Dessert Wine - Questions

[JHudson]

Hello! I've brewed beer a few times, but this is my first batch of wine. Needless to say, I'm a little nervous.

1.) Is 15% ABV going to taste harsh, or will it still be sweet enough to pass as a dessert wine?
2.) About how long should I expect fermentation to take? (Assuming healthy yeast)
3.) After the SG reads at 1.0, am I safe to bottle right away?
4.) How soon after bottling can I open a bottle to try?
5.) Any tips on making dessert wines?

*Batch Information Below*

Start Date: 12/16/2018
OG: 1.115
Potential Alcohol: ~15%

10 Pounds - Cane Sugar
1 Gallon - Grape Juice Concentrate
5 Gallons - Spring Water
5 Grams - Bourgovin RC 212 (Alcohol Tolerance ~16%)

 

[salcoco]

1. wine can be harsh initially but not sweet enough for dessert wine.
2. fermentation if at room temp can be at least 5 days. if at about 60-65deg f can be up to two weeks
3 wine should go to at least .995 , be clear, degassed and properly stabilized before bottling. aging for at least three months before trying it. if some reds should be aged to about 2-3 years.
4. usually bottle shock occurs whence bottling is complete. I would typically wait at least a month before trying.
5.I would research the web for instructions on making dessert wine. Making one from a kit may be the best first step. check Winemaker magazine for some thoughts.

 

[Scooter68]

Creating a dessert wine is really not much different than a dry or semi-sweet wine. Key differences are"
1) You start with a higher SG to reach an ABV somewhere above 14%
2) When fermented dry, you just back-Sweeten to make the wine sweet enough to mask the higher ABV
3) To achieve 2 you also have to have a solid, full-bodied wine, not a thin wine.

Of course you have to be sure to stabilize the wine with K-Meta and K-Sorbate before back-sweetening.

It works best with stronger flavored varities ( I do only fruit so I do dessert wines with Black Currant or Tart Cherry)

 

[JHudson]

Thanks guys! I have K-Sorbate on-hand, I'll order K-Meta as well.