For years, I thought I just didn’t like the taste of alcohol. I could stand a half a shot of amaretto (or other flavorful liquor) if it was mixed in a large milkshake. But wine by itself? Always tasted like moldy fruit juice to me.
This past February, there were two occasions where I tasted a wine I actually liked. One was brewed by my grandfather, and the other came from a local winery. The winery doesn’t share secrets, but my grandfather did. By comparing his method with the standard recommended procedure, I hypothesized that it was the additives used to control fermentation that really caused that moldy taste, not the alcohol itself.
I wanted to test this with a fruit that I had in abundance, but that wouldn’t be a loss if it didn’t turn out. So I took a half-gallon of squash that had been in the freezer since 2014. It was a very sweet squash, so much so that I could make pies without any added sugar with it. I did add extra sugar for the wine.
It’s not quite ready to bottle yet, but when I sampled it there was no trace of that weird moldy flavor. On the other hand, my dad made watermelon wine at about the same time, using all the recommended additives, and his definitely has that weird flavor.
I think I might be on to something! Now if only I had room for more bottles :)
My FIL used to experiment the same way, with the various things he grew or was able to get from the local Amish.
I hope your batch turns out well!
(I always thought that I would like Dandelion Wine - I was a sentimental fan of the Ray Bradbury book of the same name, and always wanted to try the wine because it just sounded so Summery and whimsical. But when Dad sent us his experiment, it was like drinking grass soaked in Isopropyl :-) (he did make some very nice berry wines, though.)
Best,
-JT
Ellendra, I believe you ARE onto something. In Switzerland in the fall there is something only available then in the restaurants. It’s called Sauser (pronounced Soozer) and it’s the first ferment of the grapes or something. It’s like cider: tastes like grape juice, rich, not too sweet, with a kick. They serve it in little ceramic cups that look like mini pitchers. It’s very good.
My Dad who passed in 1995 made the best cherry wine. Our house in south Chicago had a pie type cherry tree in the backyard which was quite large. He did not bake and neither did my Mom. They also were born in the 20’s and never let anything go to waste. So he made cherry wine and bottled it in glass coke bottles, even keeping the 6 pack. It had amazing color, bouquet, and flavor. It was not a dry wine and it did not bother my stomach like every other wine I taste. I wish I had asked him for his recipe. I can still taste it.