Norton/Cynthiana

[bj4271]

Has anyone tried making wine from Norton (also called Cynthiana) grapes. Know any recipes?

 

[Steve]

My dad makes it from them. I'll see if he can get me his recipes.

 

[bj4271]

Great! I'll have it when my vines start producing.

 

[smurfe]

I love Norton/Cynthiana wine. I would like to grow them here. Itcan be done but is a ton of work. One local vineyard here grows them and makes wine.You can use any general recipe. Check your Brix and acid levels, make your adjustmentsand go to town. Not really any different than if you were using a Merlot or Cabernet.

 

[ImkerVS]

I got a few Cynthiana/Norton from Pense Nursery and they're starting their 2nd year. Always loved history, and read The Wild Vine by Todd Kliman, and that got me interested. I hear the dark reds really have to be aged a long time, 4 or 5 years at least, so I'll probably use it for blending to start with.

 

[salcoco]

Norton is usually high in malic acid. use yeast 71b or Marvin at fermentation. add some oak chips at begining of fermentation. start with a sg-1092 and a ph level of 3.3-3.5. rack wine three days after pressing. rack again in three weeks. age with more oak in carboy or in a barrel to your taste. bottle and age another year or more.
use Hungarian oak cubes for carboy aging although others work well also.