Hi, i started making fruit wine in July. After drinking wine for 40 years i figured i'd try making it. I had to put a sink in the basement anyway, so i got carried away and ended up making a little winery. I never realized how addictive this hobby is. to work on my technique i started with Welch grape juice mixed with Welchs cranberry juice and jus bottled it last week. My wife was very surprised that it is actually pretty good. I now have going 5 gallons of elderberry, 4 of blueberry, 5 of blackberry, 4 of black cherry, tart cherry and pomagranite mixed together, 5 gallons of apple juice from local cider and apples. i also have a couple gallons of welchs white grape/peach and some plain welchs white grape. I've sampled them all and the plain white grape juice is awful.
This is quite the hobby, so many variables. I haven't lost anything due to bacteria so far but i was pretty worried about the apple wine, i used the Lalvin 71B-1122 to help eat up some of the malic acid and didn't realize how bad it made the must smell. It's OK now. Haven't ha d a reason to taste it yet tho. so, I'm looking forward to learning more about wine making.
This is quite the hobby, so many variables. I haven't lost anything due to bacteria so far but i was pretty worried about the apple wine, i used the Lalvin 71B-1122 to help eat up some of the malic acid and didn't realize how bad it made the must smell. It's OK now. Haven't ha d a reason to taste it yet tho. so, I'm looking forward to learning more about wine making.
