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German wines and review

:wy Welcome back, they waiting for you:wy let's first do a little history lesson after all you don't know where the winds heritages comes from knowing you've missed a large part of the winemaking effort.

:try German wine is primarily produced in the West of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Proximally 60% of the German wine production is situated in the federal state of Rhineland-palatinate, where six of the 13 regions for quality one is situated. Germany has about 102,000 hectares were about 252,000 acres of vineyard, which is room 1/10 of the vineyard surface in Spain, France or Italy. The total volume production is usually around 9 million hectoliters annually, corresponding to 21.2 billion bottles, which places Germany as the eighth largest wine producing country in the world white wine accounts for most two thirds of the total production.

:try As a wine country, and Germany has a mixed reputation internationally, with some consumers or want to export markets associating Germany with the world's most elegant and aromatic or white wines while others see the country namely as a source of cheap, mass market semisweet wines such as liebfraumilch. Among enthusiasts, Germany's reputation is primarily based on wines made from the Riesling grape variety, which at its best is used for aromatics, fruity and elegant white wines that range from very crisp and dry two well balanced swing an enormous aromatic concentrations. These are my style wines I love a nice clean Riesling or piesporter great any time this is the one you should always have one and in your inventory, but getting carried away.

:try While primarily a white wine country, rep production surged in the 1900s and early 2000's primarily fueled by domestic demand, and the proportions of German vineyards devoted to this cultivation of dark – skin drapes righties has now stabilized at slightly more than a third of the total surface, another words they got into a little bit of red wine, for the red wines Pinot Noir is in the lead. Now who doesn't like a Pinot Noir

German wines are full of delightful surprises stay tuned and we'll explore more of them....:try
 
German wine styles

Germany produces wines in many styles, dry, semisweet and sweet white wines, rosé wines, red wines and sparkling wines. The only one style not commonly produce is fortified wine. Due to the northerly location of German vineyards, the country has produced wines quite unlike any other in Europe, many of outstanding quality. Despite this it is still better known abroad for cheap, sweet or semisweet, low-quality mass production wines such as liebframilch.

Red wines has always been hard to produce in Germany because of climate and in the past which usually light-colored, closer to rosé with a red wines of the alsace.

So let's take a look at some of these white wines. At least the better known to us.

Riesling, is a white grape variety, which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety display in flowery, almost perfumed, aromas, as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semidry, suite and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually virtually pure and are seldom oaked. As of 2004, Riesling, was estimated to be the world's 20th most wrong variety at 48,700 hectares, or around 120,000 acres that my friends is a lot of grapes. But in terms of importance for quality wines, is usually included in the top three white wine varieties together with Chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Riesling is a variety which is highly terrain expressive, meaning that the character of the Riesling wines is clearly influenced by the wines place of origin.

Who out there hasn't made Riesling? If you haven't what he waiting for, when making a Riesling in the secondary little lemon zest. This will aid in the acidity in the back of the mouth. It will also bring up a kit Riesling and if you're doing. Fresh juice. It wakes it up, really.

A Riesling is a must in any wine collectors edition and I can tell you from experience. I never and without Riesling in my collection. It does Google mostly everything and you don't have to think about it just to drink it, that's my style of wine.

muller - thurgua, is a variety of white grape, which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss canton of thurgua in 1882. In crossing a Riesling with madeleine royale. It is used to make white wine in Germany, Australia, northern Italy, and hungry England, and Australia, Chas Republic, Slovenia, New Zealand, United States and Japan. Which makes this style, the most widely planet of all so-called new breeds of grape varieties created since the late 19th century. Although plantings have decreased significantly since the 1980s, as of 2006, it was still Germany second most than a variety. It is also especially known for its dry wine.

I've never seen this in fresh juice. But I do believe I heard of it in a kit form.

