# Wedding Bells



## ScubaDon (Mar 5, 2007)

My son told us tonight that he and his girlfriend are going to be married on Sept. 15. 


I would like to make the wine for them.


I only have a total of 6 months to make and age it. 


I need the help and input from my FVW friends as to what would be the best white and red wines for me to make that would be agedenough in such a short amount of time. I do have 31 bottles of a Pinot Blanc that has one month bulk carboy aging and one month in the bottles. I could use that asbySeptember it should be OK. Is there another white or should I use this. 


What would bethe best red that could be ready to drink by September?


He also ask me if I could make champagne. I have read about y'all making champagne but I have never even thought about it. Need your input about this also. Is it possible to make champagne and have it ready by September?


Really need your input Guys, that includes you to George. IF anyone feels like talking to me about this PM me your phone number or I can send you mine so that we can talk about it. Would really like to provide the wine and champagne. I can already see the bottles with the special wedding labels on them.


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## ScubaDon (Mar 5, 2007)

Come on guys 10 viewers and no input.come on input, information, I need time to order,receive and get the juice working! 


Some of the top winemakers are on line right now smurfe, Harry, masta, peterCooper, appleman, Slingshot, Wade,
Help me out guys
*Edited by: ScubaDon *


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## masta (Mar 5, 2007)

I made a White Merlot for oldest boy's wedding and bottled in 375ml and they were given as favors and placed on the table with the sitting assignments attached. 


The White Merlot (Ithink is much better than White Zin) is very popular and a safe bet in a crowd of folks at a wedding..........unless you know they are all die hard dry red lovers!


Nothing fancy but it was a big hit!


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## ScubaDon (Mar 5, 2007)

Cool Idea Masta,
would 6 months be long enough to allow for poper aging?


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## Wade E (Mar 5, 2007)

I would also say the Johanisburg Reisling and the Trinity white for
Whites. Im not a big red drinker and can not offer you any advice on
that as it would probably be wrong. As for Champagne, It will be very
tight and since this is my first time making it I think you should wait
for NW to chime in but I think you might just get it done if started
right now! My suggestion would be to go for a Chard or Reisling unoaked.


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## Slingshot (Mar 5, 2007)

View my other post I'm still a rookie but I'll throw my 2 cents in. I hear the island mist kits don't need aging. And being a sweet wine it may appeal to a wider variety of people. I was at a wedding werethey had a little bottle of arbor mist at each place setting. Went over big. Oh,yeah Congrats.



Later Mike.


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## ScubaDon (Mar 5, 2007)

Thanks wade and Mike that is great information. 

Wade, I am going to PM you about the champagne!


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## masta (Mar 5, 2007)

6 months is plenty of time for aging the White Merlot or White Zin


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## ScubaDon (Mar 5, 2007)

Thanks Masta,


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## geocorn (Mar 5, 2007)

All of the Vintner's Reserves will be ready in 6 months. If you want a higher quality, I would suggest the Australian Shiraz, Johannesburg Riesling, White Merlot and the Domaine des Brumes. All of those should be ready in the time frame you have indicated. 


The WE Champagne kit is ready in 6 weeks. This is a very popular kit and I have only had one complaint and that personfelt the flavor was lacking. If anyone else has made the WE Champagne, please chime in.


BTW, Congratulations!!



*Edited by: geocorn *


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## GrapeApe (Mar 5, 2007)

Congratulations ScubaDon. Be sure to share the secret to a long successful marriage- lot's of good wine toenjoy with each other.


Here's the link to the 'Magic Chart' which may help select the product line.


http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2957&amp;PN=1
Let us know what you select and how it goes!


GrapeApe


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## NorthernWinos (Mar 5, 2007)

I think you could have some **Sparkling ** Wine by then...but get started as soon as you can...

Go with the kit that George has or any Chardonnay or other white wine....We always do apple and like it a lot.

