Foxy wine

[Ess-Sea vineyard]

Can anything be done to correct foxy wine? Or is it just the characteristic of the grapes. I’ve got three gallons made with Valiant grapes

 

[joeswine]

It’s the characteristics of the grape your

 

[winemaker81]

It's the grape. Adding oak may tone down the foxiness, but it's not going away.

 

[Ess-Sea vineyard]

It's the grape. Adding oak may tone down the foxiness, but it's not going away.

By adding oak, do I add oak chips into the Carboy, and how much would you recommend?

 

[winemaker81]

By adding oak, do I add oak chips into the Carboy, and how much would you recommend?

Chips, cubes, staves, and spirals all work. I prefer cubes as they are (relatively) uniform in size, but chips work fine.

I'd add 1 oz to a 19-23 liter carboy, and let it age at least 6 months. Keep in mind that it's far easier to add more later than it is to take some out, so if you need more oak, you can add more at the 3 month mark.

Please note that this wine may be fixable to your taste, or it may not. The only person who can answer that is you, and the only way to know is by trying. I'm not being negative, just setting expectations. Hopefully you can produce something you like, even if it's not your favorite.

If this doesn't work out for you, post questions in the spring listing grapes available to you, and you can get feedback on which varietals might work best for your taste.

 

[Sailor323]

I've always wondered, Just what is foxiness?" I know that native American grapes, especially Concord are overwhelmingly grapy, to me, they just taste like grapes and the wine from Concords tastes like grape jelly even when fermented out to dry.

 

[ChuckD]

I've always wondered, Just what is foxiness?" I know that native American grapes, especially Concord are overwhelmingly grapy, to me, they just taste like grapes and the wine from Concords tastes like grape jelly even when fermented out to dry.

That’s it. They taste like fermented concord jelly… think Mogen David communion wine.

I used a spiral of med toast French oak in 5 gallons of wild grape and it tamed it quite a bit.

 

[winemaker81]

I've always wondered, Just what is foxiness?" I know that native American grapes, especially Concord are overwhelmingly grapy, to me, they just taste like grapes and the wine from Concords tastes like grape jelly even when fermented out to dry.

@ChuckD is spot on. Also try Niagara.

 

[Ess-Sea vineyard]

Foxy is a musky, almost urine smell. I wouldn’t even say it is close to communion wine. Has the smell of skinning an animal

 

[joeswine]

No I don’t think so , Ess-sea .
It’s a term to describe wine varieties mostly for Northern grapes .
There very fruit forward ,

 

[Ess-Sea vineyard]

One other thing I am thinking, since I have close to 30 lbs of valiant grapes in the freezer, next batch will consist of pressed juice, and no skins and seed in a pull bag during the primary fermentation. From what I’ve been reading, the foxiness is coming from the skins and seeds…am I wrong on this?

 

[Ess-Sea vineyard]

One other thing I am thinking, since I have close to 30 lbs of valiant grapes in the freezer, next batch will consist of pressed juice, and no skins and seed in a pull bag during the primary fermentation. From what I’ve been reading, the foxiness is coming from the skins and seeds…am I wrong on this?

I meant pulp bag

 

[joeswine]

It’s a combination of all 3 items , however I think it’s the juice that’s the main. Character in the process

 

[joeswine]

Usussll ph isn’t that big of a deal with those varietals

 

[winemaker81]

Foxy is a musky, almost urine smell. I wouldn’t even say it is close to communion wine. Has the smell of skinning an animal

Foxy as used as a descriptor for Labrusca grapes has nothing to do with that. I've had a fair number of Catawba, Concord, Delaware, Isabella, and Niagara, and none have that smell.

 

[suzyq2]

Mousy taint maybe? You usually can't smell it but it's supposed to taste like urine. I don't know. Just throwing it out there for the pros.

 

[joeswine]

Walkers wine juice products are a good example of a foxy wine list , check it out

 

[winemanden]

Mousy taint maybe? You usually can't smell it but it's supposed to taste like urine. I don't know. Just throwing it out there for the pros.

If you've got a wine that you think tastes Mousy, but can't smell it, put a few drops on the palm of your hand and rub your hands together. Cup your hands and take a good sniff. If it's Mousy, you'll smell it.

 

[Ess-Sea vineyard]

I’ve learned a new thing…it’s called patience! After more than a month since bottling, the aging along with the addition of oak chips, has turned my first batch into something pleasantly drinkable. Learning some of my missteps, I believe my next batch will be even better.!

 

[Ess-Sea vineyard]

I’ve learned a new thing…it’s called patience! After more than a month since bottling, the aging along with the addition of oak chips, has turned my first batch into something pleasantly drinkable. Learning some of my missteps, I believe my next batch will be even better.!

I’ve learned a new thing…it’s called patience! After more than a month since bottling, the aging along with the addition of oak chips, has turned my first batch into something pleasantly drinkable. Learning some of my missteps, I believe my next batch will be even better.!

My second batch is progressing very nicely. Things I learned from the first batch, don’t primary the skins and seeds in the must….at least that seems to be the major culprit with valiant grapes. I also added some frozen grape juice to the primary, which seems to have given it some body…about 4 weeks from bottling, as long as I can clear it out on the next rack. Back to my first batch, had some friends and family try it…nothing but smiles! It continues to improve with aging.