PEPPER IN WINE

[NorthernWinos]

I hear people say that a wine has a peppery taste....I love black and white pepper.....

Has anyone ever added peppercorns to wine?...You add oak and vanilla...what about peppercorns...or would that be too much???

 

[jobe05]

NW: In the book "Home Winemaking" by Terry Garey, there is a section on peppercorns. It says you can add 10 bruised peppercorns to a batch of wine (other areas of the book refer to a batch as 5 gallons, so that would be my guess). It would not add much actual pepper flavor as it would a "Hotness" to the wine.


Sounds interesting though

 

[grapeman]

NW I have never added peppercorn to a batch, but remember I made my Nuclear Apple Pepper Wine. It never did clear well, so 6 months later, I added some SuperKleer on Sunday. It is beginning to clear now. I'm hoping in a few days it will be finally clear and soon ready to bottle. In order to fit the SuperKleer in the carboy, I took out a couple ounces of it. It still has that nice overpowering smell to it that takes your breath away. I made a lasagna yesterday and put 1 teaspoon of the NAP Wine. It gave it a nice flavor and little extra kick. For those of you who haven't read about it yet, here is a link.

http://www.finevinewines.com//Wiz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1937&KW=Nuclear+Apple&PN=1

 

[NorthernWinos]

So...how did your HOT</font> Pepper wine turn out????

I was more thinking about roasting some black pepper corns and adding them to a red wine...Maybe I better stick to roasting some oak and adding that...Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[Dean]

I normally attribute peppery taste to "vegetal taste" as in green peppers. Cab Sauv and Merlot when picked too early will readily exhibit peppery taste, but it is of green peppers. It usually means that the grapes did not ripen fully, or were picked for their acidity. I've never thought of black pepper. I'd call that spicy instead, like in a shiraz, which is kind of black peppery/spicy.

 

[Waldo]

I would go ahead and try a batch NW. Jusy do a gallon and later you can be glad it was only a gallon or curse yourself for not doing a 6

 

[pkcook]

NW,


I have the Terry Garey book that Jobe05 mentioned and here is what she says, "Ten bruised peppercorns do not so much add flavor as lend a warmth. I frequently leave them in the straining bag when making beet or carrot wine. I've read that pepper was used by moonshiners to warm up their product and make peope think it was higher in alcohol than it actually was. If this is true, it probably also helped to mask the off flavors from bad distilling and no aging."


Not sure you can glean much from this, but it sounds like a few would be good for an experimental batch to me!Edited by: pkcook

 

[NorthernWinos]

Might try it this summer in some fruit wines....but...which one is the question.?

I was thinking of adding it to a Chokecherry/red grape...the chokecherries have a BIG flavor [maybe almond like] and oak really makes it nice....so who knows what a few peppercorns might do...I am looking for a spicy note.

Will let everyone know if and when I try it....If anyone else tries it drop a note too.

 

[Wade E]

Sounds interesting but will let you be the guinea pig on this one!

 

[pkcook]

I have a Jalapeno wine bulk aging right now. I was thinking this might be a good wine to add some peppercorns to on the next batch. I salt and pepper most everything I cook, including jalapeno dishes, so it might add some flavor.


Oh, by the way, Jack Keller says that he enjoys sipping the jalapeno wine. I tried some of mine last week when I racked........"OUCH!!!"....this stuff is dangerious! I couldn't get past a thimble full. Hope it makes a good marinade.