tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220015858156703113.post3173742503123086574..comments2023-02-09T01:32:42.779-05:00Comments on Hybrid Wines Online: Dry ConcordPaul Bulashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12529246329390414743noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220015858156703113.post-55377785160512494352012-12-07T08:39:53.162-05:002012-12-07T08:39:53.162-05:00I agree. Don't fear Concord. She just misunder...I agree. Don't fear Concord. She just misunderstood and masked like a painted bird. <br /><br />I made 5 gallons of New York Concord last year with the same goal, dry, not sweet ripple flavors. I'm no expert, but having read about the acid issues, I decided to use enough water to take it down a notch, but added sugars to keep the brix level high enough to keep well in a bottle for years, which diluted down some of the rich, thick, Jessica Rabbit caliber body I tasted in all the commercial varieties over the years (and in communion wine as well as that famous sweet sabbath wine). <br /><br />I used Montrache yeast, thinking it best for fruit wines (I used the voracious EC-1118 for my Niagra which turned out very well, especially in the fight to tame heavy fish flavored meals). <br /><br />I also shocked and cleared the yeast it at 28 degree for a few weeks, which had worked like a charm with Niagra. <br /><br />The result was awesome, and gets very good feedback from everyone who tries it in blind tastings and I dare say would stand up very well to any meatball sandwich in red sauce ever devised.<br /><br />For desserts, I may add a little sugar with herbs for unique, if not more healthful flavors, but no need to complicate matters here.<br /><br />This year, I'm using honey (no need to boil it) to keep the brix constant as I trim down the more dangerous, notorious curves of what's been called North America's most "foxy" grape... [cue the Jimi Hendrix music to take us outie: "comin to gettcha"].Writelouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02101728842989820611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220015858156703113.post-37904311352536227702010-09-07T22:07:20.425-04:002010-09-07T22:07:20.425-04:00I liked your article, though I have used H20 to he...I liked your article, though I have used H20 to help control the acid in my concord wine. I may have to brave it and make a batch with no H2o just to see what I can do. I also enjoy a dry wine and have found concord grapes can make a wonderful dry wine. I have used Lalvin EC1118 and it has worked well. This fall however I'm going to try Vinters Harvest MA33. It's a risk I'm willing to take because I've read good things about it. I'm using it in my rhubard wine right now and it's going very well. A dry rhubarb wine is amazing. If you haven't made it you should. In my concord wine making I've also used Malolatic fermentation along with cold stabilization to deal with the acid. I've also oaked my wine with light french oak chips keeping the oak in contact with the wine for just a short period of time. I've also did this with heavy American oak cubes which worked pretty darn well too. I grow concord and Frontenac grapes in my small yard and seem to always come up with very nice wines. I wish I had more time to tend to my vines, but life is busy and I tend to do the basic upkeep and it works. I also like to experiment so no two wines I've made in the past 7 years have been exactly alike which makes it fun and interesting. Thanks again for the good article. Sincerely, dwinemakerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220015858156703113.post-12490824385966472672009-04-27T15:40:00.000-04:002009-04-27T15:40:00.000-04:00I would point that is just a matter of taste to sa...I would point that is just a matter of taste to say that good wine cannot be made from labrusca.<br /><br />Labrusca type Isabela is used in east-europe to make excellent wines by local people. Isabela is well adapted as a patio-shading vine and the people are using the grapes for making wine.<br /><br />And as they say, that home-made wine is better than the store bought one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220015858156703113.post-36623658720511179852008-09-11T18:52:00.000-04:002008-09-11T18:52:00.000-04:00So how did the oaking go? I am going to try a dry...So how did the oaking go? I am going to try a dry concord and was thinking about oaking as well. I will also be making a black raspberry that I may split off a gallon and oak as well. What do you think about that?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220015858156703113.post-17582687330040700922008-02-16T10:11:00.000-05:002008-02-16T10:11:00.000-05:00Thanks for the feedback. It's also good to know t...Thanks for the feedback. It's also good to know that some dry Niagaras are being made commercially. Mine would typically qualify as a '0' on the sugar scale though - I let fermentation complete entirely and then move my wine into cold stabilization. I guess 1% r.s. is good business sense, if nothing else :)Paul Bulashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529246329390414743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220015858156703113.post-66369153333955418262008-02-16T09:28:00.000-05:002008-02-16T09:28:00.000-05:00Thank you Paul for providing an excellent choice o...Thank you Paul for providing an excellent choice of wine for those of us who have matured beyond the syrupy sweet wines, but not the great flavor of those native grapes. I live down at the southern tip of the Finger Lakes; centrally located in Corning NY and I'm beginning to see more dry varieties of the naturally sweet grapes we all love. You do not mention what winery you're associated with if any. Please bring your wines to the Finger Lakes Wine Festival at Watkins Glen Raceway in July 2008! Nobody is producing the dry Concord and I have a friend who is still hounding the liquor stores to get it in down here. Rockstream winery (Seneca Wine Trail) is producing dry Niagra and it's excellent. Thank you for experimenting and providing wine lovers another taste dimension to savor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com