Wine Making: Upgrades & Wine Kits

I have officially upgraded my wine making equipment to a 3 and 6 gallon kit 😆.

Plus I brought 3 different wine kits, which I will be putting my custom touches too!

Looking forward to getting started on these new wines:
– Cabernet Sauvignon (1 Gallon)
– Cabernet Franc Icewine (3 Gallon)
– Pink Moscato (6 Gallon)

I’ll be breaking down each one of these kits over the next few weeks, so stay tuned 🍷

Wine Making: Loquat (Japanese Plum) Zinfandel Recipe

One of my favorite fruits to eat straight off the tree’s as a kid was Loquats (aka Japanese Plums). I used it as inspiration in this wine blend.

This wine has an amazingly fragrant aroma a beautiful color. It already taste sooo good, but needs a little more aging  because it’s really strong (16% Alc Vol).

Loquat Zinfandel Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4lbs Loquats (aka Japanese Plums)
• 1/2 Can (23 fl oz) Zinfandel Blush Concentrate
• 50 fl oz Apple Juice
• 54 fl oz Water
• 24 oz Sugar (3 cups)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Pectic Enzyme
• 1 Teaspoon Acid Blend
• 1/4 Teaspoon Grape Tannin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Super Nutrient
• 1 Camden Tablet
• 1 Packet of Yeast

Directions:

• Pit and Mash Loquats
• Create a Simple Syrup with the water and sugar
• Add all ingredients (except Yeast) to Primary Fermenter and cover
• Let sit for 24 hrs
• Sprinkle Yeast on Ingredients and cover
• Let sit for 7 days
• Transfer to Secondary Fermenter
• Rack as needed until clear
• Age at least 4 months
• Back sweeten as desired

Wine Finds: The Wine Rack Bra

It’s Wine Rack Friday…LOL!!!!

Women, If you are every looking to conceal some wine or just want a little extra push up! Well, I’ve found the product for you…The Wine Rack Bra!

I can’t even keep a straight face while typing this…But I guess there is something out there for everyone! Who want’s one?

Recipe: Wine Latte (Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Lime)

Here’s another great combo…Wine & Latte 🍷☕🍷☕🍷☕🍷☕

Thank a bunch to Bright & Balanced for sharing the following recipe on their blog:

Chocolate Wine Latte for Chocolate Lovers

Ingredients 

• 3 squares Baker’s Chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup Chocolate Shop wine
• 3 cups coffee, brewed

Instructions

1. In a double boiler, allow chocolate to begin melting and add milk and wine. While this is happening brew your coffee.
2. In a mug mix one part coffee and one part of your chocolate wine mixture. Stir.
3. Add whipped cream (optional) and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Since I love Wine, this post made me want to find any other recipes featuring the amazing combo. So here you go 🍷☕🍷☕🍷☕🍷☕

Cinnamon Chocolate Wine Latte – No Coffee Required

 (Courtesy of The Pink Flour) 

Ingredients 

• 1 part whole milk
• 1 part chocolate wine (i.e. ChocolatRouge Wine)
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Whipped cream (optional) In a small sauce pan, heat milk on medium high heat until steaming hot.
2. Pour into coffee mug or desired glass.
3. Add chocolate wine and pinch cinnamon to the milk and stir.
4. Top with whipped cream and sprinkling of cinnamon, if desired.

Lime Wine Iced Latte

 (Courtesy of Good Girl Dinette and via Sprudge)

Ingredients

• Red Malbec Wine
• Sugar
• Lime Zest & Juice (Makrut)
• Cold Brewed Coffee
• Whole Clover Milk
• Ice

Instructions

1. Starts by making a red Malbec wine simple syrup reduction that cooks down for about 30 to 40 minutes
2. Then add some Makrut lime zest and juice.
3. To build the drink, measures about 60 grams of the syrup, then adds equal parts cold brew and ice with two to three ounces of whole Clover milk.
4. The latte is shaken in a cocktail shaker and poured into a cup.

Wine Making: How to Make a Naturally Red Watermelon Wine

Since it’s watermelon season, I decided to make Watermelon Wine. After researching recipes, I realized it’s one of the hardest fruit wines to make due to how quickly it spoils. Additionally, it doesn’t maintain it’s red color and changes to a yellow/orange color.

My Experience
For some reason, I thought my experience would be different if I juiced my watermelon first. Ahhh, no…my wine didn’t spoil, but it still turned yellow/orange. Who wants to drink a yellow/orange Watermelon Wine? I don’t!!! It’s just not right for my mental :?.

The Solution
Most winemakers add red food coloring to get it back to red. However, I figured there has got to be a way to keep it red. So, Apples came to mind 🍎. When you cut a apple, it begins to change brown due to oxidation. However, you can stop it by adding an acidic juice (i.e., Lemon, or Lime juice). So, I added fresh lime juice to my next batch.

