September 15, 2008
How can wine be made with a higher alcohol level?
tickerfixer asked:
I bought a wine kit to make some Itilian wine & i want to make it with a higher alcohol level without ruining the wine any information would be helpful.I have fortified wine before with brandy & it turned out pretty good,but i’m wanting to make some without fortifing it but with the natural process in wine making.Thanks
I bought a wine kit to make some Itilian wine & i want to make it with a higher alcohol level without ruining the wine any information would be helpful.I have fortified wine before with brandy & it turned out pretty good,but i’m wanting to make some without fortifing it but with the natural process in wine making.Thanks
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Comments on How can wine be made with a higher alcohol level? »
it is basicaly impossible to make wine with alcohol content of over 14% because the yeast used to make the wine dies over this concentration
use a margarita mix it is going to mix the flavors
Look at Ports, Sauternes, and Muscats or late harvest Reislings as an example. They have a higher sugar content which increases the Alcohol level in the wine.
You would need grapes with a very high sugar content and then let them ferment as long as possible.
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You COULD substitute grape juice for some of the water or add sugar if no water is called for. This will not produce a wine that conforms to type, though. You would also have to change the yeast to a champagne yeast, another departure from type.
High alcohol could totally kill the flavor of the wine. My suggestion would be to make two batches, one with capitalization (raw sugar added to bring final alcohol up to around 14-15%), one all natural. Make sure you use champagne yeast, and ferment till dryness. Then do some blending and see what works, that way you will at least have some wine that doesnt taste like hooch. Use the rest for sangria in the summer, and hot spiced wine in the winter. You cant loose.