:


> When you racked it, (there must've been a fair amount of sediment) what did you top up with? I'm always concerned if I use water it will dilute the flavour



The price is very good indeed especially for the quality of end result! 

There was not overly much sediment to be honest, maybe a thumbnails thickness after the initial sediment drop, followed by a few mm at the end of the fermentation... After that it was just dead yeast cells. After the first racking, I topped up with sugar water as I wanted to feed the yeast a bit more, could add some tomato juice to maintain the flavour!


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