Fruit Wine Infusion Grapes for wine. Every now and then, our winemakers share
some of their "trade secrets" or inventions that warrant sharing with their permission. The time
is perfect to combine your winemaking skills with the fruits that are coming into season. This presentation
Fruit Wine Infusion was given by Jan Klapetzky from Williamson, NY at the 2006 Home Winemaking
Seminar that is held every year in central NY. Past years programs to give you an idea: http://www.nys-homewine.info
Jan will take a sound but perhaps a disappointing (white) wine and after pre-treating it
(read on) will infuse it with fresh fruits for a short duration. His guidelines are presented below. This was a
novel approach to fruit wines, I thought! We thought you would enjoy it. Strawberries are ready early
June.
For a base wine his suggestions were 5 gallons clear sound wine such as Cayuga, Vidal, Riesling. If the base
wine is bitter, treat with pvpp (polyclar). Pre treat with Sorbate (Jan uses 1-1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons) and Meta
(1/4 teaspoon per 5 gallons).
Fruit recommendations given were: 6-7 quarts fresh strawberries with stems removed OR 4 quarts fresh raspberries
with stems removed OR 12# sour cherries, no need to pit, lightly crushed OR peaches, skin, remove pits, remove any
oxidation (brown) spots and cut up (he did not have a volume recommendation for peaches.) Keep notes!
Put your fruit into the carboy first and then rack the wine, which has been sorbated onto the fruit. Fill
the carboy.
After 5-6 days, (don't over-soak the fruit) rack off into a clean carboy, top up the carboy
with wine. After 2 weeks, rack if clear, otherwise treat lightly with sparkolloid following instructions on the
item package, rack when clear, usually 7-10 days.
Add 1/8 tsp meta and 1 1/2 teaspoons of sorbate (again). Sweeten to taste using cane sugar dissolved in some
wine. (1 tablespoon raises the brix of a 750 ml wine bottle 2 degrees). Bottle and drink
young. It is usually best if consumed within a year.
An unknown winemaker suggested canning peaches in wine with a light syrup, using wine instead
of water. Follow canning recommendations on use of ascorbic acid in the syrup. That sounds interesting if you can
keep the kids out of the peaches! Actually I would imagine that the alcohol would blow off in heating the wine and
sugar when making the syrup.
May your wines fall bright!
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