I bottled my second batch of wine!
It’s another kit wine, this time from “Cru Select.” It’s a Chilean blend of Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and I call it Chilean Mystery Blend because I don’t know the percentages of each, nor really anything about the grapes’ origins. On the provided labels, the description says this: “Opening with dark roasted notes of coffee and chocolate with a hint of blackberries, fermentation on Cabernet Merlot Genuwine Winery Dried Grape Skins and French oak completes this monumental taste experience.”
I have more pictures and notes and such after the break, but the takeaway here is that in 10 days or so, I’ll have a new wine in rotation at the Casa Fredonia.
I got 31.5 bottles out of the deal, and i think it’s a better all-around batch than my first one, despite the first one’s light drinkability. I did not use oak spirals in this batch, although I probably should have. I’ll use ’em in at least one of the rackings I do next, although I have yet to decide on which wine I’m making next. Pictures follow. Notes where appropriate.
Six gallons of the good stuff. I’ve just pulled out the bung and the airlock.
Here I am after all 31 bottles are complete. Starting the siphon gave me a coughing fit when wine went down the wrong pipe. Not a good way to start the process, but I managed.
You can see all 31.5 bottles here awaiting equalization of their contents.
Another view, this time you can see how little sediment remained after only the second racking. Good stuff.
I broke my hand corker, because apparently you can’t use synthetic corks with it. Geh. A run up to the always-helpful Home Beer Wine and Cheese Shop outfitted me with the beast in the next picture…
It’s a floor corker! Well built, steel, clever cork-crushing abilities… I like it. It’s still not perfect, though, so some of the corks are a little further out than I’d like, but I can adjust it.
Check out the cork in the clever cork smoosher. I wish the plunger was fatter, though. I may replace it with something of my own invention eventually. Or just glue a small washer to the plunger’s bottom.
Your chef.
Cleaning the bottles for their labels
Bottles lined up for inspection. You can see the corks sticking out. The ones in the middle were done with the hand-corker pre-destruction.
This is my artsy label shot
…and under wraps till the week long resting/degassing period is over. Then I’ll lay them sideways, stick a few in the fridge and give out a few to unsuspecting victims.
‘,