Making Port Wine

Port types

Ruby – 2 months, easy drinking, not complex, no oak

Vintage – 18 months then aged in bottle, robust and fruity, no oak

Tawny - +18 months, oxygen exposure brings out nutty ‘port’ character, touch of oak

Fortification Formula

X= V(C-A) / B-C

X = gal brandy needed V = gallons of wine C = final alcohol % wanted B = alcohol % of brandy A = alcohol % of wine

You will need:

• Potassium metabisulfate
• Go-Ferm
• yeast nutrient
• yeast
• tartaric acid
• pectic enzyme
• Everclear

Optional:

• Malolactic bacteria
• grape tannin
• oak

Port Flow Chart

1. Harvest
2. Crush/de-stem
   • Remove all stems
   • Crush each berry
3. Test must
   • Sugar - brix (ºB) ~22 – 25 ºB
     • <22 to low (see adds.)
     • >26 MAY dilute
   • Total Acid (TA) ~0.65 – 1.0 g/L
   • pH 3.2 – 3.6
4. Additions
   • Potassium metabisulfate (sulfite)
     • Add ½ tsp per 5 gallons
     • Dissolve in small quantity of must, add
   • Nutrients
     • 1/8 tsp nutrient per gallon of must
     • Dissolve in small quantity of must, add
   • Total Acid (TA) ~0.75g/L
     • 1tsp Tartaric acid = 0.12g/L increase TA
     • Dissolve in small quantity of must, add
   • Yeast
     • Choose strain – wet or dry
     • Dry: rehydrate with Go-Ferm 1.25g:1g dry yeast
   • Pectic enzyme
     • ½ tsp per gallon of must
   • Optional – Chapitalize (adding sugar)
     • Must < 22 ºB
     • 1.5oz (~3T) sugar/ gal must = ~1ºB
     • Dissolve in small quantity of must, add
5. Primary fermentation (Days 1 – 4 @ 59-85ºF)
   • Punch down cap & stir up lees - 3x daily
6. Fortification (stops fermentation)
   • Add white brandy (Everclear) to 18-21.5% alcohol
   • Stop between 3 – 11.5 ºB (actual) for dry to sweet port
   • Use taste test to make sure
   • Allow to macerate on the skins for 3 – 12 days
   • Example:
     • Want: A sweet port with a final gravity of 9.5ºB and abv of 21%. * Have: 5 gallons of port with OG of 25ºB and will be fortified when the brix READS 17ºB (~11ºB actual) which translates to ~8%. We will then need ~0.75gal of 95% Everclear to achieve this. This added volume will dilute the final sugar content to ~9.5ºB.
7. Press thoroughly (Days 7 – 14)
   • Let settle 1 day
   • Transfer to bucket allow contact with O2
8. Clearing (3 – 4 weeks @ 55-65ºF)
   • Fining - Super Kleer or Sparkolloid
   • Ruby port can be bottled after 4 weeks
   • Make Madeira? Add heat!
     • Good: age 3 months @ 122ºF
     • Best: age 6 months @ 104ºF
     • Reduce the heat over a month
     • Oxidize - rack once per month from a height to allow full O2 exposure
9. Stabilizing (6 – 18 months @ 55-65ºF)
   • Store in a bucket with airlock
   • Optional – ½ oz med plus oak per gallon
   • vintage port bottled at 18 months
10. Maturation (18+ months)
    • Transfer to glass carboy
    • Tawny port bottle here on out
11. Final racking/ Pre-bottling
    • ~1 month before bottling
    • add ¼ tsp sulfite per 5 gallons
    • pH/TA
      • Too acidic – difficult, call NB
      • Too flat – add tartaric acid to taste
    • pH ~ 3.5
    • Fining - Super Kleer or Sparkolloid
    • Optional - Filter
12. Bottle
    • Add 1/8th tsp sulfite = 25ppm
    • 18 months – 6 years
    • Wait 2 months before opening to avoid bottle shock