Tomato Wine, which tomato?

[Rockoe10]

Curious if anyone has made a Tomato Wine before, and what tomato variety is best. I love making homemade wine and have yet made the two "initiate" wines (Tomato and Dandelion).

I'm increasing my tomato production this year and will have an abundance of fruit to use. I think it's time I crossed off one of those wines i need to make.

[pondgardener]

I haven't made any wine, but there has been a mention of Giant Belgium being used by some...

https://www.totallytomato.com/product/T00299/87

[Rockoe10]

Interesting. Judging by the description it would seem that high sugar AND low acid is the preferred ratio.

[Cole_Robbie]

One that I can harvest with a combine. I would like to try a field of small plants like anmore treasures or some other compact determinate, let them sprawl, and machine harvest like they are low bush blueberries. They would be buggy, bruised, and ugly, but I think still fine for wine.

[farmersteve]

As someone that used to own a winery and know quite a bit about the science of winemaking, you want the tomato with the highest brix and highest acid levels you can find. Just a quick search of the words brix and tomato shows a variety of tomatoes that go above 10 brix, Sungold routinely gets above 10 brix sometimes 11 brix. Unfortunately, tomatoes lack the acid that grapes do so you will need to add some, preferably tartaric acid. Even at 11 brix, it's barely strong enough to make decent wine so you'll need enough sugar to get it to at least 18 brix. Most grape wine is 18-25+ brix. Good luck!

[Rockoe10]

Thankyou [mention]farmersteve[/mention] , that's a big help! I got my Refractometer for Christmas, so I'll be testing Brix on every Tomato I grow, along with the pH with the electronic meter i got for my birthday. Honestly, the women in my life are too good to me

[worth1]

Raisedasnob is what I have read they made wine from.

[Rockoe10]

Would that be the kind that makes the pinky finger pop out when you drink it? I can't have anything less.

[worth1]

Would that be the kind that makes the pinky finger pop out when you drink it? I can't have anything less.

I tend to hold my pinky out whilst drinking.
Done it all my life and don't know why and been made fun of because of it.
Riesentraube is the tomato I am speaking of I just like to call it raisedasnob.
Mainly due to me not being able to spell it correctly.

[TomHillbilly]

I've never made tomato wine. And I'd be the first to say, I might be totally wrong. But I've made plenty of other wines. Out of almost every juice you can think of. As a general rule, stay AWAY from all HIGH acid juices. Unless you like rot gut stuff, that will burn your stomach. That is why I stay away from all juices with Pineapple, Orange, or Grapefruit. It is also the reasons these juices are rarely marketed as wine. And the reason I'll never make any tomato wine.
PS-- 100% Cranberry makes a fair wine. My favorite is 100% cran-grape mixed. Go to Walmart and buy it by the gallon. Make sure it is the 100%. Not the cheap concentrate. Generally Walmart will have 100% Cran-grape for $4.50 a gallon. The cran-grape concentrate will be about 70 cent cheaper. Both look alike--concentrate is only 27% juice. You can produce wine as good as the higher priced store stuff, for under $5.50 a gallon
You and your stomach can thank me later.

[Rockoe10]

Riesentraube, that looks great. Grown in my neck of the woods too.

Yuck, that sounds terrible [mention]TomHillbilly[/mention] . I'll keep this in mind, as i do a lot of wine making too. And i enjoy experimenting with new things, so this is very helpful. Thankyou.

[TomHillbilly]

Rockoe10--- do a gallon of Walmart cran-grape. See if I lied to you.
The fact it is the cheapest-- is just a bonus.

[Rockoe10]

I have , and you're right.

I'll also avoid those other fruit. I haven't used those juices yet, and now probably won't without further research

[karstopography]

https://www.pickyourown.org/ph_of_fruit ... s_list.htm
pH of various foods.

https://www.arishtam.com/tomato-wine/home-brew-recipes/
Tomato wine recipe