How to Make Wine at Home? 3 Proven Grape Wine Recipes
You have planted grape vines in your garden, and they bore beautiful fruit? You can use the grapes in many ways. Grape juice and jam both taste amazing. But those are not your only options. Grape wine is an absolute bomb. You have never prepared this beverage? That is not a problem! Just use a good wine recipe. We have gathered the best methods for easy homemade wine making. Try them, and you will never have to wonder how to make wine at home.
How to make wine at home? Is it difficult?
Are you wondering whether one can make good grape wine at home? It is, in fact possible, and what’s more - it’s very easy. It might not seem so, but you don’t need any special experience or knowledge. All you need are the recipes we have gathered for you, several products such as sugar and yeast and basic equipment - a jug (carboy) with tube or other vessel in which the fruit can ferment.
If you don’t have a carboy and choose another container, remember that it needs a special construction so that you can insert a tube in the upper part. It is very important so that the process goes smoothly.
Is grape wine healthy?
A good news for grape wine lovers: they can consume it untroubled. The beverage is not only exceptionally delicious, but also, apparently, very healthy. Red grape wine is particularly recommended. The fruits contain large doses of antioxidants which help a human organism fight against various civilization diseases. Grape wine consumed from time to time might protect you against heart diseases and even cancer. As some claim, the beverage aids the fight against obesity and osteoporosis. Some unconfirmed data also suggests the protection against Alzheimer’s disease.
If you consume homemade wine, maintain moderation - just like with every liquor. A glass or two with dinner twice or thrice a week is more than enough to protect your health.
The French know the most about health benefits of wine. According to them, a glass a day consumed with a meal is the absolute basis for one’s healthcare. Nevertheless, medical doctors stress that one should not exceed a dose of 250 ml a day.
How to harvest the fruit for grape wine?
To get a really good homemade grape wine, one needs to properly harvest the fruit intended for the beverage.
The grapes have to be ripe, but not overripe, otherwise they won’t taste good. Large, juicy fruits are the best ones.
The most important aspect of harvesting the fruit for homemade wine is sorting. At this stage, remove any grapes with stains, signs of rotting or damaged skin on a larger area.
When to harvest grapes for homemade wine?
The best moment for harvesting the fruit for homemade grape wine is the end of September. Of course, it’s a generally established time, so take other aspects, such as weather conditions and the fruit ripeness into consideration. If the temperature is moderate and the weather is dry - it is the best moment.
How to make white wine? A recipe
Homemade wine made from white grapes is very tasty. What’s more, you can use it not only as an aperitif for dinner or supper - but also for cooking meals with fish or seafood.
White wine recipe - ingredients
- 2 kg high quality white grapes
- 3 liters water (boiled or bottled)
- 1 kg sugar
- Yeast (special for wine)
- Yeast nutrient (e.g. with vitamin B1)
- 3-4 raisins
How to make white wine:
- Remove the stems from the grapes and rinse them. Put them in a large bowl and refrigerate for an hour. Then pour the fruits to the vessel in which you are going to make the wine.
- Pour water and sugar to a separate container and mix thoroughly until the sugar dissolves. Pour the solution to the jug with the fruit.
- Another step is adding the yeast and the nutrient. Both of those ingredients are powdered, so spread them evenly in the container.
- Cover the jug with a special lid with a tube and set the container at a warm spot, where it’s going to spend about a month.
- After this time, strain the wine out and pour it into a bottle. Add 3-4 raisins. After a week the wine ise ready for consumption.
How to make red wine? A recipe
Homemade wine made from red grapes is healthier… and far easier to make. You do not need yeast nor nutrient. Why? The secret lies in the skin, covered with a delicate white layer. If you don’t wash the fruit, this is the factor which will start the fermentation process.
Red wine recipe - ingredients:
- 5 kg red grapes
- 2.5 liters water (boiled or bottled)
- 1.5 kg sugar (if you like very sweet homemade wine, you can increase the amount to 2 kg)
How to make red wine:
- Crush each grape and put it in the carboy or jug in which the homemade wine is going to be prepared. Add 1.5 liters of water.
- Prepare sugar syrup - use half of the sugar and 0.5 liters of water. Pour it to the vessel with the fruit and mix thoroughly.
- Put a cork or a cover with a tube onto the vessel and leave it in a warm place for 3-4 days.
- Prepare another portion of sugar syrup and pour it into the jug. Mix everything and leave it in the same spot for another 7 days.
- After a week strain the fruit, clean the jug and pour the liquid back into it. You should store it like this for another month - only after this time it will be good.
Pink grape wine recipe
Pink grape wine is one of the rarest types, although its preparation is not any more difficult. It is a perfect option for anyone who likes liquors of delicate taste.
Pink wine recipe - ingredients
- 1.5 kg pink grapes
- 8 liters water (boiled or bottled)
- 2 kg sugar
How to make wine from pink grapes?
- Remove the stems from the grapes and put the fruit in the vessel.
- Dissolve the sugar in water and pour a clear solution over the fruit.
- Put the lid with a tube onto the jug and put it in a warm place for one and a half of month.
- Strain the grapes through a gauze, wash the jug and pour the liquid back into it.
- Store the strained wine for minimum 3-4 weeks before you can consume it.
How long does it take until you can drink homemade wine?
Grape wine made at home should wait for 3 to 6 weeks before one can consume it.
During this time, the wine undergoes final processes such as clarification of the beverage. Sometimes this period might extend to 2-3 months, although it is quite rare.
Home-made beverages and preserves are the best, as they do not contain any harmful substances. Thanks to jams and dogwood liqueur, one you can strengthen your immunity system. Homemade sauerkraut or pickles are perfect for digestion system. You can take care of your health using old recipes passed from generation to generation.
How to bottle homemade wine?
Wine bottling is the last step of the homemade drink preparation, and it’s sequally important as the previous ones. Glass is one of the most important issues - dark one is the best. The shade doesn’t matter - the bottles can be dark green and brown. You can also reuse bottles from store-bought wine and other beverages.
When it’s ready, wine should be poured into the bottles using a small hose. You can add some sugar if you’d like, but be careful not to add too much. If the wine is in the bottles, you can start corking them. The corks must be new. The better the quality - the lesser risk that the bottle will unseal and the wine will go bad. You will also need a special device - a corker.
As you begin bottling your homemade wine, remember that the fermenting process has to be finished. Otherwise, you might get unpleasantly surprised - the bottles will explode.
đź“Ť Grape wine - how much sugar to add?
The amount of sugar needed for wine making depends on the recipe. It is mostly connected with the amount of fruit and water. A strict rule which would state how much sugar one should use doesn't exist.
đź“Ť How to make wine from red grapes?
To make homemade wine from red grapes, you need just 3 ingredients: fruit, water and sugar. This recipe does not use yeast. It's all thanks to the white coating which sits on the grapes skin. It is responsible for fermentation.
đź“Ť How to make wine from grapes - what are the proportions?
The proportions of the ingredients used in homemade grape wine depends strictly on the particular recipe you're using. There isn't any universal principle. Make sure to follow the recipe closely.
đź“Ť How to make wine from grapes at home?
Grape wine is very easy to make at home. In most cases you need only several ingredients, apart from the fruit: yeast, yeast nutrient, sugar and water. When using a simplified wine recipe, you can limit the ingredients only to grapes, sugar and water.
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