What the hell do I call this - Persimon, Yellow Plum & Rosehip Mead

There has to be a sexier name, if anyone can think of anything better than PPR (Not hard to do) please feel free to leave me some suggestions.

I started out with 4 cups of mushed RIPE Persimons with the skin removed. I am very careful to remove the skin of fruits when I can as to avoid the Pectin which apparently makes the wine cloudy. I figured plums were similar, well ok they really aren't but I needed something with a little more acid. I also had some rose hip concentrate I made up from fresh rosehips awhile back and froze.



Here are the measurements:

5 Litres spring water
2 cups rosehip concentrate (previously frozen)
4 cups yellow plum juice (previously frozen)
4 Cups Mashed Persimons with seeds and skin removed
6 Cups Honey

1 pack 1118 yeast
1 tsp yeast nutrient

Specific gravity = 1.082

Start time 6PM December 1, 2008

Saving money on your Wine making supplies

Making your own wine or brewing your own beer at home is a very interesting hobby and it can be even a profitable hobby if you are a smart investor in the right winemaking supplies. In this article we will point you in the right direction.

Free fruit

If you grow your own fruits, wine making is not an expensive hobby at all, its true you need some proper winemaking supplies but when you do some research you can get your supplies very cheap. Producing your own fruits is a good step in the right direction but there are other ways to get fruit for free. If you offer your fruit and vegetable supplier one or two bottles of wine in return of the fruit he did not sell you will probably end up with more fruits then you can use. And because fruits are the most expensive part of winemaking supplies you need, it is a great way to keep the cost of your hobby down. And belief me, when you bring those wonderful bottles of wine to your supplier, he will also be happy that he gave those left over fruits to you. You can even make a deal with him and let him sell your bottles of wines. That is a win-win situation for the both of you.

Winemaking Equipment

The other big investment you need to make in winemaking supplies is the equipment you need for the wine production. I will let you in on a secret, most wine making kits that people get for Christmas never get used, most of the time they end up at e-bay or other auction sites. People buy these kits for there loved ones to give them a nice hobby but in fact the gift receivers never asked for it and they are not really interested. So after a while they sell the stuff and you can buy it at very low prices. And because you do like wine making as a hobby but also would like to make a little money this is an opportunity you really can not let go. This is the smart way to get winemaking supplies cheap.

Save money on wine bottles and wine labels

To get you started you can collect the bottles from people you know, clean them with special sanitizer, make your own labels at the myownlabels website and fill them with your own home made wine. When you do decide to sell your wines you can even make a deal with the buyers, under the name of sustainability, so they bring you the bottles back when they finished the wine.

There are two ways to produce wine labels, you can buy label making kits that provide you with software and paper you can print them on. Or you can create wine labels online and they are professionally printed for you and delivered at your doorstep. Strange enough this is often cheaper then using the label kits. Wine labels give your wine presentation flair and the air of professionally.

These are just a few tips to make your wine making hobby profitable with smart invested winemaking supplies.

Wine Making - Art or Craft

Just an interesting article I found on another site

Wine Making, The Magic Begins!

The magic that is wine making is a fascinating subject, at least for those of us who haven't experienced it up close, and only see the results. Ah but what a glorious result! And it all seems so mysterious.

At first winemaking seems simple enough. The winemaker starts out with some grape juice; he or she puts it in a barrel or stainless steel tank, and then the waiting begins. It can be a few months, it can be a few years, but after all the waiting, we have wine.

If it is that simple, why is it that there is such a great variety in quality, flavor, texture? And how come we aren't all great winemakers?

Actually many people try their hand at homemade wine, and are always on the hunt for homemade wine recipes. For some of these adventurous souls, the results are so-so and decide that it is better to drink the wine than to make it. For others, it is the beginning of a wonderful journey from wine lover to winemaker, and a new career and lifestyle.

