Lets Do Wine Archive Page
Thursday, May 28, 2009

It's back!!! Or at least it will be! You can get this by "pre-ordering" only. Order before August 1st and they will be delivered to us by mid-September, 2009. This awesome limited release juice makes the most outstanding Port. Read on...

Multiple Gold medal winner at the 2008 and 2009 WineMaker Amateur Wine Competition. Hugely popular for the last two years, many of our customers were left wanting more or some just plain missed out. Make sure you pre-order now!

Bursting with rich, intense flavors and aromas, this wine has traditional Port character of warm, rounded cherry and plum, supported by a racy zing of bright raspberry, perfumed and gently tart, giving way to luscious liquid chocolate, beguiling with dark, bittersweet aromas of coffee and vanilla—it’s like an entire chocolaterie in a glass! Toasty hints of oak guide the way to a long, rich finish. Excellent within three months, this wine will age gorgeously—if you can keep any that
long!

Oak: Toasted
Sweetness: 7
Body: Full
Alcohol by volume: 15%-16.5%

Like last year, Chocolate Raspberry Port will come complete with everything needed to produce 3 gallons of Port. It contains 3 gallons of juice...this is NOT a concentrate. No water added. 30 peel and stick bottle labels included. $109 per kit. Again, this kit must be Pre-ordered by August 1st and will arrive mid-September 2009. These will make awesome Christmas gifts! Call today 716-686-9969.


by: Lets Do Wine

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Q. As a home winemaker, do I have to add sulphites to my wine?

A. Many people are concerned with sulphites but the answer is YES!!! Yes, we highly recommend adding sulphites to wine. As wine ferments, yeast die off creating bacteria. When sulphites are added, they kill off the bacteria and making the wine safe to drink. Just remember, you don't have to add a lot to get the job done. Home winemakers add much less than commercially made wines.


by: Lets Do Wine

Thursday, May 7, 2009


Oh yes, another dandelion season is in full swing! This time of year I get the biggest kick out watching my husband carefully scan our yard for even a slight sign of anything yellow. He has waged a full out and out war on dandelions. He seems to be winning. For others, they love the sight of the little yellow sprouts. Those are the people who that with a little tender loving care, dandelions make delicious wine.

Making dandelion wine is not a simple task. You can't just pick them and throw them into a fermenter with a little yeast and off they go. Oh no. None of the green can be used in the wine because it will cause bitterness. Therefore, the petals must either be picked off or cut off. Very labor intensive!

I have tasted some very bitter dandelion wine - I suspect that the bitterness was caused from using the green part of the dandelion. I've also tasted some very good dandelion wine. Actually, a dandelion wine took 2nd place in our 2003 wine making competition!

If you are up to a little bit of work, here is a recipe for dandelion wine:

Dandelion Wine Recipe
7 cups of Dandelion petals
1 lb chopped Golden Raisins
2-1/2 lbs Sugar
1 tsp Acid Blend
1/4 tsp Tannin
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1 oz Bitter Orange Peel
1 gallon hot water
1 packet of champagne yeast

Cut off or pluck petals from stems (discard all stems and green parts). Wash and drain petals - set aside.
Pour hot water in a primary fermenting bucket and dissolve sugar.

Place petals, raisins and orange peel in a small straining bag. Tie off bag and place in the primary fermenting bucket.

Allow to cool to 70 degrees and then add all other ingredients. Stir well.

Stir daily for 7 days. After 7 days, gently squeeze straining bag into fermenter and discard entire bag. Transfer the liquid contents from the primarty fermenter into a gallon jug. The jug should be full - if not, top up with water. Allow to sit for approx 1 month. Transfer back into primary fermenter and add 1/2 tspMetabisulphite and 1/2 tsp of potassium sorbate. Stir well for approx 5 minutes to drive off excess gas. Transfer back into clean gallon jug. Allow to sit for another month.

The above recipe will yield approx 1 gallon of wine. When picking, keep away from fertilized areas and you may want to pick in a "pet-free" zone.


by: Lets Do Wine

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