Negative opinion of WoW?

[Loetz]

Do any of you dislike Wurzel's Orange Wine? People here seem to be crazy about it, but I haven't really been impressed. I made six different versions of it using six different fruits and I can't say that I love the stuff as much as most of you seem to. I followed all of the tips to a T, so don't try telling me that I just did it wrong. I even used pure dextrose as my sugar thinking that would be nicer.

I think my biggest problem with the wines is the addition of the tannins. They are terrible! I used youngs tannins and I hate, hate, hate them. It made the stuff taste like vitamin pills!

Even behind the tannins, I'm not really feeling the stuff. I suppose my strawberry/white grape juice one is pretty good... maybe I will try that one again minus the tannins and with a smidge less glycerine.

EDIT: I also think that this 'less is more' motto is a bit of BS. The stuff is too watered down. Maybe some water should be in there, but not this much! Maybe cut the water by 40-60%

 

[calumscott]

I started with a "straight" WOW and I was really impressed. Clearly for a couple of quid for a gallon I wasn't expecting vintage chablis and I didn't get it...

...what I did get was perfectly drinkable, cheap and cheerful plonk. The next two were OK but stopped a bit too sweet for me. I've got some others that have worked out well too.

Would I pay a fiver a bottle? Nope...

Three at a push.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Try a black 3 tea bag brew for the tannin, i have read in the forum it gives a different flavour to the powdered stuff, stir it regularly over a 15 minute period.

Did you add citric acid (or juice of one lemon) i use it in all my juice wines, its not everyone cup of tea but i like it.

The less is more BS comment is too much of a sweeping statement, i gave a sample of one of my first cranberry and WGJ wine to a friend to try, it was under 50% cranberry juice, he said it was way too overpowering, to me it was not strong enough and i started using 2 litres of cranberry to one of WGJ, i found this was much better.

I don't like the original orange WOW but some love it and that is the beauty of WOW, experimenting is part of the fun.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The next two were OK but stopped a bit too sweet for me

Calum give youngs super wine yeast compound a try and also add a teaspoon of nutrient to the DJ, i have used this from day one and never had a WOW finish early even in winter when the kitchen gets down to 15c when the heating is off.

 

[graysalchemy]

I never had much luck with WOWs they never fermented out and were left ghastly sweet. I stick to kits now. :thumb:

 

[calumscott]

It was youngs active yeast + nutrient. I think I probably wanted more nutrient TBH.

I've started using other specific yeasts instead, I'll probably culture them on or just drop juice wines onto the lees of maybe a fruit wine...

 

[GAZ9053]

Must admit I havent had much luck with them, not to our taste so I too just do kits, everyones taste is different

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It was youngs active yeast + nutrient. I think I probably wanted more nutrient TBH.

..

I have always put a teaspoon of nutrient in as i didn't know the youngs yeast compound had it in already when i found out i just carried on adding it anyway as i would rather be certain it will finish.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Must admit I havent had much luck with them, not to our taste so I too just do kits, everyones taste is different

Mine is obviously cheap. :lol:

 

[GAZ9053]

Must admit I havent had much luck with them, not to our taste so I too just do kits, everyones taste is different

Mine is obviously cheap. :lol:

Can not argue with that

 

[oldbloke]

I've only done one, wasn't that impressed, but it only had 1l OJ and 1l WGJ, I think more grape and maybe some raisins would have helped.And more sugar... It was OK though.
I'd have another go but there's a queue of stuff waiting to be done (though the wineracks are just about full) - I mean it's winter and I've not started any parsnip or carrot yet, and we're nearly out of coffee wine.

 

[Leeds Chimp]

i love the stuff....easy to do and cheap aswell.....
Had alot of good remarks about it when been at parties and had people round....

best for me is the passion fruit WOW

 

[Loetz]

I used a champagne yeast, so I suppose it's possible that it gassed off too much of the flavor. Mine all fermented out super dry, so I had to back sweeten them.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I used a champagne yeast, so I suppose it's possible that it gassed off too much of the flavor. Mine all fermented out super dry, so I had to back sweeten them.

I guess its what the person making the wine wants that is the difference between us all.
Having read the WOW guide i could see it is possible to make something out of fruit juice that has body, mouth feel and a hint of whatever the base juice was, this is how mine now turn out, from what i have read it look like you want something very strong tasting and alcoholic like alcopop, you could drop the grape juice and double or treble the main juice which would probably do it.

 

[tonyhibbett]

Horses for courses, literally mainly white meat, fish and Chinese, as well as vegetarian dishes. As a drink in it's own right, perhaps not. Much improved over time, given a chance to breathe a while, opened, in the fridge and served chilled. Not to be consumed in great quantity, due to the high quantity of purely sugar derived alcohol. As a poor man's alcohol, it's a lot better than meths and raw hooch!

 

[Cussword]

I started with a "straight" WOW and I was really impressed. Clearly for a couple of quid for a gallon I wasn't expecting vintage chablis and I didn't get it...what I did get was perfectly drinkable, cheap and cheerful plonk. The next two were OK but stopped a bit too sweet for me. I've got some others that have worked out well too.Three at a push.

Only tried the Orange once, but the WGJ & AJ is a winner for me. I've fermented it to as dry as I could. (Then backed off a little :shock: ). :thumb:

 

[tonyhibbett]

As I have said before, grape and apple is a winning formula. Orange juice, like other citrus fruits, is somewhat alien to true wine. Grapes and apples have malic acid and tannin in common, so are natural partners. That's not to say that citrus fruits can't play a useful secondary role as flavouring components, as indeed they can.

 

[Boatbrewer]

I have to say I didnt like the OJ/AJ original. I have tried quite a few and some are better than others. My favorites are pineapple and GJ and Apple and GJ. I tend to make them dry and about 10% alcahol. Stronger than that and I think the flavour gets a bit squashed. I generally add 700g sugar to 2 litres of grape juice plus 1 litre of other.

 

[tonyhibbett]

The original was pure pressed grape juice, not apple, and orange juice. The orange would overwhelm the apple, but not the grape. I love good orange juice and drink it every day, but as a wine ingredient? Only in small quantities. Orange zest, grated peel, on the other hand, is a great component in white wine.

 

[rosie]

I have always augmented my wow's with concentrated grape juice, always very drinkable have another batch going now. Blackcurrant and concentrated Red grape

Use your intuition if you think it won't work- It won't. There is a reason for this, you must decide what that reason is.

Spoil a ship for a ha'pence of Tar-- invest in the best.........