Name: The Loudoun Kitchen & Bars 7 Moons / California Red Blend Recipe
Cook time: 48 h
Total time: 48 h
Yield: 24 servings
Ingredients: 6 bottles California red blend (or ready-made red wine base); 1 cups Merlot (for fruit-forward body); 0.5 cups Petite Sirah (for color and chocolate notes); 0.25 cups Syrah (for spice and cola notes); 0.25 cups Reserve/aged red (for smoothing finish); 2 tsp Strawberry preserves (reduced, for fragrant lift); 1 tsp Cherry concentrate or reduced cherry juice (for cola/cherry lift); 1 tsp Unsweetened cocoa nib infusion (for milk chocolate subtlety); 0.25 tsp Glycerin (food grade, smoothing mouthfeel) - optional; 1 tsp Oak chips (medium toast, soak in spirit) - optional; 1 to taste Glass demijohn or carboy (5–6 L); 1 to taste Funnel; 1 to taste Sterile syringe or pipette (for small additions); 1 to taste Fine mesh strainer or coffee filter

Australia. Attractive, fruit-driven Shiraz. Cherry red with hints of dark plum and chocolate on the nose. The wine is seamlessly balanced with sweet lifted fruit, subtle oak and soft tannins, a delicious wine made to enjoy now.

Murphy Vineyards Shiraz Big Rivers

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Flavors of strawberry preserves, cherry cola, and milk chocolate follow through to a smooth fruit forward lingering finish.

Sanitize all equipment. Decant 6 bottles (approximately 4.5 liters) of a California red blend into a sanitized carboy or large glass container using a funnel to minimize splashing.

Combine base wines

Measure and add the small supplemental components: 1 cup Merlot, 1/2 cup Petite Sirah, 1/4 cup Syrah, and 1/4 cup reserve/aged red. These small additions are used to emphasize the strawberry-preserve fruit, deepen color, add subtle cola spice, and give a rounded, lingering finish. Stir gently with a sanitized paddle or by rocking the carboy to homogenize—avoid vigorous aeration.

Adjust blend components

Seal the carboy with a sanitized stopper (airlock optional) and let the blend rest at cool cellar temperature (55–65°F / 13–18°C) for 48–72 hours to let components integrate. Taste at 24-hour intervals to evaluate balance.

Rest and marry

If you want to accentuate specific tasting notes, prepare small concentrated additions: warm 2 tsp strawberry preserves gently and reduce on low heat until slightly syrupy (do not caramelize). Reduce 1 tsp cherry concentrate or small amount of cherry juice to a syrupy consistency. For the chocolate nuance, steep 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa nibs in 1 tablespoon of warm water for 5–10 minutes, then strain. If using oak chips, soak 1 tsp in 1 tablespoon of neutral spirit (vodka) for 24 hours and strain.

Prepare condensed flavor additions

Using a clean pipette or syringe, add the strawberry syrup (up to 2 tsp total across the full 4.5 L), cherry reduction (up to 1 tsp), cocoa nib tincture (up to 1 tsp), and if desired 0.25 tsp food-grade glycerin or a few drops of oak tincture. Add in very small increments (1/4 to 1/2 tsp), swirling gently after each addition and tasting after 30 minutes to judge effect. The goal is subtle lift — avoid making the wine obviously sweet or syrupy.

Make micro additions

Once satisfied with flavor adjustments, let the blend rest another 24–48 hours. If any particulate or cloudiness appears from additions, filter gently through a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter into a sanitized carboy before bottling to ensure clarity.

Final marry and clarify

Bottle the finished wine into sanitized bottles, leaving appropriate headspace (about 1 inch). Cork or cap and store upright for 24 hours, then lay on side if corked. Age at cellar temperature for at least 2 weeks to let the final integration occur — this will smooth the finish and let strawberry-preserve, cherry-cola, and milk-chocolate notes settle into a lingering finish.

Serve slightly below room temperature (60–65°F / 15–18°C) in large-bowled red wine glasses to appreciate the fruit-forward aromas and smooth lingering finish. Pour 5–6 oz (150–180 ml) per serving.

California red blend (or ready-made red wine base)

Merlot (for fruit-forward body)

Petite Sirah (for color and chocolate notes)

Syrah (for spice and cola notes)

Reserve/aged red (for smoothing finish)

Strawberry preserves (reduced, for fragrant lift)

Cherry concentrate or reduced cherry juice (for cola/cherry lift)

Unsweetened cocoa nib infusion (for milk chocolate subtlety)

Glycerin (food grade, smoothing mouthfeel) - optional

Oak chips (medium toast, soak in spirit) - optional

Glass demijohn or carboy (5–6 L)

Funnel

Sterile syringe or pipette (for small additions)

Fine mesh strainer or coffee filter

7 Moons / California Red Blend

Yuengling Traditional Lager

Hot Tea/ Coffee

Grilled chicken breast topped with spinach, roasted peppers, provolone, and pesto. Served on toasted sourdough.

Chicken Pesto Panini

Sam Adams Seasonal

Smithwick's

Blue Moon

Make 7 Moons / California Red Blend Recipe in just 48h . Flavors of strawberry preserves, cherry cola, and milk chocolate follow through to a smooth fruit forward lingering finish.

7 Moons / California Red Blend Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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