So, How Does It All Happen?
Though wine is a very old beverage, the actual chemical processes that makes juice into a fermented beverage wasn't well understood. It has only been in the last couple of hundred years, less at that, that we know that wine making is science at work. It was Louis Pasteur, the man best known for vaccination, that was able to explain to the rest of us how sugar becomes alcohol after a while. This is called fermentation, and it is part of the magic.





Another part of the magic is the maturation, or aging, of the wine. Some wines are meant to be consumed young, that is, soon after they are made and bottled. This period of time can vary from a few months to a year or two.

Other wines benefit from longer aging. This period can be anywhere from two to five years. And some wines have been known to age well for several decades.

Another variation in the aging, as well as in the fermentation, is where the wine is going to be maturing. Will it be in an oak barrel? or will the winemaker decide to use a stainless steel tank? This decision will greatly affect the flavor of the end result. Of course, non of these steps can happen without the key ingredient, the grape. And all wine making really starts in the vineyard.

Not only will the weather and place where the vine is grown affect the final outcome, but most importantly, the kind of grape dictates much of the wine making techniques.

If the grape is a Cabernet Sauvignon, it will dictate a particular set of techniques, as making red wine requires methods that are somewhat different from making white wine.

If the grape is a Chardonnay, then the master will pull a different set of tools from his magic bag.

Is Winemaking Art of Craft?
Some people speak of wine making as being an art, others scoff at this notion. They believe that a good winemaker is just great at his craft, no more no less. I once read that winemaking cannot be an art because the winemaker is working with a set of ingredients and tools, whereas the artist uses his imagination.

It is not for me to say whether wine is a work of art or not, but I think that an artist also has a set of tools and ingredients to work with, it's just that those tools and ingredients are a bit more varied.

A winemaker uses grapes, yeasts, barrels, stainless steel, sugar, etc. to work his magic. an artist uses pain, paper, brushes, wood, marble, glass, fire, to produce his magic.

Perhaps the ingredients and tools that an artist has at her disposal are more varied and unpredictable than those that a winemaker has, but the artist doesn't come up with a work of art out of thin air, she also needs ingredients and tools.

You Decide, Art or Craft?

Making Your Own Wine -Fun, Easy And Delicious!

For those of you just contemplating wine making, here is another article which outlines the ease of the wine making process.

by Georgia Sutherland

Making home made wine is a fast growing hobby. No wonder, making wine at home has a variety of benefits.

One reason is that the information about wine making is becoming much more available. Books with wine recipes, and a number of “How to’s” can easily be found making it easy to get started.

One other reason is that making your own wine can be a lot less expensive than purchasing wine in the store.You can make wine for pennies per bottle. Big difference from the ever increasing prices of commercial wine.

And here’s the best reason: It is just a lot of fun and very gratifying to make your own wine. Making all the preparations including choosing the fruit and or berries to include, what type of yeast to use, and then watching the fermentation take place… it never loosed its excitement.

Homemade wine is also a very special gift for someone. With your own label, of course.

Getting started making wine can be very easy. You do not need expensive equipment and fancy gadgets. What you do need is a fermentation vessel. This can be a five gallon bucket. Then you will need an air lock, which you can purchase inexpensively or make yourself and a few other smaller items.

There are basically three levels of home wine making.

1. Using a wine kit which already have all the ingredients, including instructions.

2.Making wine from fruit juices.

3. Making wine from fruit and berries.

Making your very own wine is a satisfying hobby and art. It is pleasing and nourishing to the palate as well.

Some Potential Problems in Wine Making

Wine making is a skill passed down through generations that each succeeding generation likes to add their own touch to. Sometimes when wine makers experiment with their process things work and sometimes they don’t. Many of the problems in wine making come from small changes or problems that may not seem significant at all but they can turn into huge problems in wine making. Some common problems in wine making are things like adding too much of an ingredient or not keeping a close enough eye on the fermenting stage. The only way to avoid problems in wine making is to know what they can be.

