How Impressed Am I Ever Going To Be?

[Rhona]

Someone here said a while ago that if you're used to drinking nice wine, then you're never going to think homemade wine is THAT nice. Or words to that effect.

Having just made my first (largely failed) batch, and half an idea to have a go at pear wine since we've got a tree full of pears and all the stuff, if we're used to drinking nice bought wine (we don't mind spending a reasonable amount on it), am I ever going to think my own efforts are worth it?

If every time I open a bottle of Rhona Wine I think "blimey that's not as nice as anything I've bought recently," I'm likely to ditch the homemade stuff rather than slog through it.

So for those with experience of these matters, is the comment I started this post with accurate, for you? I'm not sure how much I'll be swayed, as I may still have a bash, but that comment was interesting and got me thinking. As we tipped my Damson Special down the drain.

[Nicos]

OK- nope- if you are used to expensive wines...country wines will always fail in comparison.

If however you look on it as an 'alternative drink' ...the French would rather boil their brains than drink a 'country wine'..but are happy to make syrups and jams etc with them.....

no way would they drink elderflower champagne ...which is crazy..tis more than wonderful...you need to sort out your tastes .
stop thinking of it as wine- add some spices and maybe spirits and think of it as 'winter brew'

free, natural, home made products .......just different eh???

[SarzWix]

You can do some things to improve your country wines so that they're a bit more sophisticated:
Use proper grape tannin
Add some grape concentrate (red & white are available)
Add bananas for more body
Use a mixture of complementary fruits instead of just one (elderberries are good added to most reds, and gooseberries or elderflowers are good with a white)
Use a mixed acid instead of lemon juice or straight citric acid
Use glucose or fructose instead of white sugar
Invest in some oak chips to add an 'aged in oak' effect.

None of those things will make it taste like a £20 bottle of wine, but it might make it closer to a £5 bottle...?! You could also try a kit based on the grapes of your favourite wine. These are a bit more expensive, but still usually work out cheaper than a bottle from the supermarket.

Malt Extracts & sugars & grape concentrates Glucose, and grape concentrates
Grains, hops & hop extracts, dried flowers & fruits etc Dried flowers and fruits
House of Beaverdale Wines 6 & 30 Btle Mid-range wine kits
Vintners Reserve wines and World vinyard collection
http://www.hamstead-brewing-centre.co.uk/itmidx41.htm Expensive wine kits

[organic]

I think it's completely daft to compare anything but wine made from grapes with "wine" as most people know it.

You wouldn't compare apple crumble and roast turkey.
You wouldn't compare beer and cider.

Wines made from flowers, roots, foraged fruits and, well, anything but grapes is a different drink and comparing it with shop bought wine, cheap or expensive, is just silly.

If you ask me, the French are missing out limiting themselves to grape wines only.

[Comfreyfan]

Possibly a bit like comparing instant coffee with freshly ground, we all know which one we prefer, but they both have their place - you just need to accept them both for what they are.

[Jeanied]

From my experience, having made homemade wines because I couldn't afford the commercial stuff, it is all OK-ish but not a substitute - Nicos is absolutely spot on - it'a different drink. However once in a while something special turns up - I made strawberry wine one year and bottled it a bit too fast - the resultant brew was a beautiful sparkling dry (but strawberry flavoured) rose wine - best very chilled. I took it to my local pub and the landlord was really impressed (but then, I was a good customer of his!) So there is always the chance of some real gems!

[HeyWayne]

My grandad put me off home made, or "country" wine.

We used to be allowed a small glass with dinner every now and then when we were younger, especially when he'd made a new batch/version/strain.

Parsnip wine was my particular least favourite. Bleurgh!

I think all alcohol has it's place - just a shame so much ends down the drain.

Chateau Naff du Poop will never replace Chateu Neuf du Pape at the dinner table, but might be good for a barbecue.

[di]

I used to love my Auntie Peggy's parsnip wine!!!;0

I agree with most of the other posts...you need to get your head round the fact that it's not the same as what you buy from the shops...similar to Wayne's idea of having it at a barbie...have a bottle with a primarily homegrown meal/dinner party...think of it as what it is...the fruits of your labour...& not compare it to a bottle of the expensive stuff.

[Don Vincenzo]

I think it's completely daft to compare anything but wine made from grapes with "wine" as most people know it.