Will continue with German wines, next time you're in your state store or local wine and spirits shop take a trip down the German wine section. Treat yourself to some of the best ice wines in the world, as well as a great Riesling, liebfraumilch or a piesporter was will discuss these coming up................:HB
 
German wines

Tour of the Rhine



So let's summarize where we are gewuzttaminer, Riesling, piesporter,muller-thurgau,pino noir, red Riesling and many others too hard to pronounce but the ones I have listed you are the primary ones and ones that you could definitely put your hand.:dg
Next time you're in spirits shop look down the German wine asle look for some of the wines I've talked about take a chance on one sure you'll find, that you made a good choice in the very refreshing to drink, Riesling, piesporter, gewuzttminer are all excellent as an added component to your wine categories at home.:dg

The German wines is over, hope you glean some information from it............... stay tuned......... were moving on:se
 
Joe, I sooo enjoy reading your threads, and a lot of imformation and help you provide. I was happy to read when you got to the rieslings, I have a riesling in a carboy that I got this past fall (it was a juice bucket) would you suggest adding some zest to this? If so what? lemon, grapefruit, orange or (lol) all three? Any input would be greatly appreciated!
 
to add or not???????????

] TO CHANGE OR NOT TO?



Wait don't do any thing unless you want to experiment,reisling is a good wine to make changes to,it's easy to work with and always has a decient finish,what did you have in mind?:d


THANKS FOR FOLLOWING THE THREAD:db
 
German wines

These are just a few of the German wines that are out there, the ones that you're familiar with next time you're shopping do yourself a favor, try one. I think you'll like it. I think maybe we'll move on to Spain.:try This is a country deep in history as well as wine and port making.

:dgBut tell you a little story about port my friend Sam and I went on a port binge when I was younger but one owner forget. I don't remember now if it was him or I stated let's by a port. But I do remember the conversation goes something like this.

:dg What type sure we by? What we know about ports? How much do we need to spend? The answer was,we had no clue. So the both of us went to the liquor store found where the port was and just stared at the bottles for a while prices prices. Prices where do we start? So Sam being a kind man he is and very generous seven by the first bottle and we started at $25. I don't remember what brand it was a by the time we were finished him and I we were up to $140 a bottle. At that point I said I stated would have reproved yet alone we were getting poor will be found that was this it all comes down the taste and ports have a very special taste unique unto themselves the one name I remember the most was a brand called Sandman and I believe that was at the $45 price tag
so we really weren't at the bottom and we really weren't at the top of the scale. This was comfortable. I remember the port being warm very aromatic the taste and just enjoy to sip on. As you're going along were also taking notes as a winemaker should do we come the fine that with the exception of one of the twanty ports but fortified all bottle was the best in our opinion. But if you're not a big port enthusiasts were never taken the trouble to taste the port you're missing a whole new palette going to your spirits shop asked the person in charge, what is the best port in a specific price range, and when you're at home and you're in your special place we could sit and relax for a few minutes. Pour yourself small glass of port and sit back and enjoy .:wy

Port spirit to believe in.... Stay tuned:try
 
Spanish wines


Spanish wines emphasize their flavor for the sake of tasting.



Traditional vineyards are common sights at countryside.


Spanish wines (Spanish: vino español) are wines produced in the southwestern European country of Spain. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9 million acres (over 1.17 million hectares) planted—making it the most widely planted wine producing nation[1] but it is the third largest producer of wine in the world, the largest being France followed by Italy.[2] This is due, in part, to the very low yields and wide spacing of the old vines planted on the dry, infertile soil found in many Spanish wine regions. The country is ninth in worldwide consumptions with Spaniards drinking, on average, 10.06 gallons (38 liters) a year. The country has an abundance of native grape varieties, with over 400 varieties planted throughout Spain though 80 percent of the country's wine production is from only 20 grapes—including Tempranillo, Albariño, Garnacha, Palomino, Airen, Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel·lo, Cariñena and Monastrell.
Major Spanish wine regions include the Rioja and Ribera del Duero which is known for their Tempranillo production; Valdepeñas, drunk by Unamuno and Hemingway, known for high quality tempranillo at low prices; Jerez, the home of the fortified wine Sherry; Rías Baixas in the northwest region of Galicia that is known for its white wines made from Albariño and Catalonia which includes the Cava and still wine producing regions of the Penedès as well the Priorat region.[1]:mny


So Where Did It All Start from Spain, Is an Ancient Wine Producing Country and Provide Nearly As Much Wine As the Number One and Number Two Wine Producers in the World, Italy and France. Spanish Wine Is At Least 3000 Years Old Vineyards in Today's Sherry Region Were Planted by the Phoenicians around 1100 BC. Wines from Vines Growing along the Sunny Mediterranean Coast and the Cooler Atlantic Coast Were Traded and Consumed by the Romans. But the Arrival of the Islamic Moors in 711 A.D. Put an End to the Spanish Wine Commerce until the Moors Defeat in 1492. With the Iberian Peninsula Free from Islamic Rule, Wine Returned with a Vengeance.:mny

