Successfully Making Good Wine for a Change
In Making Good Wine for a Change, I started two batches of wine. One was a Chardonnay, one was a Merlot Mead.
The Chardonnay finished awhile ago, and it just tastes like Chardonnay. I think I'd like it a bit clearer, so I've racked it again and am letting it sit for a bit.
I checked on the Merlot mead for the second time today. I tasted a bit a few weeks ago, and thought it tasted fine but needed a bit more honey taste. So, I added about 0.3 pounds of honey and let it ferment more -- made it a bit more boozy, but that's fine. What's an ABV percentage or two between friends?
Now, it tastes very nice! Has a slight fusel-y bite at the back of your mouth, but that's kind of expected for something this young. It tastes like a very floral red wine, with just a touch of sweetness.1 It definitely needs more tannin, though; I think I'll let it age on oak chips for like six months, then do another tasting. It looks really pretty too, I'd include a picture if I had a good camera.
All of the sugars have been consumed. I think I perceive it to be sweet in the way my brain hallucinates that dry meads are a little sweet, it just expects sweetness to be concomitant with honey.↩