New wine production started yesterday. After the results of the last batch of wine I feel confident to try something a bit more complex............Recioto della Valpolicella.
A straw wine or passito (or raisin wine if you will) it should be a stout dessert wine.
It has a sugar content to go to 20% but my yeast (Champagne) is only good to 18% so we shall see.
Straw wines are called that because in old times the grapes were dried on straw mats (made into raisins).
This process concentrated the sugars and fruit flavors of the grapes.
Straw wines are some of the oldest wines but are rare theses days.These wines were made all around the world.
Two of these wines come from the Verona (Shakespeare anyone?) region of Italy.
One called Amarone (a very dry wine),and Recioto della Valpolicella (a sweet dessert wine) said to go well with chocolate and cheeses.
Recioto [r eh-CHAW-toh] della [dell-uh] Valpolicella [Val pole-e-chella]
Recioto's name is derived from a local dialect term recie meaning "ears."
A grape bunch often has two small clusters-called ears-branching out of the main bunch.
The ears are thought to be of better quality because they stick out and catch more sun.
Valpolicella (a name which according to some derives from the Latin "Vallis-polis-cellae" and could mean "Valley of many cellars").
I adapted two different recipes for this batch of wine and added my own changes to it..
Here’s the recipe as I prepared it.
My Raisin Wine (Recioto della Valpolicella)
7 lbs. Sun Maid Rasins
18oz. Craisins
3 12oz. cans of Welch's concentrate (Concord)
4 tsp Acid Blend
2oz. Unsulphured Molasses (Grandma's)
2oz. Pure Honey (Burleson’s)
2lbs. Light Brown Sugar (Imperial)
1lb. Granulated Sugar (Imperial)
3 gal. Reverse Osmosis Water
3 crushed Campden tablets
2 1/4 tsp pectic enzyme (3/4 per gallon)
3 tsp yeast nutrient
1 pkt (Lalvin EC-1118 Champagne) wine yeast
Put water on to boil. Meanwhile, chop the Raisins and Craisins or run them through a mincer.
Put Raisins,Craisins sugar and yeast nutrient into primary fermenter with a sediment bag.
When water boils, pour over raisins and stir until sugar dissolves.
Cover with a sanitized cloth and set aside to cool.
Since Rooster's truly a Renaissance man it's only fitting that he makes wine and references Shakespeare.
ReplyDeleteLiz
COOL. I found a new project.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the recipe stir daily for 7 days and then transfer into carboy and fit airlock.Rack after thirty days and continue 'til clear and ferment stops.Sweeten and bottle.
ReplyDelete