# NEARLY WILD...GRAPE WINE



## NorthernWinos (Nov 14, 2008)

Cloudy and gloomy today, so we racked some wines....

Being as most of the equipment is out and we have a new carboy, figured I'd mix up a batch of wine....Had planed on a wine, but Jim put in a request for one of his many favorites.....*Valiant Grape Wine*...made from our home grown hardy Valiant grapes. They are a cross between Fredonia X Wild Grape.

~~~~~~~~~~~VALIANT-NEARLY WILD~~~~~~~~~~~

•18 QTS STEAM EXTRACTED VALIANT GRAPE JUICE
•2-500mil BOTTLES WINEXPERT RED GRAPE CONCENTRATE
•8# SUGAR
•3 tsp LIQUID TANNIN
•6 CAMPDEN TABLETS 

WATER TO 6½ GALLONS AND S.G. 1.086
TOASTED OAK AND 2 VANILLA BEANS

TOMORROW:
•3 tsp PECTIC ENZYME
•6 tsp YEAST NUTRIENT
•3 tsp YEAST ENERGIZER
•NO ACID BLEND [at this time, the juice seemed pretty acidy]
•LALVIN RC-212 YEAST

FERMENT AS USUAL....

The juice and the usual 'Cast of Characters'....







Some of the juice had Wine Diamonds in the jar already....






Let the good times roll!!!!


----------



## Wade E (Nov 14, 2008)

You go girl! Theres no stopping you!


----------



## K&GB (Nov 14, 2008)

Wild Wineand wild times for the (wild) Northern Winos!


----------



## Waldo (Nov 15, 2008)

Web cam !!! Thats what you need NW. Set up a web cam with a live feed and we can all watch this one as it progresses


----------



## NorthernWinos (Nov 16, 2008)

Within a couple hours of pouring the yeast starter onto the top of the wine...It was alive and growing....

Could smell it during the night coming to life....


----------



## Wade E (Nov 16, 2008)

Sniff, sniff, I can smell that over here!


----------



## K&GB (Nov 16, 2008)

Looks yummy! What kind of oak is that? *Edited by: K&GB *


----------



## PolishWineP (Nov 16, 2008)

I thought I heard something making that sizzing noise this morning!


----------



## NorthernWinos (Nov 16, 2008)

K&amp;GB said:


> Looks yummy! What kind of oak is that?



It is American Oak...I dry toasted it in a frying pan for awhile till it smelled good.....but before it started to smoke....


----------



## NorthernWinos (Nov 16, 2008)

Rollin'...Rollin'....Rollin'....

Watch this baby Rollin'....

Yee...Haw!!!!!


----------



## Wade E (Nov 16, 2008)

I think you forgot to wash out the dish detergent!


----------



## NorthernWinos (Nov 20, 2008)

Tested the' Nearly Wild' valiant grape wine this morning...the S.G. was down to 1.000...so transfered it to glass and an airlock....

Pretty tasty, debated about adding oak and vanilla bean back into the secondary.....Still debating....????

Just too many choices....

*Edited by: Northern Winos *


----------



## NorthernWinos (Dec 6, 2008)

Being as I was racking gallon jugs today....I racked the extra Valiant Wine....

It has dropped wine diamonds....






When it fermented the sides of the primary bucket was coated with crystals...So kind of expected this. 
Will rack the carboy one of these days......When I have help...


----------



## smikes (Dec 6, 2008)

I see you like to use WINEXPERT RED GRAPE CONCENTRATE.Can you tell me how it improves what you are creating over what it would have been without?


I am beginning to "stalk" a few of you on here!
Now don't get all a'scared, it is just that a few of you experiment or have done a number of wines and it seems like to follow you helps me learn.


Appleman and Wade are also on my list.......


----------



## NorthernWinos (Dec 6, 2008)

It adds body, color, viscosity, adds to the S.G. and gives the yeast some natural nutrients...

I have used it in many of the fruit wines....
Like using frozen apple juice concentrate in some wines as well....Adds a nice touch.


----------



## NorthernWinos (Dec 8, 2008)

Racked the 6 gallon carboy today....
It was really loaded up with Wine Diamonds....
It tasted pretty 'foxy' [grapey]......Added more oak....


----------



## NorthernWinos (Jan 23, 2009)

The weather is turning clear and cold again...



Winter has gotten long.
Decided it was a good day to stay inside and bottle wine....

This wine has been clear for quite awhile and appears to be finished dropping crystallized acid....[wine diamonds]






Doesn't seem to have picked up much more oak...next time will remind myself to leave it in a tad longer....

It is quite pleasant, and still tastes quite foxy [grapey/jammy] but know from the past that it does mellow out with a little age. 

I have read a Blog page on steam juicers...

Thought a post on steam juicing grapes was quite interesting...

They stated that once they have all the juice from the grapes they put the juice in the fridge and the wine diamonds dropped before canning the juice in mason jars...
Worth a try....
Lets all try to remind each other about that this fall...


----------



## Waldo (Jan 23, 2009)

Looks mighty good NW


----------



## NorthernWinos (Jan 23, 2009)

Jim is sucking up the leftovers...he really likes the grapey flavor.


----------



## grapeman (Jan 23, 2009)

What does Jim think of the Pinot Noir/Blueberry? It sounds like it would be a good one also just like this one.


----------



## NorthernWinos (Jan 23, 2009)

I slurped up those leftovers....He'll have to wait for the first bottle to get opened....

We'd be happy having ChokeCherry wine everyday, but they say 'Variety is the spice of life'....


----------

