Do they really add cherry or other fruit to grape wine?!
We are having a discussion about wine and their taste!. My boyfriend believes that when they describe a wine having a "cherry flavor" or "black currant flavor" etc!., they really add juice from cherries or other berries!. Is this true!? I can't believe that a reputable winery would add other fruits or berries to their grapes!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
You win the discussion with your boyfriend!. Your mouth can only distinguish 4 flavors sweet, salty, sour and bitter (there is actually a 5th called umami - but we would get too technical for here)!. The nose though can distinguish up around 10,000 aromas!. When you taste wine part of the pleasure is to pick up scents of aromas that remind you of certain fruits or other aromas apart from grapes, like cherry, apple, currants, vanilla, sweaty saddle, tobacco, etc!. It is the varietal of the grape, the ripeness of the fruit, the type of oak that the wine was aged in, or not, the types of natural or cultured yeast used in the fermentation process and the age of the wine among alot of other variables that bring out those flavors!. But you are right that reputable wineries do not adulterate their wines by adding other fruits, if they did they would have to market it as such or they could risk looosing their winery license or import license, that is a big deal!.
To not confuse you on the grape concentrate method that the other poster talked about, it is not uncommon for a producer to boost their harvest if they had a bad year for ripening or say in an area where a particular varietal is not grown, for them to purchase concentrated grape must to add to their grapes at the time of fermentation, it is something perfectly legal and acceptable, and it allows the producer to blend and or experiment with varietals they may lack or need for their wines!. This is all done though by the winemaker and or enologist!.
Cheers!Www@FoodAQ@Com
To not confuse you on the grape concentrate method that the other poster talked about, it is not uncommon for a producer to boost their harvest if they had a bad year for ripening or say in an area where a particular varietal is not grown, for them to purchase concentrated grape must to add to their grapes at the time of fermentation, it is something perfectly legal and acceptable, and it allows the producer to blend and or experiment with varietals they may lack or need for their wines!. This is all done though by the winemaker and or enologist!.
Cheers!Www@FoodAQ@Com
HELLO
NOTHING TO STOP THEM!. MORE OFTEN IS ADDING GRAPE CONCENTRATE TO FRUIT WINES TO CUT DOWN AMOUNT OF EXPENSIVE FRUIT USED!. I USED TO MAKE STRAWBERRY WINE AND FOUND THAT THE RECIPE 4 LBS OF FRUIT WAS TO MUCH, IT WAS TO HEAVY AND DIDN'T FILTER VERY WELL, TO THICK, SO I REDUCED TO 3 LBS BUT DECIDED NOT TO USE GRAPE CONCENTRATE, WHICH WAS THE OTHER OPTION!. BUT DON'T FORGET IF THEY DO IT MUST BE DECLARED, SOMETIMES THE FLAVOUR COMES FROM THE BARRELS AND SKINS ADDED FOR COLOURWww@FoodAQ@Com
NOTHING TO STOP THEM!. MORE OFTEN IS ADDING GRAPE CONCENTRATE TO FRUIT WINES TO CUT DOWN AMOUNT OF EXPENSIVE FRUIT USED!. I USED TO MAKE STRAWBERRY WINE AND FOUND THAT THE RECIPE 4 LBS OF FRUIT WAS TO MUCH, IT WAS TO HEAVY AND DIDN'T FILTER VERY WELL, TO THICK, SO I REDUCED TO 3 LBS BUT DECIDED NOT TO USE GRAPE CONCENTRATE, WHICH WAS THE OTHER OPTION!. BUT DON'T FORGET IF THEY DO IT MUST BE DECLARED, SOMETIMES THE FLAVOUR COMES FROM THE BARRELS AND SKINS ADDED FOR COLOURWww@FoodAQ@Com
No they do not!. These are just descriptions of the qualities of the varieties of grapes used in the wine vintage!.Www@FoodAQ@Com