You wouldn't compare apple crumble and roast turkey.
You wouldn't compare beer and cider.

Wines made from flowers, roots, foraged fruits and, well, anything but grapes is a different drink and comparing it with shop bought wine, cheap or expensive, is just silly.

If you ask me, the French are missing out limiting themselves to grape wines only.

Is is a lot easier and less time consuming to make wine from grapes if you have the right climate to grow them. However the french do make apple wine and an excellent brandy from them ie Calvados.
Wine made from grapes is one thing, country wine is another thing. What we really are doing is using the free surplus fruit and vegs which nature offer us.
My best regards
Don Vincenzo

[Two_Sheds]

comparing it with shop bought wine, cheap or expensive, is just silly.

If you ask me, the French are missing out limiting themselves to grape wines only.

the grape has the perfect combination of tannin, acid, body and all the other stuff to make wine.

If you make country wines, you have to substitute those qualities with other ingredients, and so blended country wines tend to be 'better' than single-issue wines.

Award Winning Wines is a good read. The author is fairly sniffy about country wines, but went about replicating a Sauternes. The recipe took ages to perfect (and a lot of sampling I'd imagine), but he got a good substitute in the end.

There are recipes for other decent brews in the book too, though they do tend to be on the sweet or strong side. He says it is very difficult to make a decent dry country wine.

[organic]

Don Vincenzo,
As to using the free surplus of fruit and veg, I couldn't agree more.
Certainly, from what I've seen, making wine from grapes is about as simple as it gets (subject to the tricks and care taken to get the best they can from their harvest, of course) and had I the climate I'd probably be making some of that too... though not to the exclusion of country wines.
I think it's the sniffiness towards country wines by "the French" (and I know - "all sweeping statements are wrong") that makes me say they are missing out. Not because they are better than grape wine, but because they are different and so "they" are missing out on a whole heap of quality drinks.


I'll have a look at that book, TS. Most of what I've read about wine so far has been somewhat "up itself" and that does nothing for me. I'm from the same school of thought as a friend of mine (really knows her plonk) who drank a rather expensive wine to accompany a home made pizza and despite the horror of others who heard about it still thinks it was a good use as they went so well together.

[Rhona]

Well, thank you. Not sure that my question was completely daft - I have little experience of making my own, and have never tried others efforts either. Some people rave about their homemade stuff, and I've never been clear whether that's because it's 'great for country wine', or just 'great' full stop.

Anyway...I think I'll stick with buying nice wine and just make an exception for elderflower fizz. Anyone want a ton of pears?

[organic]

With the post the way it is, they'd be mushrooms by the time they arrived so I'll have to decline.

I don't think the original question was daft, but I do think it's a mistake to compare with grape wine.

I really like Badger ales - Hopping Hare is a blinder after a warm spring day...
I also like the Elderberry wine I got from DemiJohn.co.uk in Edinburgh* (I'd describe it as "great" without qualification...
I also really like a good grape wine...
I couldn't give up any one of them more than the others. If I'm in the mood for some grape wine I'll have some, but it's great to have the option of something different too.

Personally I'd suggest making wine with those pears and see how it turns out. If it's crap change something next year (or on the next batch when you unfreeze them) until you hit on something good. Why limit your choices? It's not like wine isn't fun to make.


* I see from their website that they've just opened a shop in York! That means they are about 2 to 3 hours closer to me! YAY!

[shirlthegirl43]

Rhona, if you want to have a go at making your own wine and want something guaranteed to be drinkable, I would suggest you try a kit wine. I enjoy the Youngs cheapo kit for everyday or party wine. For Christmas gifts and drinking, I invest a little more and get a Beaverdale or California Connoisseur kit. For between 20 and 45 quid you will get 30 bottles of nice wine. The more pricey kits have all the ingredients in them and all you need is a 5 gallon brewing bucket and the bottles. In the case of the CC kits, you even get the labels for the bottles! I would compare CC Sauvignon Blanc to a bottle of wine you would be happy to get for 7 to 10 quid.

Country wines will indeed never quite compare to grape wines but as said, they are to be enjoyed for that fact too. You may have been premature throwing your damson wine - it possibly just needed time to age and for the gasses to clear out.

[SarzWix]

Why don't you make perry with the pears Rhona? Just get the juice, and add yeast, same as you would for cider? You might need to add a few cooking apples if they're dessert pears, but should end up drinkable