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Second run wine
It is not often that I reflect on a religious note. I let that to my daughter Meghan who has written a series of articles for the Wine Trail Traveler’s website called “Wine in the Bible.” However, this past weekend gospel centered on the wedding feast at Cana. There at His Mother Mary’s request, Jesus performed a miracle and turned water into wine. It seems as though the miracle was immediate, no waiting period for fermentation and aging. The story always brings a smile to my face.
Kathy and I have been making wine since 2008 thinking that if we were going to write about wine we should make wine. Over the past eight years, we made two wines from water and a few other ingredients. Turning water into wine has been at winemakers disposal for eons. It is frowned on if this wine is later sold, and should be when it involves deceiving consumers. On the other hand, for home winemakers it is certainly a winemaker method to get the most out of their grapes.
Turning water and a few other ingredients into wine is sometimes referred to as a second run wine. For our second run red wine, we pressed the must after it fermented. Our wine went into a barrel to age. Normally the winery takes the left over pomace including a small amount of wine, skins and seeds and throws it onto a compost pile. We took several gallons of this pomace home to use to make our second run wine. To the pomace we added water that we dissolved sugar into. We added a yeast nutrient but did not add any yeast since there were starving yeast still in the pomace. The sugar water picked up color, flavors and tastes from the skins and fermented rather quickly. We then racked to carboys and oaked for several months.
The second run red wine had amazing color, just a tad bit lighter than the original wine made from the grapes. There was a black berry fruit wine aroma and taste, just not as complex as the first run wine. As a daily table wine, our second run wine could certainly go with many dinners. Our original wine was made with grapes that we sourced from Stagecoach Vineyards in the Atlas Peak AVA of Napa Valley. We had ultra-premium grapes and the leftover pomace still had more to offer. In the past we have also added sugar water to the pomace and then after extracting color and flavors proceeded to make jelly. This too worked out well.
I would classify the second run wine as an acceptable table wine, not nearly as miraculous as the one Jesus made. But it is kind of cool to hear the Gospel story of turning water into wine and knowing that one can turn water and a few other ingredients into wine.
Cheers,
Terry
Elegance in Baltimore
One of many engines in the Roundhouse at the B&O Railroad Museum
With a forecast of winter weather beginning on Friday, it’s time to get out and enjoy wine, food and conversation before becoming snowbound. Many wine events are during the warmer months where jeans and shorts are more common than dresses and suits. However, in Maryland on January 21st from 7:00 pm until 10:00 pm, an elegant event takes place at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore. The main wine tasting event is in the Roundhouse, an expansive room with trains, mostly engines, along the circumference. Seventeen Maryland winery producers will have tables set up in front of the trains. The space is elegant. A honey colored wood constructed dome adds to the charm of this vast area. The wood dome parallels the wood floor. With a live band performing jazz by David Bach, this is a perfect area to showcase a few dance moves.
Atmosphere and music are not the only things that pair with wine. Last year we were amazed at the food that was available throughout the evening. Both stationary and passed hors d’oeuvres add to the wine tastings and evening festivities. This is a wine event that dressing to impress is allowed. Also impressive is the sparkling wine reception before the general tasting in the roundhouse. The producers will sparkle you with the effervescence of sparkling wines made in Maryland.
Tickets for the event are available on the marylandwine.org website. The cost for the roundhouse tasting is $65 and the sparkling wine reception and roundhouse tasting is $80. Winter Wine was one of the highlights of our many wine events that we attended during 2015.
A live jazz band and delicious desserts await you at Winter Wine, B&O Railroad Museum.
Cheers,
Terry