Fruit Wine Infusion   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 Rochester, 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 now.

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. (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!