# tasting before bottling



## icksicky (May 8, 2012)

I have read a. Couple posts about tasting green wine. What exactly does that mean? All my new wines have the same distinct taste...and not necessarily a good one. What dies hat mean? Any tips as to what I should look for


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## robie (May 8, 2012)

icksicky said:


> I have read a. Couple posts about tasting green wine. What exactly does that mean? All my new wines have the same distinct taste...and not necessarily a good one. What dies hat mean? Any tips as to what I should look for



Drinking green wine is sort of like eating unripened fruit. It doesn't taste at all like it will when it is ready.

Young wine usually tastes very tart (green), has little or no aroma, and is not at all pleasing to drink. As I mentioned already, in most cases it doesn't taste at all like it will when it is ready to drink. Once you get experienced tasting green wine, you can sort of "taste passed" the green enough to get an idea how the wine will taste later.

Also, during the aging process, the taste of the wine can go from bad to reasonable, back to bad or really bad, then back to OK several times before it is ready to drink. I only say this because you should never give up on a wine until it has aged properly. 

It just takes a few wine making cycles to get some experience under your belt; then this will all make sense. Until then, don't be too disappointed in how a young wine tastes.

Good luck.


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## Runningwolf (May 8, 2012)

I totally agree with Robie. Also a wine that tastes great at bottling may not taste as good a few days after bottling due to bottle shock. If it is a wine that's ready to drink at bottling, give a month in the bottles to be back up to speed.


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## wood1954 (May 8, 2012)

*how true*

as newbie as well, i can't beleive the difference even a few months of aging make. I've given up on smelling or tasting fermenting or young wine because there is such a huge difference as it ages. I just made a gallon of strawberry wine and it smelled horrible when i stirred it as it was fermenting. I racked it a couple days ago and it smelled like stawberries again. I think the smells and tastes of young wines are really confusing for beginners. so like every one says be patient and hopefully if you kept everything clean and SO2 levels correct you'll be happy.


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## winemaker_3352 (May 8, 2012)

I agree with all the above.

the term green is hard to explain other than it being an early wine - like fruit that is not ripe. Just not ready.

Once you get a few batches under your belt you will start to see what a green wine tastes like.

I always taste throughout the process - just to make sure it is on the right track - nothing bacterial has been introduced, oxidation, etc those type of flaws.


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## saramc (May 8, 2012)

And if you taste a young wine and you think "man, that needs to be poured out"....don't do it. Put it away for another 6 months and taste it again. And again in another 6 months. You will, with time, learn when to pour it out, if you need to pour it out. It is absolutely amazing how the wine will change.


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