Hi .. new to this group, I've a question if I may ..

For a number of years I've used concentrates to make a German Riesling or
German Riesling type white wine. I like the taste.

Now I use grape juice, both for red and white wine. Problem is, I cant buy
grape juice from German Riesling grapes, I can get and do use California
Riesling grape juice for my Riesling but as you know it does not have that
German type taste.

So .. the question is .. can I add Elderberry flowers or something similar
to get a flavor similar to that of the german Rieslings?

If so .. how much do I use?

I got this idea from the recipes I used when making wine from concentrates
and they included a bag of the elderberry flowers.

Am I away off base here ..or will this idea work?

The above e-mail address is full of spam so I use .
I would prefer a reply on here for everyone's benefit .... Best regards
and cheers

....
> So .. the question is .. can I add Elderberry flowers or something similar
> to get a flavor similar to that of the german Rieslings?
>
> If so .. how much do I use?
....

Charlie -
You sure can add some Elder flowers. They do add some aromatic,
floral flavors, which seem to work well with this style of white wine.
They won't turn your California Riesling into a German Riesling, but
they should bring it a bit closer. The WinExpert Piesporter kits
include packets of Elder flowers - I'd say something like a couple of
tablespoons for a 6-gallon batch. That ought to be enough to make a
noticeable difference in the flavor, and not enough to cause a problem.
If you decide you really like the effect, you can increase the
proportions in future batches.

Personally, I'm not normally a big fan of sweet German whites, but
everybody that's tried the Piesporter kits has loved them. Even the
4-week (Vintner's Reserve) kits get rave reviews. I've read that this
kit is one of WinExpert's most popular kits; based on the number I've
done (and how few bottles I have left to show for them), I can well
believe it.

Doug

Charlie,
That sounds great but you may want to consider adding some
Gewürztraminer too, the spicy character of a Gewurz marries really
well with Riesling.

I have been making California Riesling by Regina also and am thinking
it is getting pretty insipid; it's just too thin. I'm considering
freezing a portion and pitching the Ice when thawed about 1/3 of the
way. If I do it I'll post the results. I usually blend some PA or NY
wines with my California whites to make them more interesting. I make
it dry because I prefer dry whites.

Joe


-
> You sure can add some Elder flowers. They do add some aromatic,
> floral flavors, which seem to work well with this style of white wine.
> They won't turn your California Riesling into a German Riesling, but
> they should bring it a bit closer.

Joe, Doug,
Thanks for the reply
I'll givver a go ..