Wine from grapes: 10 recipes at home
Almost every owner of a personal plot at some point thinks about making homemade alcohol. Not only berries and fruits are used, but also vegetables, nuts, and other fruits available in the garden.
In this article, Vzboltai will tell you how to make homemade wine from different grape varieties, as well as answer the most exciting questions of novice alcoholic drinkers.
Preparing the berries
It is recommended to harvest grapes on a dry, warm day.
The harvesting period depends on the variety: it lasts from early autumn to the beginning of frost. Do not start harvesting immediately after rain: water washes away the natural yeast from the skin and can lead to rotting of the fruit. For the same reason, you do not need to rinse the grapes before use.
It is better to wipe dusty berries with a clean cloth. Before starting work, the raw materials must be sorted out, removing spoiled fruits, leaves and branches.
Recipe for dry wine from grapes
This technology is universal: it is suitable for dark and light varieties. The result is a natural, healthy drink with a minimum level of sweetness. The only requirement is sufficient sugar content of the fruit (15-22%). They should not be too tart and sour, otherwise the wort will ferment poorly and the finished product will be weak.
The recipe is ideal for early sweet varieties: you will get a wonderful wine from Jupiter or Solaris grapes. Late fruits with medium sugar content are also suitable. This wine from Viognier grapes will be a worthy decoration of the table.
Ingredients
Grapes - any amount
Method of preparation
Mash the berries with your hands without touching the seeds.
Put the grape juice together with the pulp in a fermentation container.
Keep the mass for 3-5 days in a warm room, stirring occasionally.
Pour the liquid part into a glass bottle.
Squeeze the juice from the solid mass through a thin cloth or cheesecloth, add to the first liquid.
Install the water seal, making sure there is enough space in the vessel for foam to form.
Leave the bottle in a room at room temperature until the end of fermentation.
After 1-2 months, pour the drink into small bottles without touching the sediment.
Seal the vessels tightly, keep in the cellar for about 2-3 months.
Recipe for table wine from Isabella grapes
A common and unpretentious variety can be used to make drinks of varying strength and sweetness.
Here is a simple recipe that is also suitable for other types of berries. Prepare wine from Moldova grapes in a similar way. The result is a pleasant, flavorful product with 10-12% alcohol content.
This method is well suited for Lydia grapes, which are often used to make wine at home. If desired, you can increase the amount of sugar, thereby changing the degree. This will make a dessert wine from grapes. You need 0.1 to 0.5 liters of water per liter of juice.
Ingredients
Grapes - 15 kg
Sugar - 2-4 kg
Water - proportionally
The method of preparation
Pour the fruits into a large container, crush with a wooden pestle or hands.
Cover the vessel with gauze cloth, leave in the dark for 3 days, stir the berries twice a day with a wooden spoon.
Squeeze the grape mass well through cheesecloth.
Dilute the squeezed juice with water to taste.
Pour the grape liquid into a glass container, leaving about 1/3 of the bottle free.
Pour sugar into the vessel, put a glove with a pierced finger or a water seal on the neck.
Leave the wort in warmth and darkness for 1-1.5 months (until the end of fermentation).
Pour the young wine into a clean container without touching the sediment.
Optionally, sweeten the drink and keep it for another 1 week under a water seal.
Filter the wine, seal it with a lid, transfer it to a cool, dark place for 2-3 months.
Distribute in small containers, store in the cold.
Recipe for rose wine
You can make alcohol from the delicate fruits of light crimson color using any of the following methods: both red and white technology are suitable. The easiest way to get a light pink drink is from freshly squeezed juice.
You can make wine from store-bought grapes in the same way. It will have to be washed anyway, so you can't do without adding yeast.
Ingredients
Grape juice - 3 liters
Sugar - 0.8 kg
Dry yeast - 2 tsp.
Drinking water - 4 tbsp.
The method of preparation
Pour water into a saucepan, boil, remove from heat.
Add sugar, stir until the crystals are completely dissolved.
Soak the yeast in water heated to a warm state.
Add grape juice to the sugar syrup.
Add dissolved yeast to the resulting mixture.
Pour the fruit wort into the fermentation container, put the shutter.
After the end of fermentation, separate the wine from the lees, bottle it.