Blame it on rioja, or Bordeaux. With the limited exception of Sherry, only rioja enjoyed much international awareness before and during the 19th century. Wealthy producers such as the Marquis DE, rascal had the wherewithal to produce wines that garnered attention, if limited, to Spain. International wine commerce was focused upon Bordeaux, Burgundy and a handful of sweet and fortified wines from other countries. In the 1860s the tiny American a fit arrived in France and began feeding on the vine there. Within a few decades it had attacked and destroyed most of Europe's greatest and least greatest vineyards.:mny

The French were desperate, but some were not friendly enough to adapt American vines, the most obvious strategy. A significant number traverse the. PYRENEES to rioja. Perhaps drawn by its reputation, or perhaps only by his proximity. What they found there describes winemaking typical of a premodern age. Grapes are picked unripe, and red.white grapes are often in the fermenting it together. Barrels were innovations only recently introduced to rioja by rascal MURRIETA.. It is unripe grapes made for tart, green wines, and according to the principles that prevailed at the time, the best way to soften these kinds of wines were to place them in barrels for a long time, sometimes, for a really long time.:mny

That is a lot to absorb, but the history is absolutely outstanding, as in most cases with wine and history is all so long and absorbed in politics that aside some of the greatest wines in the world are actually Spanish wines. So take a break do yourself a favor this week if you get an opportunity stopping your local state store or spirits shop in stroll down the aisle and find out what they have in Spanish wines and treat yourself and your taste out to something very different, very bold and or very sweet and were still not talking about ports, yet!:mny

Stay tuned..............:mny
 
I don't have any idea regarding this almond wine. can you give me some details about this wine? what are the process of this wine? Sorry for my ignorance, this really make me interest but I want to have some clarification regarding this wine.
 
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Almond wine

In the beginning of this thread I asked the question, is there any recipes out there for a almond wine? There came back several replies. So I started experimenting with toasted almonds and applying them to a base, or a simple white wine. This did work out so well so then I applied white wine base to a real good almond extract and that worked out really well. That is nuts and bolts of it. It is called thinking outside the box. Sometimes you have to think outside the box in order to make things work by using, extract in the basic wine white wine kit. I achieved the almond wine of my flavor. Since that time I went on to talk about how to make an extract, and how to apply it, with very good results.

Any other questions?
 
tempanello

Tempranillo


TempranilloGrape (Vitis) Tempranillo in Viala & VermorelColor of berry skinNoirSpeciesVitis viniferaAlso calledCencibel, Tinta Roriz (more)OriginSpainNotable regionsRioja, Spain
Ribera del Duero, Spain (more)Notable winesVega SiciliaHazardsRot
Ripening Tempranillo grapes



Tempranillo leaf.


Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain.[1] Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano ("early"),[1] a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. Tempranillo has been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since the time of Phoenician settlements. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's noble grape. Grown early in the 20th century to produce jug wines in California, toward the end of the 20th century Tempranillo enjoyed a renaissance there and throughout the world as a fine wine. The grape has been planted in Mexico, New Zealand, South America, USA, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Uruguay, Turkey and Canada.
Often blended with Grenache and Cariñena (known in Rioja as Mazuelo), Tempranillo is bottled either young or after several years of barrel aging. In Portugal, it is blended with others to produce port wine. Often growing its best at higher altitudes, the grape yields wines that are ruby in colour, with aromas and flavours of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb.




