I’ve Been Lazy!
January 9th, 2007 | 
Author: Well, I’ve been lazy as far as my winemaking is concerned. And it’s time for me to get back on track here.
I’ve almost felt guilty in some ways – I’ve left some wine batches to fend for themselves without any help from me just because I’ve been so busy doing other necessary things. I’m actually quite impressed with what I discovered this evening when I decided to spend some time in the home winery area.
Back in the summer, I started an R.J. Spagnols “Limited Quantities” Petit Chenin Blanc. On August 12th, I racked from the primary to a carboy – and it’s been sitting there ever since. No sulphite added. No racking. Nothing. I expected vinegar… even the water in the airlock was totally low.
So today, six months later, I cautiously removed the airlock and took a whiff. “Hmmm….” thinks I, “smells like wine, not vinegar.” So, put in my racking cane and tube – noticing the thickness of the lees on the bottom.. and suck to create the syphon. “Doesn’t taste like vinegar either!” I say to myself.
I tasted far less than a mouthful – but it was definitely wine and not vinegar and continued to rack. Although it had been sitting for six months, there was still a lot of CO2 present – but after doing some degassing sessions, I added sulphite and then the liquid Isinglass that came with the kit. Perhaps this will all turn out fine in the end!
I then put my attention to the mead I started last year. Again, I hadn’t given this any attention since June or July. After adding crushed egg shell to it, it had cleared up very nice. Time to rack it off the lees – and a little mouthful in starting the syphon – “Hmmm.. that has already mellowed significantly than my last recollection.”
Next up was the three gallons of gooseberry wine I began last year. Wow! This tastes great! I’ll have a more formal taste report later – but yes, this quite ready for bottling… and drinking along with foods with curry.
Happily, I move on to another .. a blueberry melomel. Another one I’ve neglected. Start the syphon, get a taste on my tongue… “hmmm…. I think I like it… but… hmmm… it’s not vinegar…which is good.”
I was not impressed with my blueberry melomel. But, it’s been racked, a 1/4 teaspoon of sulphite added, and I’m going to seal it for another year of ageing and we’ll see what it’s like then.
That was enough for the evening. Tomorrow, I’ll get to the other wines I’ve got here and report back. I’ll also be starting a new R. J. Spagnol’s LQ that I picked up today.
And I also need to plan on getting up to see my very good and very pretty friend, Debbie at “Wines To Go” in Alliston.
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