The recipe for white wine
Beginner winemakers believe that light drinks are obtained exclusively from lightly colored grape varieties. But this opinion is wrong. To the question "what grapes are used to make white wine?" should be answered: from any. This surprising fact is explained by the fact that the juice of most dark and light fruits is practically colorless.
The red and purple color of the drinks is given by the peel, so it is not used in white alcohol.
With this recipe, you can make a wonderful dry wine from Chardonnay grapes. It is also worth trying it on less demanding varieties, such as nutmeg. You will get a wonderful wine from Citron grapes.
Ingredients
Grapes - 20-25 kg
The method of preparation
Crush the fruit without damaging the seeds.
Put the wort into a fermentation vessel, let it brew for 24 hours at t= 20-25 °C.
Separate the juice by squeezing the mass through cheesecloth, discard the cake.
Pour the grape liquid into a container with a narrow neck, leaving room for the gas released during fermentation.
Secure the water seal, leave the wort in a room with a stable room temperature.
Wait 25 to 50 days, monitoring the intensity of fermentation.
At the end of the release of bubbles, gently drain the drink from the sediment, distribute it into clean containers of small volume.
Allow the wine to mature by keeping it in the cold for at least 1 month.
Recipe for frozen grape wine
The most flavorful homemade beverages are made from raw materials harvested in time. But do not throw away the fruits "forgotten" on the vine: they can be used to make so-called "ice wine".
Traditionally, it is made from berries caught in the first frost, and the pulp is pressed together with the twigs. Wine made from frozen grapes will be sweeter and thicker, so you don't have to add a lot of sugar. But the yield of the product will be less than usual.
Ice wine is best made from Riesling grapes, but other sweet varieties, such as Lydia, are also suitable. If you use fruits from the freezer, yeast is required to activate fermentation, for fresh berries it may not be necessary.
Ingredients
Frozen grapes - 10 kg
Wine yeast - 1 package
Sugar - 1 kg
The method of preparation
Put the frozen berries together with their ridges in a cool place.
Squeeze out the juice, pour it into a fermentation vessel, and discard the cake.
Dissolve the yeast in the grape liquid, cover the container with a multi-layer gauze cloth.
Leave the wort in a dark room at room temperature for 2-3 days.
After the foam appears and hisses, add sugar to the mass, mix thoroughly.
Install a water seal, leave the vessel in a warm, dark place until the end of fermentation.
In 1-2 months after clarification of the wort and precipitation, carefully decant the young wine through a straw.
Pour the drink into small bottles, transfer to the cellar/basement for 3 months.
Filter the wine again, put it into glass vessels, keep it cold.
Honey wine from red grapes
This recipe is good for sweetening a sour harvest and flavoring a faintly odorous one. In the same way, you can make excellent wine from two grape varieties by mixing different juices in equal proportions. The amount of water is indicated without taking into account "topping up" after boiling.
Ingredients
Grape juice - 6 liters
Honey - 2 liters
Water - 5 liters
Yeast - according to the instructions
Fructose - to taste
The method of preparation
Mix water with honey, put on fire.
Boil the mixture until the foam stops (about 2 hours).
Add boiling water to the resulting broth until the original volume is restored.
Pour the honey wort into a fermentation container, add juice and yeast prepared according to the instructions.
If possible, enrich the mass with oxygen using an aerator.
Install the shutter, place the container in a room with room conditions until the end of fermentation (about 3-4 weeks).
Skim the wine from the sediment, pour into clean containers, cork.
Let the drink ferment in the cool for 3 weeks.
Drain the wine from the sediment again, sweeten with fructose if desired, and bottle it.
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Wine from dried grapes
Drinks made from raisinized fruits are characterized by increased sweetness and strength. But such alcohol requires much more raw materials than ordinary wine. In regions with a hot climate, the fruit can be dried directly in the sun without removing it from the vine.
In Italy, wine is made in a similar way from Garganega grapes. In cooler areas, the berries are picked and then dried on mats or boards.
Ingredients
Dried grapes - 1.2 kg
Spring water - 7.2 liters
Sugar - 2 kg
Raisins - 0.2 kg
The method of preparation
Grind raisins in a blender.
Add 1 cup of slightly heated water and 2 tbsp to the resulting mass. л.л. sugar.
