How to Make Fruit Wine?

1. What is Make Fruit Wine?

2. How to Make Fruit Wine?

This is the recipe for making raspberry wine. You can customize the other recipes. However, I will leave it at the end of the article for you to refine

Preparing the Raspberries:

• Pick fully ripe raspberries, removing stems, leaves, and any damaged fruit. Wash and drain the berries.
• Place the fruit in a fine mesh nylon straining bag to contain the pulp and seeds. If using frozen fruit, thaw it first and lightly mash fresh fruit.
• Place the bag in a 2–2.5-gallon (7.6–9.4 L) primary fermenter, ensuring the fruit is submerged.

Preparing the Sugar Solution:

• Heat water and sugar in a saucepan to dissolve the sugar. Let the solution cool.
• Pour the sugar solution into the primary fermenter. The hydrometer reading should be 21–22 °Brix.
• Test the acidity using an acid test kit and adjust it to 0.65–0.8 if necessary.

Adding Ingredients and Yeast Starter:

• Stir in acid blend (if needed), pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, and crushed Campden tablet.
• Cover the fermenter and let it sit for 24 hours. Meanwhile, prepare a yeast starter.
• To make the yeast starter, boil 1 cup of orange juice with 2 tablespoons of sugar, then let it cool. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of complete yeast nutrient. Rehydrate yeast in warm water, then add it to the cooled orange juice solution.

Fermentation:

• After 24 hours, add the yeast starter to the must (juice). Cover and stir vigorously twice daily.
• After three days or when the hydrometer reading is 8 °Brix, lightly press juice from the bag and transfer it to a secondary fermenter. Siphon the remaining wine into the secondary fermenter.

Racking and Stabilizing:

• When fermentation is complete (around -1.5–0 °Brix), rack off the sediment into a clean glass carboy.
• Stabilize the wine by adding a crushed Campden tablet dissolved in warm water. Follow with the fining agent according to the manufacturer’s directions. Let it sit for 2–3 weeks, then siphon the wine away from the sediment.

Racking Again and Adjusting Sweetness:

• Let the wine sit for 6 weeks and rack it again. Repeat the racking process after another 6 weeks.
• Taste the wine and adjust the sweetness to your preference. For a dry wine, adjust sulfite levels, filter, and bottle. For a sweet wine, add potassium sorbate and adjust sweetness accordingly.

Final Steps:

• Perform sugar bench trials to determine the ideal sweetness level.
• Adjust sulfite levels if necessary and filter the wine for clarity.
• Siphon the wine into clean, sanitized bottles and enjoy!

3. Method

Above is the recipe for making raspberry wine. Other recipes for making wine will be as follows:

* Apple Wine:

• 3.5 – 4 Lbs of Apples per Gallon
• 6 pints of water
• 1 litre of preservative free white grape juice
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1.5 – 2 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp Pectolase
• 2 tsp TronOzymol yeast nutrient
• Ritchies Sauternes wine yeast

* Apricot Wine:

• 1.5 Lbs of fresh Apricots
• 1 Lb 2 Oz of Dried Apricots
• 10 Oz of Dried Figs
• 10 Oz of Raisins
• 2 Oz Plantain (or Banana)
• Half pint of strong tea for extra tannin
• 1 gallon water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 2+ Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Youngs Burgundy Yeast

* Blackberry and Apple Wine:

• 2 Lbs of Blackberries
• Half gallon water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 1.25 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Yeast

* Half Gallon of Apple Wine:

• 4-5 Lbs of windfall Apples cored & chopped up
• 3 pints of boiling water
• half litre of preservative free white grape juice
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
• Ritchies Sauternes wine yeast

* Blackberry & Plum Wine:

• 2 Lbs of Blackberries
• 2 Lbs of Plums
• 6 pints of water
• 1/2 pound of Raisins or 1 litre of Aldi red grape juice
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp Pectolase
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 2.5 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Good Red Wine Yeast

* Blackcurrant & Blackberry Wine

• 2 Lbs of Blackcurrants frozen in July or August
• 2 Lbs of Blackberries fresh from the hedgerow in September
• Half Lb of Raisins or Litre of Aldi red grape juice.
• 1 gallon water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp citric acid or juice of 1 lemon
• 2.5 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Bordeaux Yeast

* Blackcurrant Wine:

• 4 Lbs of Blackcurrants
• 1 gallon water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 2.5 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Bordeaux Yeast

