Making Red Wine at the Farm - (Continued)

This is a continuation of a story that we started in September 2003 - showing how we make wine at our farm.

September 2003 - Many years we are so busy, and the grapes are sold so quickly we tend to take whatever is left for our own wine. This year I decided that I wanted some Baco-Foch red wine so I had some picked before our customers picked them first.    To continue the 2003 story...... Fall - 2004    Sandy Paetz, our MSU wine student (just a kid in his 50's), and I were sampling some of the wine and decided that it needed some treatment. The wine was a little high in acid to taste. (I did not really measure it like I should of - but tested it by tasting.) We decided to treat the wine with Calcium Carbonate to reduce the acid and also add some ground oak chips for a little oak flavor.
We used a wine thief and some fancy glasses (1/2 pint jelly jars that I use for honey) to sample the wine. The carboy on the right was racked into both of the lower 5 gallon carboys. This ensures that everything is mixed ok.
1 camben tablet (sulfur) per gallon (10 total) is is crushed in a little water and half is put into each new carboy.
	25 grams of Calcium Carbonate is measured and added to the wine.
25 grams of oak chips are measured and added to the wine.
	The second carboy is racked into the two new ones and they are topped up with some smaller bottles of the wine that we previously set aside. Both the Calcium Carbonate and the oak chips were added only to the carboy on the right. Later on we will taste the wine and most likely blend them together.
January 2005 - I tasted the wines and decided I wanted more acid reduction and more oak - so I repeated the whole process. To view the whole story so far............
In a few more months we will blend them together again and bottle it. For further information view our downloadable "Winemaking Booklet". This is a booklet that we hand out at our farm to help winemakers get started. The Vineyard Winemaking Booklet Home Wine Making in the East Mead Making Winemaking Resources

 

Winter Issue Grape Recipe - Grape and Nectarine Salad

Grape and Nectarine Salad
Prep: 10 min.
4 large nectarines, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbs. sugar
1/2 lb. red seedless grapes, halved
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chopped walnuts
8 lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Combine first 3 ingredients and 1-1/2 Tbs. lemon juice in a bowl. Toss and set aside. Combine remaining lemon juice with cream and salt to taste in another bowl. Stir lemon and cream mixture into fruit. Add walnuts and toss. Serve fruit salad on 2 lettuce leaves per serving.

Do you have a great grape recipe - please and we will put it in our newsletter.

Candle W*nner & Laugh of the Month

Congratulations!

Winter candle winner: vali_enache@hotmail.###


Will this months w*nner,
vali_enache@hotmail.###

please contact us and send your address so that I can ship your candles.

Our list of previous candle w*nners.

 

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Click below for something silly to end this newsletter with.

Laugh of the month: Strongbad Characters: Strongbad

See You Next Month!

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Honeyflow Farm
4939 Mill Rd.    PO Box 275
Dryden, Michigan 48428
(810) 796-2344 (Phone & Fax)

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