My Wine's About Done, But Tastes Terrible!

Homemade Wine Harsh Aging Dear Kraus:

I am new at this wine making process. I am in the last stages and decided to take a small taste test even though I still have 2 or 3 days left in the last stage. It is terrible! Can the wine get better in that short period of time or is it to far gone and will not come out good?

Please Help, Gwen
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Hello Gwen,

It is completely normal for a wine to be harsh at bottling time. Even though the wine is about to go into bottles it does not mean that it is done becoming wine.

The wine will continue to evolve through aging or maturation. This simply means it will slowly change over time--in a good way-- while it is in the wine bottle. Organic changes will slowly occur over the course of the next few months that will round off the harsh corners of the wine.

You can think of wine as a living thing. Even though it is done fermenting, clearing and in the bottle, it is still going through changes. Each wine ages differently. So how long your wine will take to become its best can only be a guess, but it is safe to say that after aging for 3-6 months you will notice a remarkable improvement. You may notice even marginal improvements up to 3 years, depending on the type of wine.

Best Wishes,
Customer Service at E.C. Kraus

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Comments (12)

Name: Bob
Time: Monday, March 12, 2012

I like sweet wine, so I think my wine tastes horrible also, until I sweeten it. The day before bottling I stabilize it (Potassium sorbate and camden tablet). The day of bottling I add 5 cups sugar water to my 5 gallon wine carboy. The bottle it!! Voila!! Ready to drink wine. BTW I let my wines ferment at least five months before bottling.

Name: Tim
Time: Thursday, April 12, 2012

Try Degassing.. Degassing is the equivalent to about 1 Year of Aging..

Name: Walker Broyles
Time: Thursday, April 12, 2012

You really did not provide enough details as to how you made the wine and what ingredients were used and how much. In the about 50 years I have been making wine the basic concept has not changed. I have used every type of fruit there is (almost) to make wine and 99% of them have been good. I also ferment and stir daily for 7 days then place under a air lock. Then double the time between each rack for up to six or seven months, i.e., 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 16 weeks etc. My first wine making "bible" was "How to Make the Finest Wines AT HOME" by George Leonard Herter © 1965, 1967, 1968, 1968, 1969, 1971..
Good luck and don't give up trying to make a good wine. Walker

Name: Glen Smith
Time: Thursday, April 12, 2012

As far as sweet wine, I make mine dry, and can be sweeted with a pk of sugar per glass. If it taste rotten, it has oxydized. Let it go and it will turn into a great tasting champaign .

Name: kelly
Time: Friday, April 13, 2012

I didn't like the harshness of a young wine when I was new at winemaking. Technique, sanitizing, and patience are key. It's all a learning experience! Your wine will improve. (even a med-dry wine will improve taste)

Name: darlene wiggins
Time: Friday, April 13, 2012

I made some persimmon wine and it came out extremely sour even with added sugar at bottling. Any suggestions short of making whiskey out of it?

Name: Willie J. Bridgeforth, Jr.
Time: Sunday, April 15, 2012

Good news about wine getting better with age becouse I have made a putty bad bach my self and was about to give is up until I read. wine changes with time, so I am giving my wine a second chanse. thanks.

Name: Jim Pieper
Time: Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Another thing to consider is that the wine was not stirred vigorously enough to release the trapped CO2 that was in the wine. I did a peach and a blackberry and it had a off smell and bitter taste. After degassing the wine again, it changed quite a lot. The smell was gone and it was smoother.

Name: rhonda foupht
Time: Tuesday, February 5, 2013

my wine always seems to be weak tasting. How long am I suppose to get it to have a "hardier" taste.

Name: Customer Service
Time: Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Rhonda, if a fermentation goes as normal it should be done making alcohol around 5 to 7 days, but it will take much more time for the wine to completely clear. You may want to take a look at the following page on our website: http://www.eckraus.com/wine-making-steps/ There you will see a basic overview of the wine making process.

Name: Ralph
Time: Sunday, March 24, 2013

My wine comes out bubbly/ carbonated like soda. What can I do to avoid this problem?

Name: Customer Service
Time: Monday, March 25, 2013

Ralph, this indicates one of two things. Either the fermentation was not complete when you bottled the wine and it finished fermenting in the bottles, or the wine needed more time to degas before bottling. We have a De-gassing/Mixing Paddle that you may want to consider purchasing for future batches. If you do not have a hydrometer to verify your wine's fermentation has completed before bottling, I would suggest getting on of those as well:

De-gassing/Mixing Paddle
http://www.eckraus.com/de-gassing-mixing-paddle.html

Hydrometer
http://www.eckraus.com/triple-scale-hydrometer.html