Spiced Cranberry Wine?

This idea came to me last night. I'm more of a beer brewer than a wine maker, though, so I'm wanting the opinions of better people than me. How would a spiced cranberry wine be for Christmas gifts for next year?

I've seen a couple recipes on here for cranberry wine, so I know that is doable. But if I add holiday spices to the wine in secondary, how would that work? Or possibly adding the spices prior to fermentation? I've brewed a couple of beers with spices added prior to fermentation.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Experiences?

Only one way to find out! You can send me one next christmas too!

What do you qualify as holiday spices?

I was thinking cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Maybe even a little orange zest. I haven't seen anything on here about adding spices before you're ready to drink the wine, though.

An additional thought; what about half cranberry, half mulberry? I'm just pitching ideas right now.

I've done mulled wine before where you heat it up with spices, honey and sometimes a little brandy. But never added spices during the fermentation.

I have a mead going now that I just dumped a batch of spices into. I have read with mead that it works well adding the spices after primary fermentation so it doesn't blow off too much of the flavor. I have also read accounts of people doing the same with beer. Don't see why it wouldn't work with wine. That is Purely based on reading and assumption tho

Keep in mind that many of the spices you listed are aromatic. Which is to say we put them in foods/drinks for their smell. The essential oils themselves often have off-putting bitter tastes and other flavors you don't expect. So use them sparingly to impart the aromas but be careful not to overload it.

Yeah, when I made my pumpkin ale this past fall I only added something like a 1/2 tsp of each for 5 gallons. I've heard that the spices fade over time, but in my ale they just sort of mellowed and mixed together over the period of a month. Not sure how a year of bottle conditioning would effect that.

Alright, getting ready to make this this weekend. Never really put together my own wine recipe, though, so here's what I'm thinking right now. Can't find a wine recipe calculator that would work too well, so at this point I'm guessing. In other words, help me out with this:

3 gallon size batch
9 lbs fresh cranberries
2 cans frozen grape juice concentrate (without preservatives or stuff)
2 lbs sugar

And of course acid blend and yeast nutrient. Think I'll use Montracet yeast, unless someone has a better suggestion.

Any clue what gravity I can expect from this combination? I want somewhere around 1.120 I think, give or take.

I'll figure out what spices I want to use later. Definitely need help with the base wine, though. This is a giant experiment for me, but one I'd like to be able to use as a Christmas present next year.

RedGuitar said:

Alright, getting ready to make this this weekend. Never really put together my own wine recipe, though, so here's what I'm thinking right now. Can't find a wine recipe calculator that would work too well, so at this point I'm guessing. In other words, help me out with this:

3 gallon size batch
9 lbs fresh cranberries
2 cans frozen grape juice concentrate (without preservatives or stuff)
2 lbs sugar

Click to expand...

So how did this turn out for you. I am putting things together here. I also am looking at aging a bit of fresh ginger.

I started a batch of Cranberry mead on Christmas eve last year.

In primary, I included:
rosemary
OJ concentrate
vanilla bean
crystallized ginger
cinnamon sticks
oak powder

It's pretty decent so far, though it will definitely need some backsweetening.
I'll be making a small "teabag" soon and including a couple of oak cubes, orange zest, fresh ginger, and a bit more rosemary.

I really liked this. It was quite tart and dry. I would definitely make again. We made Gluhwein with it, which was fantastic. I THINK I have one more bottle, but I'm not sure.

Well, I have completed the following yesterday...

8# Fresh Cranberries Juiced
1# Golden Raisins, soaked and Juiced
2 Granny Smith Apples Juiced
1 3" piece of Ginger Juiced
7# Sugar (will reduce to 5# next batch)
2 Gallons of Water
2 tsp Peptic Enzyme
2 tsp Yeast Nutrient

It is all sitting in the bucket, primary, and I will pitch the yeast later today... We shall see. I had all this cranberry pulp! So I made Cranberry Ketchup, couldn't keep the family out of it so cheese sandwiches for dinner smeared with the new pulp use. The rest of the pulp, apple, ginger, raisin, and cranberry, went to Cranberry Relish for the fall.

I have an Omega 8006 so it is just easier to juice my fruits and use the juice to make wine. It clears easier as well.