oak leaf wine

[8 barrels]

Has anyone on here ever made this - and if so - what's it like? I've got a gallon on the go, and found that picking enough leaves for a gallon only took about 5 minutes so I wondered if it was worth making 5 galls. Any info. as to what the finished product is like would be appreciated.

[8 barrels]

Has anyone on here ever made this - and if so - what's it like? I've got a gallon on the go, and found that picking enough leaves for a gallon only took about 5 minutes so I wondered if it was worth making 5 galls. Any info. as to what the finished product is like would be appreciated.

Well I've put another gallon on anyway - nobody having replied.

[Northern Lass]

I think the oak leaves only provide tannin. Saw a programme on tv where Paul Hollywood visited Cairn o Mohr Winery in Scotland. The couple had made a meadowsweet and oak leaf wine. He said it was very good.
Here is a link to the programme - it is about 17 minutes in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_9NG...96BUYr&index=9

[Cellar_Rat]

I am currenlty trying to perfect ginger beer - gallon at a time is good until you get there. If you make one change at a time you can see the impact.
The oak leaf wine I probably have an old recipe for but Another idea might be Oakleaf beer. A carbonated drink, light-coloured, delicately flavoured fizzy served cool.

[8 barrels]

I am currenlty trying to perfect ginger beer - gallon at a time is good until you get there. If you make one change at a time you can see the impact.
The oak leaf wine I probably have an old recipe for but Another idea might be Oakleaf beer. A carbonated drink, light-coloured, delicately flavoured fizzy served cool.

I'm using the recipe in Berry's First Steps. After reading the post by Northern Lass I might try blending one gallon with a gallon of the May blossom wine I've got on the go.

[RichK]

8 Barrels,

I'm new to wine making but have started an oak leaf wine myself in the last month. I found the recipe in an old book my Mum lent me and it sounded like a laugh so gave it a go. Like you say, takes 5 minutes to pick the leaves!!

Let me know how you get on.

Cheers
Rich

[8 barrels]

8 Barrels,

I'm new to wine making but have started an oak leaf wine myself in the last month. I found the recipe in an old book my Mum lent me and it sounded like a laugh so gave it a go. Like you say, takes 5 minutes to pick the leaves!!

Let me know how you get on.

Cheers
Rich

Will do.

[RichK]

8 barrels,

I racked my wine today as the lees are supposed to be pretty bad for the wine according to the recipe i'm following. The wine was still fermenting very slowly when I racked it but I still gave it a little try and it is REALLY dry! I tested the SG and it was 0.992.

According to my recipe, I need to leave it to clear in the DJ for 12 months, then bottle and leave it another 12 months. The recipe I have is from a very old book so I expect I can speed the clearing process up but how does that compare to your method?

Cheers
Rich

[8 barrels]

8 barrels,

I racked my wine today as the lees are supposed to be pretty bad for the wine according to the recipe i'm following. The wine was still fermenting very slowly when I racked it but I still gave it a little try and it is REALLY dry! I tested the SG and it was 0.992.

According to my recipe, I need to leave it to clear in the DJ for 12 months, then bottle and leave it another 12 months. The recipe I have is from a very old book so I expect I can speed the clearing process up but how does that compare to your method?

Cheers
Rich

Well I did the first racking today. 2 gallons - one has finished at SG1.000 the other at 1.010. Tastes ok .

[Cellar_Rat]

8 barrels,

I racked my wine today as the lees are supposed to be pretty bad for the wine according to the recipe i'm following. The wine was still fermenting very slowly when I racked it but I still gave it a little try and it is REALLY dry! I tested the SG and it was 0.992.

According to my recipe, I need to leave it to clear in the DJ for 12 months, then bottle and leave it another 12 months. The recipe I have is from a very old book so I expect I can speed the clearing process up but how does that compare to your method?

You could consider adding a non-fermentable sweetner. Sucrolose or canderel.

[8 barrels]

8 barrels,

I racked my wine today as the lees are supposed to be pretty bad for the wine according to the recipe i'm following. The wine was still fermenting very slowly when I racked it but I still gave it a little try and it is REALLY dry! I tested the SG and it was 0.992.

According to my recipe, I need to leave it to clear in the DJ for 12 months, then bottle and leave it another 12 months. The recipe I have is from a very old book so I expect I can speed the clearing process up but how does that compare to your method?

Cheers
Rich

Sounds like it's going to be similar to nettle, which tastes absolutely vile unless left for at least 18 months.

[RichK]

I'm going to leave this for at least the 2 years recommended in the recipe. I hope it doesn't taste nice because otherwise, it's going to take a long time to makes some more!

I'm going to stick to the recipe for the time being and see how it pans out. At worst, it can go down the drain. The recipe says it's a right leg bender and one of the recommendations is to drinking this wine with lemonade as an aperitif.

Rich

[Canonmillbilly]

Has anyone on here ever made this - and if so - what's it like? I've got a gallon on the go, and found that picking enough leaves for a gallon only took about 5 minutes so I wondered if it was worth making 5 galls. Any info. as to what the finished product is like would be appreciated.

I made this, following Berry's recipe, about 19 years ago. Goodness, that makes me feel old!

Anyway, I used autumn leaves rather than spring as in the recipe but the results were excellent.

To this day, I think that that wine was the 'country wine' that best came up to the standards of a decent wine made from grapes.

---

I don't think that mine was aged too much, maybe 3 or 4 months.

Around about the same time (my first foray into wine making) I made Berry's Rice and Raisins. That was also excellent, turning out like a good fino Jerez. It needed a bit more aging, about 18 months I think.

[Northern Lass]

I decided to give this a go. I have a large oak tree in my field and the branches come right down to the gound. Picking was dead easy and I soon had enough leaves. I followed Mr Berry's recipe (almost - reduced the amount of sugar he recommended) and am very surprised how nice this is even though it isn't quite finished. I think it is promising to be one of the best wines I have made. I am definitely going to make this again.

[8 barrels]

Well what a surprise! I examined the wine today in the wine shed, and found it had fallen clear and bright without the need for finings. Syphoning some into a bottle it erupted with a stream of bubbles - tastes rather like a sauvignon blanc with a delightful sparkle to it. I've put some into champagne bottles and will see how it develops. I'll definitely make 5 gallons next year! This is one of the deights of wine making - how a simple and easy and cheap recipe can turn out so good with so little effort.