It Won’t Turn Into Wine

Fermentation is a process that turns juice into wine and it is one of the most important steps in wine making. It can also be home to some of the more frustrating problems in wine making. There is the occasion when your wine refuses to ferment. When that happens you not only need to start over, but also you need to try and figure out why it happened. Many wine makers look to their yeast as the problem, and while it is possible that you used a dead yeast and did not know it, but you should also check your sugar content to see if it was right. “Must” is the pulpy concoction made up of fruit skins and pulp that is added to wine and can also be a problem when making wine. Many times the “must” is a closely guarded secret and needs to be done just right for a wine to ferment properly.

Isn’t That Sweet

For new wine makers one of the more common problems in wine making is that the wine comes out way too sweet. This is common among new wine makers because they are still getting the fermentation process right and timing is everything when you ferment. Getting the excess sugar out of your mix is also pretty important and that could be the reason your wine comes out too sweet. There are a lot of factors you need to check when it comes to these problems in wine making and you need to take the time to examine each of your steps to see where you went wrong.

There are a couple of ways you can deal with an overly sweet wine. The first is that you can start fermenting the wine over again and get rid of the excess sugar. This may work or this may not work. You may want to add a little more yeast to help counteract the excess sugar when you restart fermentation. You can only ferment a batch so many times, so if the second fermenting doesn’t do the trick then you may want to call the batch a lost cause.

The other way to deal with a sweet wine is to mix it with a dry wine. This becomes a talent as well because mixing sweet wine with dry wine can usually result in sweet wine again if you do it wrong. So take your time and experiment a little.

Blackberry Mead and a Yeast Test

As you may know from my previous batches, I have been using 1118 yeast which is more of a high alcohol champagne yeast. This time I decided to branch out and try a few things different.
Basically I started with pretty much the same base bringing the specific graivity up to 1.096 ish and separated it out into 2 batches of 8 Litres each. I am trying 2 yeasts, K1116 and 71B 1122 Both by Lalvin.



I started the batches at the same temperature at the same time. Both were innoculated at 9:45 PM on June 25th, 2008. We shall see how this experiment goes. I will keep you updated

Lilac Wine

Here is a couple of recipe's I mooched of Jack Keller. I already picked a bunch of lilac and separated the flowers... What a pain. The trick is to make sure there is no green in the flowers while keeping the sweet Stigmata. You can keep the flowers in the freezer if you need to drag the cultivating process over a few weeks.

LILAC WINE (1)

3-1/2 quarts lilac flowers
2-1/2 lb granulated sugar
2 lemons or 12 grams 80% lactic acid
7-1/2 pts water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Champagne yeast
Put water on to boil while culling through and rinsing flowers. Put flowers in primary and when water boils pour over flowers. Cover primary tightly and set aside for 48 hours. Strain flowers through nylon straining bag and squeeze to extract all flavor, then discard pulp. Stir sugar, yeast nutrient, juice of lemon or lactic acid into primary and stir until completely dissolved. Sprinkle dry yeast on top without stirring or add activated yeast culture to primary. Recover primary and ferment 7 days. Transfer liquid to secondary and fit airlock. Ferment 30 days and rack, top up and refit airlock. Rack again every 30 days until wine is clear and no longer dropping sediment. Rack into bottles and allow to age 3-6 months. [Adapted from George Leonard Herter's How to Make the Finest Wines at Home]





LILAC WINE (2)

3-1/2 quarts lilac flowers
1-1/2 lb granulated sugar
10.5 oz can of Welch's 100% white grape juice frozen concentrate
1-1/2 tsp citric acid
1/8 tsp tannin powder
7-1/4 pts water
1 tsp yeast nutrient
Champagne yeast
Put water on to boil while culling through and rinsing flowers. Put flowers in primary and when water boils pour over flowers. Cover primary tightly and set aside for 48 hours. Strain flowers through nylon straining bag and squeeze to extract all flavor, then discard pulp. Bring 2 cups of must to boil and add sugar, stirring constantly until dissolved. Stir in frozen grape concentrate and immediately pour into primary. Stir in remaining ingredients except yeast. When must returns to lukewarm, sprinkle dry yeast on top without stirring or add activated yeast. Cover primary and ferment 5 days. Transfer liquid to secondary and fit airlock. Ferment 30 days and rack, top up and refit airlock. Rack again every 30 days until wine is clear and no longer dropping sediment. Rack into bottles and allow to age 3-6 months.

