Anyone ever had rhubarb wine?

I know it can be done and recipes aren't a problem to find, but has anyone actually ever had the stuff? I've got a patch of rhubarb about 8 feet across. I suppose I could just make some & set it next to the hopwine.

I've just opened a bottle of rhubarb wine. It's very good. I made it dry (which I like), but I've had it sweetened and that's good too. It kind of taste like a pinot grigio to me- dry with a little bit of fruitiness but I don't taste any rhubarb at all. I'm using it for a table wine and for gifts. It is too young right now to be great (from this year), but it will improve I'm sure. I made 4 gallons of it and wish I would have made more.

Let me know if you want my notes and recipe. One of the keys is to freeze the rhubarb first, so the juice comes out much easier.

Lorena

Lorena,

I'd love the recipe and notes. I use the freezer trick for my blackberry cider.

"Chokecherry wine"! All I remember about chokecherries is they made great ammo for pea-shooters.

David

I've enclosed the actual recipe and my notes. If you have questions about the notes, please let me know. They probably only make sense to me, but I can interpret if need be!



Rhubarb Wine (1 gallon)

3 lbs. rhubarb (stalk only)
1/4 pt. white grape concentrate or 1/2 lb. of light raisins (chopped)
7 pts. water
2 1/4 lbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. tannin
1 tsp. yeast nutrient
1 campden tablet (crushed)
1 pkg. wine yeast (champagne)
pectic enzyme

My notes:

5/19/06-
From a group of recipes and from book:
9 pounds rhubarb (previously and still somewhat frozen), 1 gal water (boiling) with sugar (10 cups is all I had), two gallons of boiling water, and 3 campden tablets dissolved in a little of the water. This was all mixed together in the pulp bag in the primary. S.g. was 1.050, but I’m not sure the temp was 60 degrees (seemed to be close, but felt cool to the touch) I will check again before adding more sugar. I added 2 can of white grape concentrate (11 ½ oz -this has high fructose corn syrup) and checked s.g.- was 1.064. Using the wine calculater, I added 2 pounds sugar to some water and boiled. Added to must. S.g. was 1.080. Added 1 more pound sugar in a little water- s.g. is 1.090. Added 1 cup of sugar. I now have over 4 gallons of must. Used a yeast starter the same time-yeast (Montrachet, or Lavlin 1118) with a pinch of nutrient in warm water, rinsing the juice cans for the water. Next morning, checked s.g.- it was around 1.084. I used the wine calculator on the computer, and added almost 1 pound of sugar dissolved in a little water. I added 1 ½ tsp yeast nutrient, 1/4 tsp tannin, and 2 tsp pectic enzyme. S.g. is now 1.100 and so I pitched the yeast on 5/20/06. On 5/21/06 I stirred and removed the bag of pulp. S.g. is still 1.100. 5/23/06- s.g. is 1.080, fermenting well. Temp in room is 66.2 degrees. 5/24/06- same, but room temp during the day is up to 68 degrees. 5/25/06 s.g. is 1.060
5/28/06- s.g. is 1.020. Poured into carboys (made 3 gal, 1 gal, and sm bottle left over.) Airlock in place, fermenting well at 72 degrees.

6/11/06- racked because of gross lees (fine lees, too) were 3/4 inch think. Small bottle is completely clear (blush pink). Racked into 3 gal, and 1 gal. S.g. is .990 ( Added 4 crushed campden tablets into 1 cup of water that was microwaved.)

6/23/06- racked because completely clear, but with gross lees 3/4 inch thick. 7/6/06- tasted- crisp and dry. Will bottle soon. completely clear white wine.

I bottled, adding sorbate and sulfite at that time. Maybe bottled a bit sooner than I should have but I needed the carboy. I ended up with just under 4 gallons.

Lorena

PS- chokecherry wine is absolutely the best wine you'll ever have!

david_42 said:

I know it can be done and recipes aren't a problem to find, but has anyone actually ever had the stuff? I've got a patch of rhubarb about 8 feet across

Click to expand...

I can't believe you had to ask!
Be careful if your rhubarb is particularly acidic though. HBS Precipitated chalk can be used to raise the pH if need be.

I recently had a bottle of rhubarb wine at a winery in Chicago. Very sweet, tasted similar to an ice wine. Enjoyed it enough to pick up a bottle for some friends.

Jason

Lorena - thanks, by programmers' standards, your comments are crystalline in their clarity.