Cabernet Sauvignon - A Wedding Present

It's been a while since I've brewed and I'm not sure this actually counts as "brewing," but I'm going to blog it anyway. Two wine-loving friends from the office are marrying each other and several of us decided it would be fun to make them wine for their wedding present. We all chipped in and then, mostly due to my own procrastination, I threw it together at the last possible minute (3 months in advance) and then bottled it on their wedding day (a week before the reception since the wedding was a small family-only event.)

The color and aroma were fantastic. The taste? Well, on bottling day it was a little bit like fruit punch sangria. I hope it matures over the next 9 months that I told them it would need to age before they cracked one open. 

April 14, 2014
That's not mold on top, it's oak
sawdust floating on top and still dry.

April 17, 2014
The sawdust finally soaked up
wine and isn't so icky looking.

April 30, 2014
Racking from primary to secondary.

StarSan ... don't fear the foam.

Degassing the wine with a wine whip and an electric drill.

July 10, 2014
Five days after bottling and
two days before the reception.
Congratulations Taryn & Cliff!