2016 Wines - Chapter 13 - Passion fruit

Finally the last passion fruit dropped so we can move forward with passion fruit wine.

• 5# 1oz passionfruit pulp, frozen, thawed, bagged
• 1 can white grape concentrate
• 456g sugar
• Kmeta at thaw
• 1/4t Fermaid K, divided
• 0.5t GoFerm at hydration
• Tannin 1/4t
• Pectic enzyme 1t
• Water to 1 gal
• Calcium carbonate 3.5t
• Opti Red/Opti White 1g
• Booster Blanc/Rouge 1g
• Lallzyme EX 0.1g
• Bentonite 2g on day 3

I held back a few ounces for a secondary infusion if needed

Just the pulp, bagged up

The sugar brought the SG from 1.042 to 1.085. The calcium carbonate brought the pH from 2.68 to 3.04. Lallzyme went in with the pectic, 12 hours after the Kmeta, and 12 hours prior to pitching QA 23. 

We fermented it in a water bath chilled with ice packs. The temperature wasn't quite as steady as I would have liked but generally it was no higher than 16C. The last time we made passion fruit wine it ripped through in 3 days - like carambola, it is a very rapid fermenter. This time we stretched to 7 days, and by day 7 at 1.008 we racked to secondary.

We hope to preserve that wonderful passion fruit aroma this time. 

Jammin' for Relay

All day yesterday our radar more or less looked like this:

We ended up with 4.5" yesterday and already today by 7:00am almost another inch. There was no hope of working outside so it turned out to be a perfect day preparing for the Relay for Life.

Each year, led by Mindy and the rest of the staff, our contribution has grown. This year, although twice postponed due to rain, we had a softball tournament which proved very successful. Our fundraising also involves selling homemade jam, and yesterday was the day to make it.

I had a lot of leftover fruit and brought only a portion of it. It seemed to be a fitting use for the last 2.5# of starfruit from 'Kari,' as I don't have enough for a batch of wine. I also brought elderberries, blackberries, and blueberries.

Starfruit Jam in-the-making

A request was also made for wine, and I obliged with elderberry rosé, blueberry, lemongrass mint, lychee, and Dragon Blood. Only the lemongrass was unpopular, although each person had a different favorite. I brought four empty bottles home.

Chief Jammaker Jamie with Lisa

Est. 2017

Last week my dad drove down from Michigan to help plant the vineyard. He arrived on Thursday, and we had a light supper at Bek's. But I could tell something wasn't right. I didn't rest that night and by the next morning I felt entirely unwell. Dad and I went outside and planted two vines, but I could not continue. Six hours later, my swollen appendix was in a jar of formalin.

I woke from anesthesia with a little problem. I had over 100 vines to plant, and while I was much improved, I just wasn't really yet up to the task. Fortunately for me, I have friends and family that pitched in and got the job done.

Shawn, Dad, Jakob, Suzanne, Lisa

The appendicitis rescue crew got the vines in the ground in under 3 hours.

• 9 Foch
• 9 Frontenac
• 10 Chambourcin
• 9 Chardonel (grafted)
• 9 Traminette
• 36 Vidal
• 44 Norton

We heeled in at least 1 extra vine of each variety in the event that I lose one.

On Sunday, Dad and I strung and connected the irrigation lines.

It certainly was a memorable weekend.

Patience Rewarded

Jaboticaba blooming bright.

Narrow garage bed replanted with some lamium and dwarf abelia. The haskap harvest will be limited this year due to a late freeze.

Trying a new pollination technique with the lychees.

With any luck, this will be the Pierce Estate Norton 2020.

And finally, patience rewarded.  Asimina triloba in bloom.