For some time, Tempranillo was thought to be related to the Pinot Noir grape. According to legend, Cistercian monks left Pinot Noir cuttings at monasteries along their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. However, ampelographic studies have shown no genetic connection between the cultivars.[2][3]
Spanish cultivation of Vitis vinifera, the common ancestor of almost all vines in existence today, began in earnest with Phoenician settlement in the southern provinces. Later, according to the Roman writer Columella, wines were grown all over Spain; yet there are only scattered references to the name "Tempranillo". Ribera del Duero wine making extends back over 2,000 years, as evidenced by the 66-metre mosaic of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, that was unearthed in 1972, at Baños de Valdearados.[4]
The grape was introduced to America, possibly as seeds, by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 17th century, where it has largely retained its genetic identity and still strongly resembles its Spanish ancestors.[5] Despite its apparent fragility, Tempranillo travelled widely during the 20th century and, following much trial and error, has become established throughout the world. In 1905, Frederic Bioletti brought Tempranillo to California where it received a cool reception not only due to the encroaching era of Prohibition, but also because of the grape's dislike of hot, dry climates. It was much later, during the 1980s, that Californian Tempranillo wine production began to flourish, following the establishment of suitably mountainous sites. Production in this area has more than doubled since 1993.[6]
During the 1990s, Tempranillo started experiencing a renaissance in wine production worldwide. This surge began partly as a result of the efforts of a 'new wave' of Spanish growers who showed that it was possible to produce wines of great character and quality in areas outside of the Rojas region. One result of this has been that Tempranillo varietal wines have become more common, especially in the better-suited, cooler Spanish regions like Ribera del Duero, Navarra, and Penedès. During the 1990s, growers in Australia and South Africa started significant Tempranillo plantations.[citation needed]
[edit] Viticulture

Tempranillo is a black grape with a thick skin.[1] It grows best at relatively high altitudes, but it also can tolerate a much warmer climate.[7] With regard to Tempranillo's production in various climates, wine expert Oz Clarke notes,
To get elegance and acidity out of Tempranillo, you need a cool climate. But to get high sugar levels and the thick skins that give deep color you need heat. In Spain these two opposites are best reconciled in the continental climate but high altitude of the Ribera del Duero.[8]

Tempranillo vines in Garraf province, Penedès region


In the Ribera del Duero the average July temperature is around 21.4° Celsius (70.5° Fahrenheit),[9] though temperatures in the middle of the day in the lower valley can jump as high as 40 °C (104 °F). At night the region experiences a dramatic diurnal temperature variation, with temperatures dropping by as much as 16 °C (30 °F) from the daytime high. The Tempranillo grape is one of the few grapes that can adapt and thrive in continental Mediterranean climates like this.[10]
Pests and diseases are a serious problem for this grape variety, since it has little resistance to either. The grape forms compact, cylindrical bunches of spherical, deep blue-black fruit with a colourless pulp. The leaves are large with five overlapping lobes.[11]
The Tempranillo root absorbs potassium easily, which facilitates pH levels of 3.6 in the pulp and 4.3 in the skin when it reaches maturity. If it absorbs too much potassium, the must becomes salified (increased levels of salt), which slows the disappearance of malic acid, resulting in a higher pH. The skin does not present any herbaceous characters. The grape is very susceptible to inclement weather, contracting when there is a drought and swelling when there is too much humidity. The swelling has a negative effect on quality since it affects the color of the wine. The effects of the weather are attenuated in places with limestone because of the effect of the clay and humidity in the roots; the effects are worse in sandy areas, as well as for vines that are less than twelve years old, as the roots are generally too superficial.[12][better source needed]
[edit] Wines


A Tempranillo varietal wine in a glass, showing typically intense purple colouring


Tempranillo wines are ruby red in colour, while aromas and flavours can include berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather and herb.[13] Often making up as much as 90% of a blend, Tempranillo is less frequently bottled as a single varietal. Being low in both acidity and sugar content, it is most commonly blended with Grenache (known as Garnacha in Spain), Carignan (known as Mazuela in Spain), Graciano, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Blending the grape with Carignan makes a brighter and more acidic wine.[1] Tempranillo is the major component of the typical Rioja blends and constitutes 90-100% of Ribera del Duero wines.[1] In Australia, Tempranillo is blended with Grenache and Syrah. In Portugal, where it is known as Tinta Roriz, it is a major grape in the production of some Port wines.[14]
[edit] Regions

[edit] Spain

Tempranillo is native to northern Spain and widely cultivated as far south as La Mancha. The two major regions that grow Tempranillo are Rioja, in north central Spain, and Ribera del Duero, which lies a little farther to the south. Substantial quantities are also grown in the Penedès, Navarra and Valdepeñas regions.[13]
Tempranillo is known under a number of local synonyms in different regions of Spain: Cencibel and Tinto Fino are used in several regions, and it is known as Tinta del País in Ribera del Duero and the surrounding area, Tinta de Toro in Toro, Ull de llebre in Catalonia and Morisca in Extremadura.
[edit] Portugal

The grape plays a role in the production of wines in two regions of Portugal, central Alentejo and Douro. In Alentejo Central it is known as Aragonez and used in red table wine blends of variable quality, while in the Douro it is known as Tinta Roriz and mainly used in blends to make port wine.[14]
[edit] New World production


The original 1993 planting of Tempranillo at Red Willow Vineyard in Washington state.


