What’s your favorite grape/fruit to ferment?

[JCBurg]

So what is everyone’s favorite wine making fruit (or other)? AND where can a fella find some good grapes to make wine this time of year outside of kits?

 

[cmason1957]

If you want grapes to make wine from this time of year (March) and you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you are looking for grapes from the Southern Hemisphere. Chilean and South Africa are the two you generally hear of being imported into the US. There might be a fruit supplier near you or an importer of the same. Otherwise juice buckets, previously pressed grapes are popular. Also Frozen Fruit must is available year round, look for Brehm and there may be others.

 

[JCBurg]

If you want grapes to make wine from this time of year (March) and you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you are looking for grapes from the Southern Hemisphere. Chilean and South Africa are the two you generally hear of being imported into the US. There might be a fruit supplier near you or an importer of the same. Otherwise juice buckets, previously pressed grapes are popular. Also Frozen Fruit must is available year round, look for Brehm and there may be others.

Fantastic, what’s your favorite wine to make then?

 

[sour_grapes]

I am not sure how "southern" you are in Wisconsin, but the McHenry County Corkers are having a group buy of Chilean juice buckets. (Not whole grapes.) Ordering deadline is the end of March. You can make arrangements here: https://www.perfectbrewingsupply.store/2019-chilean-grape-juice-buckets/

Oh, and more info available here: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/9beb5...1db6-4ffe-81a5-9a7a42c7bda3/2019Letter.01.pdf

 

[JCBurg]

I am not sure how "southern" you are in Wisconsin, but the McHenry County Corkers are having a group buy of Chilean juice buckets. (Not whole grapes.) Ordering deadline is the end of March. You can make arrangements here: https://www.perfectbrewingsupply.store/2019-chilean-grape-juice-buckets/

very southern, like Evansville and work in janesville

 

[Chuck E]

So what is everyone’s favorite wine making fruit (or other)? AND where can a fella find some good grapes to make wine this time of year outside of kits?

https://www.winemakingtalk.com/thre...r-the-spring-harvest.68067/page-4#post-720692

 

[JCBurg]

Thanks Chuck! Good link!

 

[cmason1957]

Fantastic, what’s your favorite wine to make then?

I love to make dry reds. Big dry red, Chambourcin is one of my favorite local grapes and wines. And I make a pretty good one according to several reviews. And blends of several reds, usually three or more. With Cabernet Sauvignon being one of them. This year, I am thinking of blending Cab with Sryah and Zinfandel. Maybe all in equal amounts, maybe Sryah heavy. I have to do some bench trials to see what works best.

 

[JCBurg]

Gosh the blending sounds fun. I made a Cabernet last year out of an expensive kit and it just hasn’t turned out well yet. It’s been aging in the bottle about 8 months. It’s funny you mention you like Chambourcin, because before I started making wine I wouldn’t have know what that was but my horizons are opening so much.
Thus far my favorite was an accident made out of the throw away juice from my Marechal Foch grapes last year. I had my main batch that I did a lot of work on and the. I had the left over juice that came out of the grapes when I removed them from the must and transferred them to another bucket for an hour. Instead of dumping it I said what the heck and pitched some yeast into it just to see what happened. No processing aside from some Camden tablets and a I think some stabilizer. It was so good and drinkable even as I bottled it, just letting the grape be what it was.

Meanwhile my 6 gallons that I sweat over, oxidized and was ruined. Oh well, at least I have 7 delicious bottles of personal miracle!