RJ Spagnols German Gewurztraminer - I was Wrong!

[Pumpkinman]

I have to admit that I was wrong- When I first made this wine, the flavor of the Elderflowers (i believe that's what they are called) was so over powering it was literally grotesque!
I was ready to toss the batch down the drain......I just tested it for kicks and giggles and to my surprise..DAYUM!
It has become a very nice wine if I may say so myself! I cannot believe something that tasted so undrinkable to me, has turned out this well in under 2 months~!

 

[grapeman]

That's great Tom. Wait until it hits 6 months or more. This is why we tell everyone to be patient. Some wines (actually most) really just don't taste great for a while, especially reds.

 

[Rocky]

Great to hear, Tom. I know you would have hated to toss the batch. Do you make any vinegar? I know that you are an accomplished chef and I was just wondering if you did. I have a 3 gallon crock and I am thinking of starting some. If one buys good vinegar, one soon realizes that it is more expensive than some wines.

 

[Ricky]

Great to hear that, Tom is that the en primeur kit? i have that kit in secondary ferm,...it`s only my second white kit, my first white was a rjspag`s en primeur aussie chard,and i made a mistake racking it with the all in one vacuum pump....had to put 1.5 liters of commercial wine in it..i`ll rant about that another time....but it`s suprising how cloudy or milky a white is in the beginning stages....keep us posted on the changes as she ages...

 

[Pumpkinman]

Rocky, I havent made any vinegar, I am too afraid to have the acetobacteria anywhere near my house...LOL!!!

 

[s0615353]

To me, when I first tasted this kit I was not bothered by the elderflower, but thought it was very tart. After I gave it time to let it mellow out in the carboy, "delicately bitter" is the perfect term. I am really happy to be using this wine as a favor at my wedding.

 

[Pumpkinman]

s0615353,
Very cool to be able to use this at your wedding! I was luck to be able to use my All in One Pump to degass it, it helped to smooth out that CO2 tart.

 

[Rocky]

Rocky, I havent made any vinegar, I am too afraid to have the acetobacteria anywhere near my house...LOL!!!

Very good point, Tom. I will keep the vinegar crock in the kitchen and my wine in the basement. I have a friend that does this with a 1 gallon crock. He has the "mother" in the bottom of the crock and dumps in any left over wine from partial bottles. He can really get some great tasting vinegar. When he needs vinegar, he ladles it off the top and puts it into a bottle.

 

[Pumpkinman]

WOW! Can you send me the details on how to do this? I have absolutely no clue about vinegar, I've seen that you can buy "mothers", but I would assume that you can make it?
I would love to try to create a balsamic vinegar!

 

[dangerdave]

Awesome, Tom! I just bottled my Germain Muller-Thurgau, which was the first wine I have made with elderflowers. It's been just a week in the bottle, and has improved significantly! I can't wait to try it in a month or two.

 

[Pumpkinman]

cool Dave! I was so frustrated at first, the initial taste was nasty...lol