After fermenting in my primary, I noticed the juice was still red! Then I transferred it to my secondary, and watched as the days and weeks passed….still red!

So, if you are looking to make Watermelon Wine, add some lime juice to keep it’s natural color.

Wine Finds: Protect Your Wine

I saw this and started to laugh…but I guess when it comes to your wine, you’ve got to lock it down 😆🍷

It’s called the Lockey Bottle Safe, if you are interested!

Wine Making Class: Final Class – Bottling

Our last wine making class was absolutely amazing!

I brought in the Brie Toast with Chardonnay Soaked Raisin (Recipe) and received tons of compliments.

Now for the fun…
Throughout our previous classes, we made different types of wine (Riesling, Malbec, Raspberry Mead, and a Blend with Table Grapes).

So, now it’s time for bottling!

Step 1: Sanitize Bottles and Corks

We used the following sanitizing rack. Simply add your sanitizer to the top with your corks. Then you can insert each bottle over the white tip and push. It will shoot sanitizer into the bottle. Once done, you sit the bottle on the rack go dry.

Step 2: Siphon Wine into Bottles

Step 3: Cork Bottles

We used the following corker model, which inserted the corks easy.

Step 4 & 5: Label and Heat Seal Wrap

We used the following equipment to seal the pvc wrap on the bottle.

The final product:

After bottling our batches of wine, we had Graduation. So, it’s official! I now have my Doctorate of Winemaking 😉

I’ve Been MIA (Missing In Action)

Hey there everyone…It’s been a while since my last post but there are more fun and exciting post come 😆🍷

Recipe: Brie Toast with Chardonnay-Soaked Golden Raisins

Who wants some??? This looks so delicious and I can’t wait to try this recipe from Arisanal Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups water
• 1 cup Chardonnay
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split in half vertically
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 12 ounces Fromager d’Affinois cheese sliced into 24 pieces (or use any double-crème brie)
• 24 slices baguette cut ¼ inch thick
• 4 tablespoons ( ½ stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

• In a medium-size saucepan, combine the water, wine, and sugar.
• Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved.
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Scrape the insides of the vanilla bean into the liquid and add the remaining bean.
• Add the raisins. Let steep uncovered for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Drain the raisins, reserving the liquid. Discard the vanilla bean. Put the liquid back in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to about 1/3 cup, or until the syrup turns a deep golden color, 10 to 15 minutes. Watch carefully so the syrup doesn’t burn. If it starts to foam, remove from heat immediately. The syrup will continue to thicken as it cools, and have a texture similar to light maple syrup. Cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
• Brush butter onto both sides of the bread slices. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely.
• To assemble: Put a slice of cheese on each toast. Sprinkle with a few raisins and drizzle syrup over the top.

Makes 24

Note: If you have any raisins and syrup left over, combine them and refrigerate in an airtight container. They will keep for 2 weeks.

Wine Making Class: Week 4 – Making Table Wine, Refractometer, and Wine & Cheese Pairing

It’s Week 4….only 2 more weeks to go!

If you missed any of the following weeks, please check them out…Week 1, Week 2, Week 3

Making Table Wine

This week we made a Table Wine….What is Table Wine you ask? According to Wikipedia the term primarily designates a wine style – ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling.

Our Table Wine consisted of Table Grapes, lots and lots of them. However, since we are wine makers we had to add some extra flavor. So, we added a can of Zinfandel Blush concentrate and a can of Blueberry Puree. This should make for an interesting wine!

Refractometer

We also learned about the refractometer and how to use it. For wine makers a refractometer is a tool used to check the brix content of grapes or other fruit. In other words, it measures the sugar content. Sugar content is important, because it is what makes the alcohol content with wine. This may sound similar to the hydrometer; however the refractometer is used to take a very small sample of the fruits juice in order to gauge if the fruit is ripe or too ripe. Whereas, the hydrometer is used to take a bigger sample after all the juice has be squeezed from the grapes or fruit.

Wine & Cheese Pairing

Every class we have wine tastings, but this class one of the students brought in cheese to pair along with our wines.

The Wines:

• 2014 Black Spanish Grape Wine (Made by a student)
• 2014 Elderberry Wine (Made by a student) – My 2nd Favorite
• 2009 Smythe & Renfield Pinot Noir
• 2011 The Scribbler Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz
• 2014 Forefathers Sauvignon Blanc – My Favorite
• 2013 Yalumba Viognier Eden Valley
• 2014 Bruno Collection Cardinal Cranberry Wine

The Cheeses:

• Saint Angel Triple Creme –  My Favorite
• Murray’s Welsh Cheddar
• Urray’s Raw Milk Boerenkaa Gouda (10 Month Aged)
• No Woman Jerk – My 2nd Favorite
• Murray’s Smokehouse Blue