Making wine at home may seem like a tradition best left to those who still remember when prohibition forced them to take part in it. However, more and more people are finding that wine made straight from the fruits they have grown in their garden or picked up at a local market can be both cost efficient and full of new, fun, fresh flavors. Below is a chart with some pretty basic recipes for making wine at home using some pretty common fruit as well as a few select specialty ingredients that can be purchased online by responsible adults (which we must insist are who the recipes are truly intended for.)
FRUIT WINE
ONE GALLON RECIPES
FRUIT
AMOUNT
SUGAR
WATER
YEAST NUTRIENT
ACID
TANNIN
PECTIC ENZYME
CAMPDEN TABLETS
SPECIAL
AGING
Apple
15# or 1gallon juice
1#
4 pts
1 tsp. nutrient
1 1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
1/4 tsp.
yes
1
1 tsp. ascorbic acid (vita. C) after 4 weeks
1 yr.
Apple (spiced)
8 # or 2 qt. juice 1; 1/2 cup raisins; 3/4 oz cloves; 1/2 oz mashed ginger root
2 1/2 #
4 pts
1/2 tsp. nutrient
1 tsp. (acid blend)
1/4 tsp.
yes
1
1 tsp. ascorbic acid (vita. C) after 4 weeks
1 yr.
Apricot
2 1/2 # apricots (or peaches)
2#
7 pts
1/2 tsp. nutrient
1 1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
1/4 tsp.
yes
1
6 months
Banana
3# fresh banana or 8 oz. dried (boiled 30 min.-throw pulp away); 1 1/2 cup raisins
2 1/4#
7 pts
1 tsp. nutrient
3 tsp. (acid blend)
1/4 tsp.
none
none
6 months
Blackberry
4# Blackberries
2 1/4#
7 pts
1 tsp. nutrient
1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
none
yes
1
6 months
FRUIT
AMOUNT
SUGAR
WATER
YEAST NUTRIENT
ACID
TANNIN
PECTIC ENZYME
CAMPDEN TABLETS
SPECIAL
AGING
Blueberry
2# blueberry; 1# raisins
2#
7 pts
1/2 tsp.
1 1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
none
yes
1
add 1/2 tsp. stabilizer
6 months
Cherry
6# cherries
2 3/4#
7 pts
1 tsp.
2 tsp. (acid blend)
1/4 tsp.
yes
1
6 months
Cranberry
3 # cranberries; 1# raisins
1 3/4#
2 qt.
1 tsp.
1 tsp. (acid blend)
none
yes
1
6 months
Elderberry (fresh)
3# elderberries
2 1/4#
7 pts
1 tsp.
1 tsp. (acid blend)
none
none
1
1/4 oz oak chips per gallon for that "aged-in-oak" flavor
6 months
Elderberry (dried)
5 oz dried elderberries; 1# raisins
2 1/4#
1 gallon
1 tsp. nutrient
1 1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
none
yes
1
1/4 oz oak chips per gallon for that "aged-in-oak" flavor
6 months
FRUIT
AMOUNT
SUGAR
WATER
YEAST NUTRIENT
ACID
TANNIN
PECTIC ENZYME
CAMPDEN TABLETS
SPECIAL
AGING
Gooseberry
2 1/2# gooseberries
2 1/4#
7 pts
1 tsp. nutrient
none
none
if needed
1
6 months
Wild Grapes
6# wild grapes
2#
6 pts
1 tsp. nutrient
none
none
yes
1
6 months
Peaches
2 1/2 #
2#
7 pts.
1 tsp.
1 1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
1/4 tsp.
yes
1
6 months
Plums
3#
2 1/2 #
7 pts.
1/2 tsp.
1 1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
1/4 tsp.
yes
1
6 m - 1yr.
Pineapple
3 pts pineapple juice unsweetened
2#
5 pts
none
1/2 tsp.
1/4 tsp.
yes
1
preferable as a semi-sweet wine
6 m - 1yr.
Raspberry
2 1/2 - 3#
2 #
7 pts.
1 tsp.
1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
1/4 tsp.
yes
1
6 m - 1yr.
Watermelon
2 qt. watermelon juice
1 1/2#
2 qt.
1 tsp.
2 1/2 tsp. (acid blend)
1/8 tsp.
none
1
this wine is yellow in color, not red.
6 months
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Wash Fruit, remove stones and bruised parts.
Weigh and measure fruit.
Chop, smash, or crush fruit and strain into primary fermentor.
Keep all pulp in straining bag, tie and put into fermentor.
Stir in all other ingredients except for yeast.
Acid pH Should be about 3.0-3.4; add more yeast to lower pH if needed.
Cover primary with a clean cloth to allow campden tablet SO2 to evaporate.
24 hours after campden tablet addition, rehydrate yeast in warm water for 5 minutes and put into fermentor.
Put cover on fermentor.
Stir daily and agitate pulp bag.
After 5 days, remove pulp bag (straining lightly) and siphon wine off sediment and into glass secondary.
Top off to neck of fermentor with water.
Attach Airlock
After fermentation (about 3 weeks and a specific gravity of 1.000) siphon off sediment and into clean glass secondary and top off with water to minimize head space.
Siphon again in about 2 months and top off.
If a sweeter wine is desired, add potassium sorbate and sweeten to taste.
Soak corks in campden tablet water for 24 hours and bottle