* Blueberry and Blackberry Wine

• 1.5 – 2 Lbs of Blueberries
• 2 Lbs of Blackberries
• Half a pint of strong tea or a half Lb of Raisins
• 1 gallon water
• 2.5 Lbs of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of pectolase
• 1 teaspoon citric acid
• 1/2 a lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of TronOzymol
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Bordeaux Yeast

* Blueberry Wine:

• 2.5 Lbs of Blueberries
• 1 Lb Raisins
• 1 gallon water
• 2 Lbs of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of pectolase
• 1 teaspoon citric acid
• 1/2 a lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of TronOzymol
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Bordeaux Yeast

* Cherry Wine & Berries

• 2-3 Lbs of Cherries
• 1.5 – 2 Lbs of any mix of berries you like.
• Half a pint of strong tea or a half Lb of Raisins or a litre of Aldi grape juice
• 1 gallon water (6 pints if using grape juice)
• 2.5 Lbs of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of pectolase
• 1 teaspoon citric acid or a lemon’s juice
• 1 teaspoon of TronOzymol
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• A Good Red Wine Yeast

* Crab Apple & Cherry Wine

• 2 Lbs of Crab Apples (Mine were red/yellow)
• 2 Lbs of Cherries (Mine were red dessert cherries)
• 7 pints of boiling water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/2 tsp citric acid or 1/2 a lemon’s juice
• 2.5 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients

* Crab Apple Wine

• 3.5 Lbs of Crab Apples (These were red)
• 8 Oz of Raisins or 1/2 litre of red Aldi grape juice
• 4 pints of boiling water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/2 tsp citric acid or 1/2 a lemon’s juice
• 1.25 Lbs of sugar
• 1/2 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Gervin Varietal D Yeast

* Damson Wine and Berries

• 2.5 Lb’s of Damsons
• 1.5 Lbs of mixed berries from the freezer (Blueberries, Blackcurrant, White Currant, Red Currant, Raspberry, Strawberry, Boysenberry, Tayberry & Loganberry)
• 6 pints (2 x 1.7 Litres) of boiling water
• 8 Oz of Raisins
• A crushed Campden tablet.
• 1 tsp Pectolase
• 2-3 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp of citric acid
• 2 tsp TronOzymol Nutrient
• Harvest VR21 Yeast

* Dartmoor Sloe Wine:

• 4 lb Sloes (Blackthorn)
• 3″ piece of ginger root
• 6 pints of water
• 1 campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectolase
• 2-3  Lbs of sugar
• 1/2 litre of Red Aldi Rio D’Oro grape juice or a pound of Raisins
• 1 lemon or 1 tsp Citric Acid
• 2 tsp TronOzymol yeast nutrient
• Ritchies Sherry yeast

* Elderberry and Apple Wine

• 2 Lbs of Elderberries
• 3 Lbs of windfall Apples
• 7 pints of boiling water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1 tsp citric acid or 1 lemon’s juice
• 2-3 Lbs of sugar
• 1 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Good yeast for Red Wine … I used Young’s Burgundy yeast.

* Elderflower & Crab Apple Wine

• 12 Elderflower Heads
• 1.5 Lbs of Crab Apples
• Zest of 1 lemon (grated)
• 7 pints of boiling water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/2 tsp citric acid or half a lemon’s juice
• 1/2 litre of Aldi Rio D’Oro grape juice, white if you’d prefer to keep the colour of the fruit, red if you want a blusher wine, but you need it for tannin. 8 Oz of Sultanas is an alternative or a 1/2 pint of strong tea.
• 2-3 Lbs of sugar
• 2 tsp of yeast nutrients
• Harvest MA 33 yeast for Red Crab Apples for a blush wine
• Sauternes for Yellow Crab Apples for a light amber wine
• Sauternes for Regular Apples for a whiter wine

* Elderflower Wine

• 25 Elderflower Heads
• Zest of 1 lemon (grated)
• 7 pints of boiling water
• 1 crushed campden tablet
• 1 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/2 tsp citric acid or half a lemon’s juice
• 1/2 litre of Aldi Rio D’Oro grape juice, white if you’d prefer to keep the colour of the fruit, red if you want a blusher wine, but you need it for tannin. 8 Oz of Sultanas is an alternative or a 1/2 pint of strong tea.
• 2-3 Lbs of sugar
• 2 tsp of TronOzymol yeast nutrients
• Sauternes yeast