We make our wine...let it clear...then prime and bottle it...let it re-ferment for 2 months in the bottle...riddle for 2 weeks...dégorge...re-cork and wait awhile for the sparkles to reform [about 2 more months]...You can get it done.

The kit must have a quicker method than our way...Check out how we do it...it's not that hard....see Post below

http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1222

Highlight/Copy & Paste to your browser

Good luck and congratulations....Keep us Posts on your wines and progress...


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## Wade E (Mar 5, 2007)

I knew youd chime in and take the pressure off me NW. I lost all my
info I had saved on sparkling as far as times between each action due
to that trojan virus. Can always count on you!


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## ScubaDon (Mar 5, 2007)

NW,
I read the infomation that you attached.Making thesparkling wine is really a huge pain in the bottles! I think I will make the wine and buy the champagne. Going to talk to my son in the morning and find out how many people that they think are going to come and order the kits from George to make it. 


Thanks for the input guys. I knew you would come thru for me.


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## Wade E (Mar 5, 2007)

Naw, not that hard. If I can do it, anyone can. Although mines not done yet!




Just a little more time consuming but fun. Im glad Nw talked me into
it. Ill start anothe batch once it warms up in my basement a little.


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## Dean (Mar 5, 2007)

Most whites should be ready in time, but for reds, if you don't go with Masta's rose idea, you might want to consider a beaujolais (Bergamais), since those are always early drinking reds. Sangiovese (Chianti) work out quite well too.


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## grapeman (Mar 6, 2007)

OK, everybody has covered some good varieties by now. I will bring one other subject up, because it can sometimes be a speedbump. Consider where the reception will be held. A lot of places won't allow any wine other than their own to be served at the reception. You don't want to go through the process of making the wine only to not be able to serve it. Like Masta did, a lot of places will allow you to place it at the table as a favor or place setting. My sister had to give hers out at the hotel room to guests, which worked in her case because they had the wedding out of state.


Congradulations and here's hoping you have no problems in giving away such a thoughtful present.


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## masta (Mar 6, 2007)

Excellentpoint appleman and the folks at the reception hall were very concerned about anyone opening their bottles which was strictly forbidden and agree that most places I know of will not allow alcohol brought in and served.


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## Harry (Mar 6, 2007)

Hey Scubadon 


I made 3 gallons of welches concord grape and 2 gallons of welches Raspberry for our 50th wedding anniversary party It was 3 months old and everyone liked it . My daughter came to me and said dad how much wine do you have ? I said not much ,she said you better get busy and make some so I did with the welches . It was a great party for my wife and I GOOD LUCK


Harry


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## rgecaprock (Mar 7, 2007)

ScubaDon,


One of my favorites, a white is Viognier!




Ramona


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## masta (Mar 7, 2007)

The Winexpert World Vineyard California White Trinity is a great wine at 10 weeks from start to drinking.


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## jobe05 (Mar 7, 2007)

Scubadon: My 2 cents: I can only help you in the white category, we don't do much of the red wine.


Symphony: Slightly off dry (although could be taken to dry, but I would think would leave it slightly bitter... at least for my taste), smooth wine with a hint of apricot and honey. Not as citrus tasting as say a Gerwitz, but a hint of acid on the tongue as it finishes adds a lot of character to this wine.


French Chardonnay. Although a white drinker, I'm not a dry white drinker as much as an off dry, nor do I care for oak in a white wine. A good Frenc Chardonnay has the perfect balance of fruit, acid and oak for a very rich mouth feel, whithout the taste of, or hastle of long aging oak (plywood). I used Tim V's suggesting of stirring it up for thirty days to get that buttery taste to it, and would never do a Chardonnay whithout doing this, what a huge difference it made in taste, and mouth feel from other commercialChardonnays that I have tried.