Tempranillo arrived in California bearing the name Valdepeñas, and it was grown in the Central Valley at the turn of the 20th century. Since the climate of the Central Valley was not ideal for the grape, it was used as a blending grape for jug wine.[1] California has since started to use it for fine wines. In Texas, the soils of the High Plains and Hill Country have been compared to those of northern Spain. Tempranillo has been well received in Texas and has grown to be considered the state's signature grape.[15][16]
In Oregon State, the grape was introduced by Earl Jones of Abacela Vineyards and Winery, in the Umpqua Valley.[1] In Southern Oregon, near Medford, the Applegate Valley wine appellation is now growing some good Tempranillo grapes (http://applegatewinetrail.com/). The Valley View Vineyardwas established there back in the 1972 and their Tempranillo is now available on Amazon.com. Their climate (hot during the summer day, and cool overnight) seems to be perfect for the Tempranillo grape. In Australia Tempranillo is grown in the McLaren Vale region.[17] Tempranillo has also been introduced by some wine producers in Thailand.[18] The varietal is extensively grown in Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.
In Washington state, Tempranillo was one of the varieties pioneered in the state by Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA with its first commercial planting of the variety in 1993.[19]
[edit] Synonyms


Label showing both Tempranillo and the synonym used in Catalonia, Ull de Llebre.


Tempranillo is known by other names in certain regions. These include:
Albillo *****, Aldepenas, Aragon, Aragones, Aragonez, Aragonez 51, Aragonez da Ferra, Aragonez de Elvas, Arganda, Arinto Tinto, Cencibel, Cencibera, Chinchillana, Chinchillano, Chinchilyano, Cupani, De Por Aca, Escobera, Garnacho Fono, Grenache de Logrono, Jacibera, Jacibiera, Jacivera, Juan Garcia, Negra de Mesa, Negretto, Ojo de Liebre, Olho de Lebre, Pinuela, Sensibel, Tempranilla, Tempranillo de la Rioja, Tempranillo de Perralta, Tempranillo de Rioja, Tempranillo de Rioza, Tempranillo Rioja, Tinta Aragones, Tinta Corriente, Tinta de Madrid, Tinta de Santiago, Tinta de Toro, Tinta do Inacio, Tinta do Pais, Tinta Fina, Tinta Madrid, Tinta Monteira, Tinta Monteiro, Tinta Roris, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Santiago, Tinto Aragon, Tinto Aragonez, Tinto de la Ribera, Tinto de Madrid, Tinto de Rioja, Tinto de Toro, Tinto del Pais, Tinto del Toro, Tinto Fino, Tinto Madrid, Tinto Pais, Tinto Ribiera, Tinto Riojano, Ull de Liebre, Ull de Llebre, Valdepenas, Verdiell, Vid de

Tempranillo is ,The King of Spanish wines,Its varies in Usage, As does The Cabernet,Or the SANGIOVESE It is part of the backbone Of the Spanish wine industry, Regardless of the name it's given, It is still tampanella.Have any of you out there,ever made a TEMPRANILLO,It can be a very finicky Wine, to work with I did some three years in a row From Chilean juice,Even though this is basically an every day table wine, It really does has nice characteristics,I am not sure if this comes in the kit form or not But if it does , do a kit Then by all means try this . It is quite distinctive and different Very Similar to A SANGIOVESE As stated before But I think with the kit The more concentrated You will have more definition in the finished product,if you have chance To buy an inexpensive bottle, Then by all means do so, Expander your palette– You might be surprised.:db
 
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Veris winery in Paso Robles makes a sparkling almond wine. It is quite nice. The only thing I do know about their process is that they use almond paste.
 
Spanish wines continued

] Let us get back on track, some of the greatest wines in the world are Spanish wines wines that we come to know in our everyday language are Spanish wines . Here are just some.