Leave the raisin ferment warm for 2-4 days before active fermentation begins.
Grind the dried fruit with the remaining sugar until smooth.
Pour warm water and leaven into the grape mixture, mix.
Place the wort in a fermentation container, put a water seal.
Put the container in darkness and heat for 1 month.
After the end of fermentation, carefully drain the young wine from the sediment, strain.
Pour the drink into small containers, leave in the cool to mature for 2-3 months.
Semi-sweet wine from grapes
For this recipe, you should select varieties with high sugar content - from 23%. If you use fruits of medium sweetness, for example, Valek grapes, you will have to season the wine with honey (50-100 g per 1 liter).
For sour varieties, you can use an alternative method: add pasteurized juice from high-sugar fruits to the previously prepared dry drink in a ratio of 2:1.
Ingredients
Grapes - any amount
Honey/sugar - to taste
Method of preparation
Squeeze the juice from the berries, let it stand in the cool for 12 hours.
Drain the grape liquid, without touching the sediment, into a prepared container.
Leave the vessel in a place with a constant t=15-16 °C.
After a week, start taking samples from the fermenting wine.
After reaching the desired parameters of sweetness and strength, pour the wort into a large bottle, tightly cork it with cotton and cloth, and wrap it with a rope.
Pasteurize the vessel at t=75-80 °C for 30-50 minutes to stop fermentation.
Allow the drink to cool in room conditions.
After 10-12 hours, transfer the vessels to the cellar, leave for 2 months.
After clarification, drain the wine from the sediment, distribute it in half-liter containers, cork it.
Re-pasteurize the drink at t=70-72 °C for at least a quarter of an hour.
Store in a cool place after cooling.
Wine from black grapes
Dark varieties are loved by home cooks for their low acidity and high sugar content. However, it is much more difficult to make friends with them than with reds.
Wine made from Pinot Noir grapes is one of the best among the "black" brethren, but this variety is capricious in cultivation and processing. It can be used to make both a chic spicy fruit drink and a very mediocre table alcohol. This variety of small grapes has long been used for Burgundy wine, but Russian versions are far from it.
Many other overseas guests behave in a similar way:
Wine from Shiraz grapes
It turns out bright, almost purple. In France and Australia, the variety boasts an equally rich taste and aroma. In most Russian regions, it simply does not have time to ripen, so it is not cultivated.
Wine made from Tempranillo grapes
In Spain, excellent vintage drinks are made from this variety. We are just beginning to grow it, so far without much success due to the whimsicality of the conditions of detention.
Wine from Carmenere grapes
Mostly represented by Chilean products. It is there that the fruits ripen well. In countries with cool climates, the vine is not grown due to late ripening, susceptibility to disease and low yields.
Wine from Nebbiolo grapes
Produced exclusively in the vicinity of Piedmont. In other regions, the variety is not grown due to its extremely high whimsicality.
Wine from Sangiovese grapes
Made mainly in Italy. This vine is less whimsical to conditions and care, but its fruits are very difficult to work with.
For home winemaking, it is better to use well-established dark varieties. One of the best domestic samples is wine from Temryuk grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, various types of Pinot and other black varieties are grown in the region.
Wine from Merlot grapes has proven itself excellently. It is made according to the classic "red technology" using any of the following recipes.
You can make wine from Saperavi grapes in a similar way. It will be thick and rich. A fortified product will also be obtained from dark fruits. You can make it according to the scheme below.
Ingredients
Grapes - 5 kg
Sugar - 0.5-0.6 kg
Alcohol / vodka - in proportion
The method of preparation
Mash the grapes, place in the fermentation tank.
Let the berry mass infuse for 3-4 days.
Pour sugar into the wort, put a shutter, leave the mixture to ferment (2-3 weeks).
Strain the young wine, add alcohol/vodka (up to 20% of the liquid volume).
Allow the drink to mature (1-3 days), filter, leave in the cold for 2 weeks, bottle.
Wine from wild grapes
For the preparation of homemade alcohol, the fruits of garden crops are often used. Wild grapes are less commonly used due to their low sugar content and high astringency.
However, some uncultivated varieties, such as Far Eastern, are quite suitable for making drinks. Using this recipe, you can make a good homemade wine from Amur grapes.
