Question:
Hi, Now that the fall is just about 6 weeks away, I was wondering about a new mix of grape to achieve a new wine. I was thinking of Making a batch of Pinot Noir mixed with Zinfandel and maybe adding a few crates of French Colombard due to its High Sugar -High Acid content, which could help boost the Alc. level 1 or 2 % higher. Now the real Problem, to make 30 Gal. what ratio should I use?…Thanks in advance. — Cheers, Montreal Bob "Ode to a Grasshopper" – Jim Morrison
Response:
Hi, Now that the fall is just about 6 weeks away, I was wondering about a new mix of grape to achieve a new wine. I was thinking of Making a batch of Pinot Noir mixed with Zinfandel and maybe adding a few crates of French Colombard due to its High Sugar -High Acid content, which could help boost the Alc. level 1 or 2 % higher. Now the real Problem, to make 30 Gal. what ratio should I use?…Thanks in advance. —
Bob, what a loaded question. I always blend wine, not grapes up front, so take anything I say from the point of ignorance in which it is offered. Blending grapes up front makes it difficult, if not impossible to predict what the final wine will be like. I assume you get your grapes from a source in California or the Pacific Northwest? I suspect the Zin will dominate, unless you use a very small amount of it. The Pinot Noir and French Colombard characteristics will probably not be discernable in the finished product. So, if I were to do this I’d probably use 60% Zin, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% French Colombard. I’d make the entire wine in a light style, with only a couple days on the skins. I’d get the cap to 85F for a day, then cool the fermentation down to around 70F for the remainder of the duration. If you use barrels, I’d go directly to barrel after pressing off the skins and complete the fermentation there. I suspect you’d end up with something that is fruity and between a red and a rose’. Another alternative would be to cold soak the Zin and Pinot for 24-48 hours, press the juice, blend it all together and use standard white wine making techniques (no skin contact, cooler fermentation, etc.). You could end up with an excellent Rose’ with a lot of structure. In any case, as I said, I’d probably never do it this way (I prefer to blend finished wines), but if you do let me know how it comes out. And remember, whatever you do, it’ll still most likely be wine when you finish. Kirk
Response:
Hey thanks for the adv. Kirk…I will let you know thw result of the first rack in Dec. — Cheers, Montreal Bob "Ode to a Grasshopper" – Jim Morrison
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