E
Main article: Madeira wine
Madeira is a fortified wine made in the Madeira Islands. The wine is produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines which can be consumed on their own as an aperitif, to sweet wines more usually consumed with dessert.
Marsala wine

Main article: Marsala wine
Marsala wine is a wine from Sicily that is available in both fortified and unfortified versions.[6] It was first produced in 1772 by an English merchant, John Woodhouse, as an inexpensive substitute for sherry and port,[7] and gets its name from the island's port, Marsala.[6] The fortified version is blended with brandy to make two styles, the younger, slightly weaker Fine, which is at least 17% abv and aged at least four months; and the Superiore, which is at least 18%, and aged at least two years. The unfortified Marsala wine is aged in wooden casks for five years or more and reaches a strength of 18% by evaporation.[6]
Port wine

Main article: Port wine
Port wine (also known simply as Port) is a fortified wine from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal.[8] It is typically a sweet red wine, but also comes in dry, semi-dry and white varieties.
Sherry


A degustation of sherries


Main article: Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez, Spain. The word "sherry" is an anglicization of Jerez. In earlier times, sherry was known as sack (from the Spanish saca, meaning "a removal from the solera"). In the European Union "sherry" is a protected designation of origin; therefore, all wine labeled as "sherry" must legally come from the Sherry Triangle, which is an area in the province of Cádiz between Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María.[9]
After fermentation is complete, sherry is fortified with brandy. Because the fortification takes place after fermentation, most sherries are initially dry, with any sweetness being added later. In contrast, port wine (for example) is fortified halfway through its fermentation, which stops the process so that not all of the sugar is turned into alcohol.
Sherry is produced in a variety of styles, ranging from dry, light versions such as finos to much darker and sometimes sweeter versions known as olorosos.

Tell me out there in our day who does not remember Harvey's Bristol cream Sherry ? I know I thoI know I thought that was the cats meow, how many of you used vermouth in your drinks ? ports are an outstanding variety of the wine style they have tremendous history and the fabulous heritage , were going to go into these little more ports are one of my favorite,how about you ? ones the last time you had a good port? take the time to roam the aisles of your favorite spirits shop and see what they had their , even if you do not buy anything just look . Educate your mind in your senses................. There is a lot to digest , here . Take your time .:br
 
sicilly the land of the many cultures and the wines they inspired........ stay tuned
 
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How many almonds did you add per gallon? Was there an issue with the oils? I am guessing you can buy just plain shelled almonds, right? I just started a cherry and I am doing half with chocolate and the other half was going to be plain. Can you explain what you did please?

Newbie me wants to know how to add chocolate, when, in what format and what quantities
 
adding--- additives

If I were to add chocolate it probable would be in powdered form,first it would desolve better and with less oils in it as apposed to a bar or chips for sure,I would also do a test run on this run meaning,if you intend to make a 3 gallon batch then when your ready to do it ,be prepared to move forward a a moments notice.extack a gallon and start to mix in the chocolate (this should be done after the wine is finished)then start with a tablespoon at a time stirring in as you go along,until you think you have reached your taste profile,then let it set overnight to macerate(or fully blend in)taste again if you need to adjust ,adjust if not (you are keeping notes on what you 've added?)then proceed to do the same to the balance of the wine and bottle ASAP.NOW!

if all goes well in a week or two open up a bottle and see you what you have,,,,,enjoy,I know it sounds like a lot of work but that's wine making.............:db
 
Newbie me wants to know how to add chocolate, when, in what format and what quantities

Here is what works for me:
If you want to add the chocolate preferment you should consider 4 oz by weight per gallon of a good Dutch- processed unsweetened cocoa powder, Droste is my favorite and I really like Hershey's Special Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (though it is not Dutch-processed). Add the powder after your must has been prepared, SG determined and be prepared for a massive amount of chocolate foam and fudgy lees. It is easier to incorporate if you blend the powder with a bit of warmed liquid from your must. It really takes a good 1-2 years for the oils in cocoa powder to break down in the wine, to reach their full sinful sensory potential. Once you rack off any gross lees involving fruit you can leave the chocolate lees intact, regardless of how thick. So, I strongly encourage the use of fine mesh straining bags to contain any fruit pulp. Remember, you want as much chocolate contact time as you can get; but go about your normal racking process, you will drop cocoa for a while. Using Dutch-processed cocoa helps cut the processing down to 9-12 months, though even longer, even better. Do not let the commercial chocolate based wines lull you away from making a chocolate wine at home. I have yet to find a commercial chocolate wine that even compares to one made at home. And given proper time/attention, your chocolate wine does become crystal clear--no fining needed.
You can opt to add 1 cup Hershey's Syrup per gallon to a wine which is degassed and clear. The wine drops clear within 1-2 weeks of adding the syrup and can then be racked like any other wine with lees. If you want to retain the residual sugar from the syrup just be sure to stabilize wine with k-meta + sorbate prior to addition of syrup. And there is even Hershey's Special Dark Syrup on the market now.
I have not used a chocolate bar in my winemaking.
 