PersonnallyDon, the best advise that I could offer would be to do 2 batches of wine. Onereally good batch for the head table and the inlaws and outlaws. Then I would make one Horrid cheapest rot gut you could make. Because when those 300 other guest figure out that your making free wine...................... Your never going to get a bottle of wine for yourself again


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## Wade E (Mar 7, 2007)

Very funny jobe!


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## ScubaDon (Mar 7, 2007)

Got ya Jobe,
Rot gut for sticky butts! Sounds like a plan


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## ScubaDon (Mar 15, 2007)

Well here is the final deal, 
After reading everything that was posted here, thank for all the great posts and information, I have chosen the kits.


It is a lot different than I thought when I first started. I picked 3 Island Mist kits. 
1.they were here and I could get started. so I thought! Sorry George but you did get a cutat the end.


2. I tasted them, in the store as he had every brand and flavor that he sells there to taste,and they tasted great. 


3. The ABV was only about 7% and a lot of the family are not big drinkers and a wine that is closer to a cooler would be better received.


I am also mixing the flavors. I picked up 2IM zin's and one while strawberry merlot. I am gong to make them seperately and then mix them before bottling. I think that they will make a great wine. Can't wait to taste it. 


George got a cut because I had to order a bunch more buckets and stuff from him. He once again came to the rescue by sending them out to me that day. Thanks again George.


So, Chip and Pam's wedding wine, (my son and his soon to be wife) will have their own wine, never before served and I think it will be great.


Thanks for all the help guys!*Edited by: ScubaDon *


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## Wade E (Mar 15, 2007)

Did you call the place and ask them if you can bring in your own alc?


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## ScubaDon (Mar 15, 2007)

Hey Wade,
I knew you were out there somewhere!


I think we are going to have it a local community house and alcohol is OK!


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## geocorn (Mar 15, 2007)

No apologies necessary. Just glad I could help you out. Please call anytime.


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## Wade E (Mar 16, 2007)

Great Scuba!


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## grapeman (Mar 16, 2007)

One thing I would do Scuba- before mixing the whole batches together, mix a cup of each batch into a small batch before bottling. Sample the mixture at that point. If possible, have the kids sample it with you and see if you all like the mix or the idividual batches better. You may find they taste better seperately-they all taste great, but I don't know how they are mixed? Just a suggestion.


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## ScubaDon (Mar 18, 2007)

Thanks Appleman, That is what I will do. I was really surprised as to how similar they were when mixing up the must. They looked, tasted and smelled exactly the same. I expected some difference but they both seemed to have a strawberry base. They all use the same yeast, etc. I don't see how they will finish out being very different at all. The three buckets are sitting in the kitchen bubbling away. If you have every heard someone getting water from a water cooler and the sound that the cooler makes as the water refills the cooling chamber, this is what you can heard fromthe Den. We do have a water cooler in that part of the house and I thought,someonewas back there getting a glass of water. When I checked on it I found it was the wine buckets working away.*Edited by: ScubaDon *


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## ScubaDon (Jun 19, 2007)

Wedding wine blues!!! 
Well, selected the kits as above and got started. Made all 3 at the same time plus 2 others.A lot of work to make 5 kitsall at the same time! After they finished and bulk aged for 2 months I started bottling. At bottling I filtered thru a gravity filter. I wanted to really polish it and make sure thatit was as clear as possible. Finished filtering number one wedding wine and started on number 2. I had the carboyof wine sitting on the bar with an empty carboywith the gravity filter sittingon the floor. As we all do, I guess,I tilted the carboy of wine sitting on the barjust a little and started filtering it in to the empty carboy on the floor. I watched it close and when there was about 2 cups of wine left tosiphon outthru the filter, for some crazy reason, I walked away to get something. I head a noise turned aroundjust in time to see the carboy falling off the bar and it seemed likeit was in slow motion. I tried to run to it and grap it but before I could get thereitcrashed into the full carboy of wine (with the gravity filter sitting on top). The full carboy of wine sitting on the floor exploded!!!The carboy that fell off the bar did not break but the full one sitting on the floordid and it sent 6 gallons of wine across my dinning room floor. I thought I was going to throw up. I couldn't say anything except for "Oh my God!" over and over again. After 4 hours of using the wet vac and mop I was able to get back to bottling the rest of the wine. I started a new batch a week later to replace the broken batch that ended up going down thedrain. Also I found out when I tried to filter the next batch that the blow from the empty carboy striking the top of the full carboy with the gravity filter also cracked the gravity filter caseand it joinged the busted carboy in the trash. I determined that by having the carboy tilted the weight of the siphon hose and auto siphon became heavier than the empty carboy on the bar causing it pull the carboy over and allowing it to fall onto the full carboy on the floor. What a waste, 6 gallons of finished wine, a glass carboy and gravity filter all gone over a simple stupid mistake caused by walking away. *Edited by: ScubaDon *


