Blackberry wine redemption?

Moonraker · May 8, 2021

So I racked off my 6 month-old blackberry wine into a clean DJ and had a sample of it this afternoon.

Yuck :^( It don't taste nothing like blackberries, it's dry and a bit sour and what is best described as a bit "gassy" on the tongue. Very rough and a not pleasant aftertaste. Even your best mate would say "Interesting, but have you got anything else?" if you offered them a glass.

I spent feckin' hours picking enough blackberries for a gallon of juice last Autumn so I'm loath to pour it down the sink, but what can anyone recommend to do to improve it before or after bottling?

Cheers!
Peter.

VW911 · May 8, 2021

Time...

VW911 · May 8, 2021

If it tastes "gassy" I would suspect that (even after 6 months) it hasn't fully fermented...
Most country wines take an age to come good!

johncrobinson · May 9, 2021

Wine rarely tastes of the actual fruit.
As vw911 says it may have not have finished fermenting yet.

There are lots of fixes for harsh dry wines,But blackberry and elderberry wines are notorious for taking a long time to come good.
Keep it in the dark and inspect every few months for sediment,If there is then rack,After 2 maybe 3 rackings the wine should be fit for bottling (In dark bottles to preserve the colour).
Racking helps kickstart the maturation process as well as removing sediment.
Once bottled keep for about a year.

It will still be dry (most red wines are.) But all the harshness should be gone.

Moonraker · Aug 7, 2021

Bottled it today, smell and taste have rounded off nicely although it is very dry and very strong both in taste and alcohol, a bit like being punched in the face by a gang of street-blackberries. :^) Probably needs another 12 months maturation and might show promise. Patience, patience...

Janulka098 · Aug 20, 2021

Moonraker said:
Bottled it today, smell and taste have rounded off nicely although it is very dry and very strong both in taste and alcohol, a bit like being punched in the face by a gang of street-blackberries. :^) Probably needs another 12 months maturation and might show promise. Patience, patience...

My BlackBerry and BB+elderberry wine from august last year is still sitting in the hall in brown demijohns wrapped in bin bags after last racking and clearing (coldest and darkest part of the house). I have bottled couple of the demijohns of it about a month ago leaving the rest to just sit and bulk mature, to see if bulk and bottle maturing make a lot of difference, had a taste and it’s still rough but definitely getting there :) and it made the meanest beef stew ever

(think it might be just right by Christmas - so it’s only the matter of patience