Ingredients
Bunches of grapes - 3 kg
Water - 4.5 liters
Sugar - 2.5 kg
The method of preparation
Put the grape tassels in a saucepan, crush them, minimizing injuries to the branches and seeds.
Transfer the mass to the fermentation vessel, add 1 kg of sugar, pour in all the water, mix.
Cover the container with gauze cloth, let it ferment for about 1 week in room conditions, stirring daily.
Strain the mixture, squeeze, discard the cake.
Add another 1 kg of sugar to the resulting juice, mix.
Pour the liquid into a glass vessel, put a shutter, leave it warm for 2 weeks.
Add the remaining sugar to the wort, having previously dissolved it in a small amount of wine, let the mass ferment under the shutter.
Remove the wine from the sediment, filter, pour into clean vessels, cork, transfer to the cellar.
Taste after 1-3 months, store in the dark and cold.
The benefits and harms of homemade grape wine
Like any alcoholic beverage, homemade alcohol should be drunk in moderation. If you use high-quality raw materials and follow the consumption norms (1-2 glasses per day), homemade wine will only bring benefits:
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
Normalizes blood pressure and sleep
Improves the functioning of the digestive and respiratory systems
Boost immunity, relieve fatigue
Will help in the fight against autoimmune processes
Answers to frequently asked questions
Why homemade grape wine is bitter
Common causes: high tannin content (contained in the skin and seeds), use of spoiled raw materials, overexposure to oak barrels or lees.
To get rid of bitterness, add egg white (100 g per 1 liter) to the drink, mix, let the mass stand for 2-3 weeks, and then carefully drain the wine.
Auxiliary methods: purification with clay (3 g per 1 liter) and bentonite, pasteurization, alcoholization.
How much wine is obtained from a ton of grapes
It all depends on the variety. The run is quite large: on average, from 1 ton, from 500 to 870 liters of finished product are obtained.
The cost of wine from grapes - how to calculate
It is necessary to proceed from the chosen recipe and raw materials. If you use your own grapes, you should summarize the cost of sugar, yeast, and other ingredients, add the cost of filtration and purification.
The resulting figure must be divided by the number of liters of the finished product.
In the case of using purchased raw materials, you should add its cost to the formula.
What devices exist for grape pressing for wine
Small volumes of raw materials can be crushed by hand, in the worst case - with your feet.
A more advanced option is to use a meat grinder or blender, but there is a high risk of crushing the seeds.
For large volumes, it is better to purchase a press: primitive lever or modern screw. You can design it yourself. To process more than 500 liters of grapes, you need a crusher with a motor.
Electric crushers are more expensive, but include the function of separating the ridges.
Presses are made of different materials: wood, steel, plastic.
How to ferment homemade wine from grapes
To increase the degree, vodka/alcohol is added to the finished drink or young wine.
For 10 liters you need 0.5-1 liter of strong alcohol.
At the fermentation stage, you can add momentum with sugar: it is added in an amount of 0.4-0.8 kg/l.
Alternative methods: fixation with sulfuric acid, pasteurization, freezing.
Why wine from grapes does not start to ferment
The reasons may be different. The most common: there is not enough wild yeast on the fruit. In this case, it is recommended to add artificial strains of fungi (wine yeast), raisin sourdough or a handful of dried fruits.
Will wine be made from last year's grapes
It is better to make alcohol from fresh fruits, but there may be exceptions. If the grapes were well stored, not covered with mold and not rotten, it is quite possible to use them. In this case, it is necessary to include yeast in the recipe, especially if it is frozen raw materials.
Wine from grapes is sour: what to do
Homemade alcohol turns sour due to non-compliance with tightness during fermentation and oxygen entering the wort.
The drink can be saved if the process has just begun. Remove the formed film from the wine, pour it into a sterile container and pasteurize (heat) it at a temperature of t=60-70 °C for half an hour, then send it to a cold place or add a little alcohol.
In advanced cases, it remains to pour out the product or distill it into alcohol.
What grapes should not be used to make wine
From low-quality raw materials: moldy, rotten, unripe.
As for the varieties, most of the table fruits intended for raw consumption are not suitable for winemaking. But you can eat berries from some technical vines, for example, Aligot or Muscat.
Update: 07.05.2019
Category: Wine and Vermouth