Elderberry port?

[intoxicating]

I am considering making a sweet elderberry port. I was thinking about using the canned fruit/concentrated elderberries and a few of the dried flowers, and back sweetening with red grape concentrate. Any one have a tried and true recipe, or suggestions? One big can of fruit for a three gallon,or stronger than that? Opinions on target alcohol level? Will I need to pectinaise the grape concentrate before adding? I want something I can sip after dinner or at bedtime for medicinal purposes- elderberries cure arthritis and influenza- not drink with dinner.

 

[PolishWineP]

As far as alcohol content, you can always fortify the finished wine to up the alcohol.

Just don't take it too far!

 

[Cracked Cork]

When I have made this style wine I like to add other fruit juices to sweeten it up and add fruit sugar, like cherry, blackberry and red wine concentrate. You might also consider adding some dried elderberries instead of flowers, the flowers are going to get lost flavorwise. Crackedcork

 

[intoxicating]

I wasn't planning on fortifying it. Already got that out of my system with Hennesy port and Mexican Plum "wineshine". Just looking for what alcohol level would balance the flavors.

Would the dried berries add something the canned ones wouldn't? The flowers were to suppliment the smell, not the taste.

I was thinking about back sweetening with blackberry or red grape juice. Any preferences?

 

[Cracked Cork]

Yes the dried ones are kind of like adding raisans, they have a different taste than the canned ones and will add some other flavors to your canned fruit. If you leave out some of the sugar and use the concentrated red grape juice to add the sugar, or blackberry or cherry to get the SG up while adding flavor. Than backsweeten. We go to a hippy store (organic markets) to find fruit concentrates to use. Crackedcork