lid wrote:

> Paul E. Lehmann > wrote:
>> Ray Calvert wrote:
>
>>> You need to stabilize the wine with sorbate and sulfite. An easy job.
>>> Just
>>> add them according to instructions. Usually sorbate is added 1/2 tsp
>>> per
>>> gal. This will prevent the wine from starting ferment in the bottle
>>> after
>>> you add the sugar. Then sweeten to taste with your choice of sweetener,
>>> usually sugar or honey. Take not of the acidity as well. Sweeter wines
>>> require a higher acidity. You may have to adjust the acidity by taste
>>> as
>>> well. If it tastes kind of flat after adding the sweetener, acid is the
>>> main culprit.
>>>
>>> Ray
>>>
>>> "Mike" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Hello All,
>>>>
>>>> I have been making some wine for my upcoming wedding, it is nearly
>>>> ready to bottle,
>>>>
>>>> However I was wondering if there is a way of making the wine a little
>>>> sweeter at this stage and if so how would you recommend doing this.
>>>>
>>>> any help would be greatly appreciated.
>>>>
>>>> Regards
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>
>> You may wish to consider Stevia which is sold at health food stores. It
>> will not ferment and a couple DROPS of the liquid form will sweeten a
>> glass
>> of wine. I find that adding it at drinking time to be better for me than
>> adding prior to bottling. I have a dry pear wine that I sometimes will
>> put in a couple drops of Stevia and there are times that I like it bone
>> dry. By adding (or not) at drinking time, I have far better control at
>> what suits me at the moment.
>
> It won't ferment immediately, but it doesn't seem suited for long-term
> storage. It can eventually break down into a fermentable
> sugar. See Jack Keller's entry:
>
>
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/...1f42bfe07d03d4
>
>
> Of course, I welcome any evidence to the contrary. I've been wanting to
> use this herb for a long time in my homebrew, and would love to hear
> some 2-or-3-years-down-the-road success sotries.
>
>
> -- WB

I have heard that "Splenda" can break down and eventually may re-ferment as
it is made from sugar. Ray Calvert who posts here on this news group even
called the company and I think the result was that they could not say what
would happen with Splenda and did not encourage its use for long term.

It is my understanding that "Stevia" is not a "sugar" to begin with. There
was an article in "Winemaker Magazine" about it. Here is a link that talks
about it some. You will need to scroll down the where it talks about
sweeteners. Would appreciate comments from others who may have used it for
bottled wine as opposed to just using it at drinking time. It does not
sound as if Jack has documented results from long term storage.

http://www.winemakermag.com/mrwizard/485.html