We tried two wines, one was bottled at the end of 2020 and the second bottled mid 2021. Interesting comparisons and some learnings.
2020
This wine was brewed pretty much text book. It bubbled vigorously at first and then tailed off over time. The filtering was through a pillow case so very clear. A slight sediment at the bottom of the bottle but nothing to speak of.
It was a bit fizzy when we opened it, indicating it possibly still had some yeast and fermentation going on. Quite dry but otherwise a very pleasant taste. One comment was that it tastes a bit like a white wine. This perhaps indicates not enough fruit.
- DO filter through a sheet
- DO add some more fruit – maybe a different dark fruit to add a contrast
- DO let it stand for an hour after opening to let the fizz subside
33% preferred this wine.
2021
This wine had a number of issues.
There were not enough elderberries, so probably a quarter was made up from blackberries, rosehips and sloes.
After putting it into the fermenter jar, we decided there was not enough sugar. For this reason, after about a month, we decanted, filtered, and then added more sugar before returning the wine to the fermenter jar. This seemed to kill the fermentation.
We then added more yeast to try and start the fermentation again. It kind of worked but the bubbling was very extremely slow. We used to shake it to try and wake it up. Because it was so slow, and we were not confident, this sat in the fermenter jar for about 6 months. It must have worked because the end result was 9% alcohol.
We tried filtering it through a coffee filter, and that seemed to change the flavour, so it was only filtered through muslin. I hope this does not cause a problem down the line.
This was a much sweeter wine, and probably a bit more full-bodied. One comment was that it tasted a bit like port.
- DO add dark fruit to vary the flavour
- DO slow down the fermentation – this seems to have kept it a bit sweeter
- DON’T filter out all the dregs mid-fermentation
- DON’T filter it through coffee filters
67% preferred this wine.
Disclaimer
The wine was judged by a panel of 3 people.