Strawberry Wine

[OrchardRoad]

your blending is what I would call using “natural foods“ industry rules. I have been doing similar blends as rhubarb/peach (1:1) or gooseberry/Juneberry (1:3). To me TA or the buffer capacity is the hard part. I like the creativity as blending basil to add interesting flavors.

keep me up to date on how the blending works

off OP, , but with your blackberry/strawberry/plum wine have you come across astringent flavors? any fixes? Thanks

Yes, though it mellowed with time. We took out a couple gallons and added blueberry concentrate which made it very immediately drinkable and delicious but I want to see what else develops with this wine in the course of aging. If I don't like how it tastes in another month I'll likely add some sugar or honey.

 

[Rembee]

@OrchardRoad, thanks for the update. It sounds like you have a very tasty strawberry wine there. I think that I may have to try some basil in one of my Blueberry wines next year.
How much basil did you add to the 5 gallons?

 

[The_Man_With_No_Shoes]

We made a beautiful strawberry basil wine this summer that's blowing even wine industry folks out of the water with just 16 lbs of very ripe fruit with 8 lbs sugar for 5 gallons. Strawberries are local, organic (we live in the strawberry capitol of CA) and very juicy which we helped along by freezing the fruit after processing it for 48 hrs before defrosting & starting the wine. It's semi-dry to dry at about 14% with light crisp strawberry flavor. I have a strawberry nectarine going right now and am experimenting with trying to naturally adjust the PH by doing stone fruit/berry combinations in my wines in general. So far the results are good. With 55 lbs of prepped strawberries in the freezer I think I want to try a "jammier" strawberry with more fruit- it just sounds so good! All hail the heart shaped berry!

Its strawberry season here in Florida and im getting ready to buy a few flats. Id like to try a strawberry basil. When did you add the basil and how much did you add?

 

[hounddawg]

I will be making one or two batches of strawberry wine later this year, as the owner of our allotments went crazy with strawberry plants over lockdown, and has way more than he knows what to do with. He has been freezing them as he picks them and will have more than enough for a couple of batches.

I'm looking at using the recipe on wineturtle.com, which calls for 5lbs of strawberries and a gallon of water. My question is, has anyone tried using more strawberries and less water and sugar? What was the result? Is there a limit to how many strawberries should be used in place of water?

Also, has anyone tried backsweetening the wine, or is it better left dry?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

yes i make strawberry every year, and yes way less water , at least triple your strawberries, and fruit wines or berries all called country wines and unlike grapes, you backsweeten to get your flavor back, and yes always freeze all fruits and berries, that breaks down the cell walls giving you more juice, and no limit, if you have enough you can use straight strawberries, use plenty of pectic enzyme. from the start some even put pectic in while freezing them,
Dawg

 

[hounddawg]

DANG IT, ANOTHER OLD THREAD,,,,
WELL AT LEAST THIS ONE AIN'T OVER 10 YEARS OLD, MAN AM I SLOW..
Dawg

 

[winemaker81]

@hounddawg, a month old isn't all that old. You're improving .....

 

[hounddawg]

@hounddawg, a month old isn't all that old. You're improving .....

thank you,
Dawg

 

[cmason1957]

@hounddawg, a month old isn't all that old. You're improving .....

thank you,
Dawg

Bryan, Now don't you go being nice to that old @hounddawg, we gotta pick on him or he will think we don't like him.

 

[winemaker81]

Bryan, Now don't you go being nice to that old @hounddawg, we gotta pick on him or he will think we don't like him.

Craig, old dogs can be kicked only so much before they get defensive. Ya pat 'em on the head a few times, then kick 'em in the butt.



[I need to be cautious about saying "old dog", as Richard only has a few years on me ....]

 

[The_Man_With_No_Shoes]

DANG IT, ANOTHER OLD THREAD,,,,
WELL AT LEAST THIS ONE AIN'T OVER 10 YEARS OLD, MAN AM I SLOW..
Dawg

I love bumping old threads. Usually they're about something obscure and rather start a new one ill bump the old to keep info in one place.
Its strawberry season here in Florida and i picked up 5 flats today. Initial weights after processing are around 8 pounds per flat so i should have an easy 40 to work with.
The basil infusion got my attention since i work for a company that grows microgreens, herbs and edible flowers. We grow several types of basil one of them Lemon basil which id like to use in one of the batches.