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Back to sicilian wine

cava
HAS ANYONE OUT THERE MADE GRILLO,THIS IS A OUTSTANDING WHITE WINE STEEPED IN HISTORY ,IT CAME OUT ONCE AS A KIT I MADE IT. IT WAS GORGEOUS.TOP TO BOTTOM A GREAT KIT ,IF YOU HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE TO SEE ONE TRY IT OR AT YOUR LOCAL STATE OR SPIRIT SHOP LOOK FOR IT AND BUY YOURSELF A TASTE TREAT,GRILLO.


SPANISH WINES AND THINGS TO KNOW


Xarel·lo is one of the principal grapes of the Spanish sparkling wine Cava.


Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional method of the French sparkling wine Champagne. The definition of Cava is Vino Espumoso e Calidad Producido en una Región Determinada (VECPRD). It originated in the Catalonia region at the Codorníu Winery in the late 19th century. The wine was originally known as Champaña until Spanish producers officially adopted the term "Cava" (cellar) in 1970 in reference to the underground cellars in which the wines ferment and age in the bottle. The early Cava industry was nurtured by the phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century, which caused the destruction and uprooting of vineyards planted with red grape varieties. Inspired by the success of Champagne, Codorníu and others encouraged vineyard owners to replant with white grape varieties like Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel·lo to use for sparkling wine production. These grapes are still the primary grapes of Cava today though some producers are experimenting with the use of the Champagne wine grapes of Chardonnay and Pinot noir.[11]
For most of its existence, the production of Cava was not regulated to a particular region of DO but rather to the grapes and method of production. Upon Spain's acceptance into the European Union in 1986, efforts were undertaken to designate specific areas for Cava production. Today use of the term "Cava" is restricted to production around select municipalities in Catalonia, Aragon, Castile and León, Valencia, Extremadura, Navarra, Basque Country and Rioja. Around 95% of Spain's total Cava production is from Catalonia, with the village





Cava

 
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the wonderful world of rasins

Raisins in California Land prices in the 1870's ranged from $3 - $20 per acre in California so large "spreads" could be bought inexpensively. As word of potential profits spread, land in the San Joaquin became a very attractive investment for developers and farmers.

In the late 1800's many Armenians, recognized as some of the world's most experienced viticulturists, came to the Central Valley. Even today, many raisin growers in California are of Armenian descent. Later, in the 1950's, immigrant farmers from India found great success in the raisin industry and play a big part in the industry today.
grapesA.jpg
While the muscat grape was generally regarded as the best raisin producer, it was a seeded raisin and the consumer didn't like seeds. Consequently, muscat raisins had to be seeded and this meant that the seeds were forced through the skin of the grapes, resulting in a sticky raisin. Raisin sales in the 1870's were limited to people willing to separate the sticky raisins by hand. What the growers needed, to expand consumer interest, was a seedless raisin grape.
In 1876, a Scottish immigrant living in the Northern Sacramento Valley, William Thompson first introduced the Lady deCoverly seedless grape - a thin-skinned, seedless, sweet and tasty grape - at the Marysville (California) District Fair. These grapes would later become known as Thompson Seedless grape. Since then, many other equally high-quality varieties have been developed, including the Fiesta, Dovine, and Selma Pete.
Drying

Chunche, naturally ventilated sheds for drying grapes into raisins in Xinjiang


There are three types of drying methods: sun drying, shade drying, and mechanical drying. [10] Sun drying is an inexpensive process; however, many concerns such as environmental contamination, insect infections and microbial deterioration are inevitable and the resulting raisins are often of low quality. Additionally, sun drying is a very slow process and may not produce the most desirable raisins. [10] On the other hand, mechanical drying is completed in a safer and more controlled environment where rapid drying is guaranteed. One type of mechanical drying is to use microwave heating. Water molecules in the grapes will absorb microwave energy resulting in rapid evaporation. Microwave heating often produces puffy raisins. [10]
 
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