# Blackberry Port-style wine



## summersolstice (Feb 11, 2010)

After Midnight blackberry Port-style wine

This wine took best of show in 2009 at the Nebraska State Fair. It's going to be a little difficult to reproduce but certainly doable again. I began this with the intent of producing a Port-style wine but I sort of improvised as I went along. It’s somewhat complex with quite a few steps and ingredients.

9-1

48 oz can of Alexander’s Burgundy concentrate
17 lbs frozen blackberries in a straining bag
12 cups (6 pounds) sugar
1 ½ teaspoons acid blend
1 teaspoon pectic enzyme
½ teaspoon tannin
2 ½ teaspoon yeast nutrient
½ teaspoon yeast energizer
3 ½ gallons of tap water
20 grams untoasted American oak
1 pkg Lalvin K1V 1116

OG 1.110

On 9-3 the gravity was down to 1.045 and I drew off 4 cups of the fermenting must and stirred in 2 more cups of sugar and added back to the must.

On 9-5 the gravity was 1.018 and I added another cup of sugar and 1/2t of Fermaid K

On 9-10 I racked to the secondary. Gravity was 1.00 and at this point the volume was 4.75 gallons. I topped a 3-gallon carboy and put the remaining 1.75 gallons onto 6 lbs of Oregon tart cherries (in a straining bag) in a plastic primary. To this I added 20 grams untoasted American oak and 40 grams heavy toasted American oak. I also added 1 pint of Everclear and a pint of Paul Masson Brandy. This is a common practice to fortify Port-style wines.

On 9-22 I racked the fortified cherry oaked wine and the original blackberry/Burgundy to a 5-gallon carboy with a ½ gallon growler as reserve.

On 10-6 I added potassium metabisulfite and potassium sorbate to stabilize and backsweetened with 500ml Wine Expert grape concentrate and ¾ cup of sugar. Final graity was 1.005.

On 1-3 I added 1 ½ oz medium toast American oak.

Bottled on 3-14


Drunken Friar Cellars


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## barbiek (Jun 29, 2015)

How did this turn out? I'm going to have a lot of blackberry so this season and was thinking of blackberry port. 

Thanks Barbie


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## summersolstice (Jun 29, 2015)

barbiek said:


> How did this turn out? I'm going to have a lot of blackberry so this season and was thinking of blackberry port.
> 
> Thanks Barbie



It turned out very well. In fact, it took best of show at the Nebraska State Fair a few years ago. Like all port-style wines, it's sweet but the alcohol kick offsets the sweetness.


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## jdwebb (Dec 14, 2015)

What do you suppose the outcome would be replacing the sugar with honey?


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## summersolstice (Dec 15, 2015)

It would have a different flavor profile but it would work and likely very well.


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