This thread is just to annoy Brian.
I opened the first bottle of my latest batch of wine. So far this summer no bottles have exploded, so everything is going better than average.
Anyway, the first two sips were a little disappointing. The flavour is good, but there is very little bouquet. Then my face went numb.
I think we have a winner. Or I could use it to loosen those frozen bolts on the boat…
I made apple wine last summer. I plan to again this year. In my first attempt, the clarity and bouquet were exquisite. (For home made wine) But the taste left so much to be desired. I have no idea what happened, but it wasn’t very good at all. I’m hoping this next batch will be better.
I’ve never had good luck with apple wine. It turns out thin and bitter no matter what yeast I use.
If I wanted thin and bitter I would still be married to the Bitch from Jersey…
Hey … anything with alcohol is just fine and dandy
Hey DrF, nice to see you in these parts. 
I’ve always wanted to make my own beer and wine. Was it really that bad? How long does it take for a batch of wine? What flavor/type did you make? Can you make me a special bottle of DrFidelius Merlot??? Huh? Can ya, can ya???
I made apple wine a few times. It was OK, but I finally decided to stick to what I do best. I haven’t brewed anything but mead since. Any drink that can be 15% alcohol that doesn’t taste like alcohol is something special. The downside is that it takes about a year to brew a batch. My last batch turned out beautifully: crystal clear, nicely carbonated (with no explosions), and smooth.
I have done raspberry wine off and on, with varying success. It either is wonderful, or tastes like vinegar.
Did you pasteurize it and add yeast, or did you just put it in a sanitized container and let it ferment naturally? I find the second method tends to result in a less thin and bitter beverage. If you are in Jersey, go to Delicious Orchards on RT 34 north of the RT 18 overpass. They always have fresh, unpasteurized, and preservative-free cider. I have made some great stuff out of it. I usually add some cider mulling spices and honey to the fermenter to make it more interesting.
I let a tupperware thing of grapes sit out on my counter for 3 weeks. They fermented and made a nice bubbly, alcoholic beverage. Not that I bothered to actually drink the stuff…there was mold in one corner…but it was definitely part wine. You could smell it.
Jman
Back in my navy days we stole some canned pinapple from the mess deck of the Ranger and made wine in out secret compartment. The bouquet was somewhere between 110 octane aviation gasoline and JP5 jet fuel but we drank it anyway.