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## Wade E (Jun 19, 2007)

That really blows, This all happened from not being on the forum for so
long, just kidding. Scuba, thats just the saddest story Ive ever heard.
Dont be a stranger here.


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## ScubaDon (Jun 19, 2007)

I will have to visit more often. Now I have to purchase an electric filter reallywasn't happy with the gravity because it took 2 hours to filter one 6 gallon batch.


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## Wade E (Jun 19, 2007)

2 hours, I did a batch just last week in 12 minutes. Sounds like
something was wrong the whole time. Was this wine cleared well before
using? It was the 1st time I had used mine.


*Edited by: wade *


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## ScubaDon (Jun 19, 2007)

It was super clear and only had a small trace in the filter when finished. It just took forever!


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## Wade E (Jun 19, 2007)

Try playing with the valve (vent) next time.


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## Joanie (Jun 20, 2007)

Oh, ScubaDon! What a horrible story! I'm so sorry. It must have broken your heart!!! Talk about a loss!!!


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## grapeman (Jun 20, 2007)

Woe that is horrible! I can feel your pain from it all.



It will give you a good story to recall for the wedding. Maybe you can use it for some kind of a wise lesson for life and marriage. Life can move slowly, don't take things for granted, life is full of bumps, life can come crashing down,pick up the pieces and move on, don't cry over spilled wine, a carboy and cargirl meeting and you can soon expect another carboy in the picture- You get the idea


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## masta (Jun 20, 2007)

WOW! I have had a few issues when making wine but never to that extreme. Sorry to hear about the loss of equipment and more importantly 6 gallons of finished wine.


Thanks for sharing as this might help prevent someone else from going through the mess you did.


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## chevyguy65 (Jun 20, 2007)

Scuba,


We send our sympathy!







Your loss will help many...


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## NorthernWinos (Jun 20, 2007)

Sorry to hear about this mishap...I often prop the carboy up on a big butcher knife handle while siphoning to hold it at an angle to get the last drop out...and...I have left for a minute hoping it wouldn't shift...think I might invest in one of those plastic wedge things invented for this purpose....
Hope you still have enough wine for the wedding.


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## grapeman (Jun 20, 2007)

NW, you might want to stay with the knife or possibly a shallow rubber doorstop. I have one of the plastic wedges and never use it anymore. It puts the carboy on too steep of an angle and it rocks like crazy-very unstable. I use a little plastic tackle tray about 3/4" high that works well. Of course there are more than one model of them, and I may have chosen the wrong one when I got it.


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## masta (Jun 20, 2007)

I use my trusty clamp to hold the autosiphon when starting a racking operation and it works great a carboy wedge to get all the liquid out.


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## rgecaprock (Jun 20, 2007)

Oh, no Scuba,
That story just gave me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach!!! Was it white or red? Was it carpet or tile? I guess that is why I always hold my carboy and tip it myself to get all I can out of it. I imagine that happening and then tighten my grip. Sorry you had such a mess.


Ramona


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