Easy Homemade Wines
From a very young age winemaking was very much a part of my life. Culturally, from my Italian father wine is as much a part of daily life as the food it accompanies. I'd like to say that in Italy wine is not drunk to get inebriated but to enhance your meal, refresh the palate and aid digestion whilst enjoying the fruits of your labour in making the wine in a chemical-free and natural way. Also, wine produced in this manner doesn't leave you with a hangover like commercial wines which have many additives to preserve them. The only effects of drinking homemade wine are you get happy and then sleepy if you drink too much, time for a siesta.
Below I will list the recipes I've learned over the years which are simple to produce and don't require any specialist equipment unless you wish. All that is needed is a bucket or container for the primary ferment, a tea towel and a demijohn or empty 5lt still mineral water bottle and a length of hose for siphoning.
Grape wine from whole fruit, that I learnt from my father:
6-7kg of grapes per gallon (4.5lt)
ABV 11-14%
Take a container or bucket one gallon bigger than the amount of wine you intend to make.
Add the crushed grapes stalks and all. This can be done by squeezing through your fingers if making a small quantity or pulsing in a food processor/stick blender. For larger quantities, you will need patience, a grape crusher or going old school and washing your feet before getting in and crushing underfoot (my father did for many years until he bought a grape crusher which I now possess).
Cover with a tea towel, an old sheet or a T-shirt. Then set the bucket in a location at a suitable temperature, in summer this can be in a shed or garage but in colder months room temperature is required the kitchen being ideal.
For the following 7-10 days, wash your chosen hand and forearm, remove the tea towel and mix the crushed grapes pushing down from the top to the bottom for a few minutes. Then replace the tea towel. This must be done once a day. This process stops any mould from forming on the surface during this primary ferment.
After this period drain the juice through a sieve or even better an old pillowcase. Squeeze as much juice as possible from the pulp, with a pillowcase this is easier as you simply twist to compress the pulp then massage by hand squeezing out the last of the juice. The pulp can then be composted so as not to waste a good mineral source.
Pour the juice into your secondary fermenting vessel, demijohn or 5lt water bottle making sure to leave a little space (1-2" or 5-10cm) before the neck of the bottle.
If using a fermentation airlock in the lid screw it down tight and add water to the first bubble. Alternatively, put a lid on then loosen it a little to allow pressure to escape as it ferments.
Fermentation should take 3-4 weeks, this will be visible if using an airlock as the bubbles will slow and then stop. If you went for the lid method allow four weeks, screw the top on tight and check again in a couple of days. If when loosening the top you hear pressure escaping it's not fermented out and replace the lid loosely as earlier and leave a further week.
Once fermentation has ended clearing will start. This can be variable in duration but once the wine appears clear enough for your liking it can be bottled. Keep in mind that any sediment or cloudy wine is not harmful and quite nutritious though aesthetically not pleasing.
Once bottled and corked or lidded with a suitable seal store in a cool dark place.
Fresh or young wine around a month old is full of fresh fruit flavour though if left will mature to reveal more interesting aspects or nuances to reveal themselves.
2kg of fruit per gallon (4.5lt)
1kg sugar
1 heaped tsp yeast
ABV 11%
Take a container or bucket one gallon bigger than the amount of wine you intend to make.
In a large pot add the sugar and 2lt of water. Put on the stove and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved cover with a lid and allow to cool.
Clean then thinly slice the fruit you are using into your primary fermentation bucket, this can be done by hand or in a food processor slicer but don't over-process as it will clog things up when removing the pulp.
Pour on the dissolved sugar syrup prepared earlier and add a further 3lt of cold water and mix well.
Cover with a tea towel, an old sheet or a T-shirt. Then set the bucket in a location at a suitable temperature, in summer this can be in a shed or garage but in colder months room temperature is required the kitchen being ideal.
For the following 7-10 days, wash your chosen hand and forearm, remove the tea towel and mix the sliced fruit pushing down from the top to the bottom for a few minutes. Then replace the tea towel. This must be done once a day. This process stops any mould from forming on the surface during this primary ferment.
After this period drain the juice through a sieve or even better an old pillowcase. Squeeze as much juice as possible from the pulp, with a pillowcase this is easier as you simply twist to compress the pulp then massage by hand squeezing out the last of the juice. The pulp can then be composted so as not to waste a good mineral source.
Pour the juice into your secondary fermenting vessel, demijohn or 5lt water bottle and top up with water if necessary making sure to leave a little space (1-2" or 5-10cm) before the neck of the bottle.
Add the yeast and shake or mix well.
If using a fermentation airlock in the lid screw it down tight and add water to the first bubble. Alternatively, put a lid on then loosen it a little to allow pressure to escape as it ferments.
Fermentation should take 3-4 weeks, this will be visible if using an airlock as the bubbles will slow and then stop. If you went for the lid method allow four weeks, screw the top on tight and check again in a couple of days. If when loosening the top you hear pressure escaping it's not fermented out and replace the lid loosely as earlier and leave a further week.
Once fermentation has ended clearing will start. This can be variable in duration but once the wine appears clear enough for your liking it can be bottled. Keep in mind that any sediment or cloudy wine is not harmful and quite nutritious though aesthetically not pleasing.
Once bottled and corked or lidded with a suitable seal store in a cool dark place.
If you made a Perry from pears or Hard Cider from apples you can decide whether or not to prime the bottles to carbonate the drink if you want a fizzy end product. This is done by adding 4g of sugar per litre and dissolving before bottling.
Fresh or young wine around a month old is full of fresh fruit flavour though if left will mature to reveal more interesting aspects or nuances to reveal themselves.
Fruit wine from soft fruits, currants, gooseberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries etc.
(My recipe, tried and tested):
1kg of fruit per gallon (4.5lt)
1kg sugar
1 heaped tsp yeast
ABV 11%
In a large pot add the fruit, sugar and 1lt of water. Put on the stove and bring to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes and once all the sugar has dissolved and the fruit softened cover with a lid and allow to cool.
Pour the fruit and liquid through a sieve, one or two ladles at a time, and stir pressing the fruit through the sieve with a spoon or spatula. Continue till all the juice has been sieved and all the pulp removed. The pulp can then be composted so as not to waste a good mineral source.
Pour the juice into your fermenting vessel, demijohn or 5lt water bottle and top up with cold water making sure to leave a little space (1-2" or 5-10cm) before the neck of the bottle.
Add the yeast and shake or mix well.
If using a fermentation airlock in the lid screw it down tight and add water to the first bubble. Alternatively, put a lid on then loosen it a little to allow pressure to escape as it ferments.
Fermentation should take 3-4 weeks, this will be visible if using an airlock as the bubbles will slow and then stop. If you went for the lid method allow four weeks, screw the top on tight and check again in a couple of days. If when loosening the top you hear pressure escaping it's not fermented out and replace the lid loosely as earlier and leave a further week.
Once fermentation has ended clearing will start. This can be variable in duration but once the wine appears clear enough for your liking it can be bottled. Keep in mind that any sediment or cloudy wine is not harmful and quite nutritious though aesthetically not pleasing.
Once bottled and corked or lidded with a suitable seal store in a cool dark place.
Fresh or young wine around a month old is full of fresh fruit flavour though if left will mature to reveal more interesting aspects or nuances to reveal themselves.
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