ChatGTP Riesling Recipe question...

Whilst enjoying a glass of Riesling this evening, I started wondering if it would be possible to make something that mimic it.

Now, I have never before attempted to make a wine so really don't have much of a scoobie about how to go about it. I know I could have spent time searching this site and other internet sites to get this information, but my laziness came to the fore and I decided to put the question to ChatGTP. I'm not going to blindly follow the recipe it spat out as I have no idea how accurate it would be. It seems similar to some recipes I've seen, but I wondered if someone with the knowhow could cast an eye and critique what it came up with..

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Creating a homebrew recipe inspired by Riesling using Tesco-available fruit juices involves selecting juices that mimic Riesling’s flavor profile: fruity, aromatic, with balanced acidity and sweetness. Here’s a simple recipe:

Tesco-Inspired “Riesling” Homebrew Recipe

Makes: 4.5 liters (1 gallon)

Ingredients:

1. Tesco White Grape Juice - 2.5 liters (100% juice, no added preservatives)
2. Tesco Apple Juice - 1.5 liters (100% juice, no added preservatives)
• Adds crispness and a green apple note.
3. Tesco Lemon Juice - 50 ml
• Balances sweetness with acidity.
4. Tesco Honey or White Sugar - 200–250 grams
• Boosts alcohol content and adds subtle floral sweetness.
5. Wine Yeast - 1 packet (e.g., Lalvin D47 or EC-1118)
• Specifically for white wines or dry, aromatic profiles.
6. Yeast Nutrient - 5 grams
• Ensures healthy fermentation.
7. Campden Tablets - 1-2 tablets
• To sterilize the juice and prevent wild fermentation.
8. Pectolase (Pectin Enzyme) - 5 grams
• Helps clarify the wine.
9. Water - To top up the batch to 4.5 liters.

Instructions:

1. Sterilize Equipment
Clean and sanitize all brewing equipment, including the fermenter, airlock, and stirring utensils.
2. Prepare the Must (Juice Mix)
• In your fermenter, combine the white grape juice, apple juice, and lemon juice.
• Dissolve the honey or sugar in 500 ml warm water and mix into the juice blend.
3. Adjust Acidity
• Taste the juice blend. Adjust with more lemon juice if needed for a tart balance similar to Riesling.
4. Sterilize the Juice
• Crush and dissolve 1 Campden tablet into the must. Let it sit for 24 hours to kill wild yeasts.
5. Add Pectolase
• Stir in pectin enzyme to prevent haze and ensure clarity.
6. Pitch the Yeast
• After 24 hours, sprinkle the wine yeast over the juice or rehydrate it according to the packet instructions. Add yeast nutrient to support fermentation.
7. Fermentation
• Seal the fermenter with an airlock and store it in a cool, dark place (18–22°C). Fermentation should start within 24–48 hours.
8. Monitor Fermentation
• Allow fermentation to proceed for 2–3 weeks or until bubbling slows significantly.
9. Rack the Wine
• Siphon the wine into a clean fermenter, leaving behind sediment (lees). Top up with water or additional juice if needed.
10. Secondary Fermentation & Aging
• Let the wine age for at least 4–6 weeks. Optionally, add another Campden tablet to stabilize.
11. Bottle
• Taste the wine. Sweeten if desired by adding non-fermentable sweeteners like erythritol or stevia. Bottle and cork the wine.
12. Age
• Store the bottles in a cool, dark place for 3–6 months to develop flavor.

Tasting Notes:

Expect fruity aromas, a medium-dry body, and crisp acidity. Adjust sweetness and acidity to taste for a closer Riesling resemblance. Enjoy chilled!

Treat ChatGPT like a drunk sot down the pub. It might be right, but there is a good chance it's bollocks (afterall, it is just an amalgamation of what people on the internet have said, munged together with a good sprinking of randomness).

Oh, I know. I once spent 10 minutes arguing with it over something or other - can't remember what, I think it had something to do with The Wonder Stuff. In the end it had to conced that I was right and it was wrong...

I'm no expert when it comes to making wine but...
I would miss step 4. Supermarket juice doesn't need steralising
I would check the OH before pitching the yeast and add more sugar if it isn't high enough to give me the ABV that I want.
Step 10 doesn't make much sense. IT can't have a secondary fermentation if you have added a campden tablet to halt fermentation.
I would separate those two steps. I would also think about checking the SG at some point to check that fermentation is complete.

Thinking about it, I would only use the second campden tablet if I wanted to stop fermentation early to make the wine sweeter than it would be otherwise.

I think you might have a problem from step 1. I understand white grape juice is no longer available in UK supermarkets.

I don't know if you can make riesling this way, @akdunbar . Riesling is a grape variety and it's a bit like saying I'd like to make merlot. You might get somewhere close to something that could pass as a German white wine, but I wouldn't start with this recipe as there are a number f things in the instructions that make me suspicious. You can get a kit, though, from one of the homebrew stores that specifically claims to make a riesling. It'll be white grape juice concentrate- possibly even riesling- properly balanced for acidity and tannins, and with compete instructions and an appropriate yeast.
Whether these kits are any good, I have no idea as I've never made one up. If you do decide to go that way then let us know how you get on.

An Ankoù said:

I don't know if you can make riesling this way, @akdunbar . Riesling is a grape variety and it's a bit like saying I'd like to make merlot. You might get somewhere close to something that could pass as a German white wine, but I wouldn't start with this recipe as there are a number f things in the instructions that make me suspicious. You can get a kit, though, from one of the homebrew stores that specifically claims to make a riesling. It'll be white grape juice concentrate- possibly even riesling- properly balanced for acidity and tannins, and with compete instructions and an appropriate yeast.
Whether these kits are any good, I have no idea as I've never made one up. If you do decide to go that way then let us know how you get on.

Click to expand...

To be honest it was slight drunken thoughts, not really too serious. I might at some point look into making wine - probably from a kit rather than than supermarket ingredients - but it won't be for a few months...