Calorie Wise wine, what the )(*()*????

Here is a little article I found on reducing alochol content in wine for a healthier wine with less calories. Hmmm, I never knew calories were a concern when drinking wine.

We all are well aware that the great world of wine dates back about as far as anyone can imagine. But the fact is, even though we all appreciate its history and tradition, it is a new day. In this new day, the influence of the wise consumer seems to be taking effect in a new direction, perhaps establishing the new standard of tradition.

Some wineries today are experimenting with producing wines that are lower in alcohol content due to the inspiration of the health conscious buyer. With improved wine making and growing techniques, it is now possible to lower certain types of grapes' alcohol content down to a ten percent range from the average fourteen. Less alcohol content means fewer calories, making the wine healthier to drink. Criticism in the past however, has put off these healthier wines, by argument of poor quality and lack of taste. But with advanced technology, a new type of wine is being created which is not only healthier, but maintains its great qualities and taste. This raises the next question, do we really want our wines to have less alcohol in them? Sure, it's healthier, but there are a million other ways to be health conscious. To some, drinking wine is an experience, a romantic setting perhaps, a way to break the ice, or just relaxation from a long day, then maybe that warm tipsy feeling is what we're looking for. Will these new and improved wines still leave us in the same mood? We'll just have to try it for ourselves. None the less, the creation of these "good-for-you" wines, along with the screw cap and canned packaging - wine sure has changed since the beginning. Who knows, our wine lovers in the next generation may only be used to these features, because to them, this is tradition.

Just a little something on Red Wine

Well, the first thing that comes to us about red wines is, the deep rich red colored wine! Red wines are made all over the world, and are generally the most popular type of wine among both connoisseurs and novices.

These wines are made from one or more varieties of the European species Vitis vinifera. The top main varieties of grapes from which red wine is made are, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. Other red wine grape varieties are Grenache, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, Gamay, Pinotage and Malbec.

When red wine is made, the grapes are crushed whole and the skins are fermented along with the juice and body of the grapes. On the other hand, white wine is made from pale or green grapes or grapes which are skinned prior to the fermentation process and therefore unlike red wine, the color of white wine is pale in color rather than dark. Thus, in making red wine, the grape skins are the ones that give the wine it’s rich deep and distinct color spectrum. Red wine’s color runs the gamut from deep red to deep pink to ruby red to garnet to almost black to dark violet to maroon, sometimes even blue and the list goes on. The color is determined by the vast variety of grapes that have been used in its production, which can be dark purple, black, black-blue grapes and red grapes. It’s also determined by the wine-making techniques that have been employed by the winemaker. Depending on the type of wine being made and the amount of tannin required, the stalks may or may not be discarded. Tannins are the chemical compounds that cause the sensation of astringency in the mouth. They also make it possible for some red wines to age and develop. Over time, the qualities of the tannin will mellow and blend harmoniously with the other characteristics of the wine. This is one of the main reasons that red wines usually age better than whites.

The grapes, once crushed, are moved from the crusher into fermentation vats with skins. Fermentation can take upto 4 weeks or longer to complete. The higher the temperature, the more colour and tannin is extracted. Carbon dioxide trapped in the vat forces the grapes to ferment faster under pressure and this process can take as little as 5 days. Soft red wines are made by fermenting whole grapes in sealed vats.

The weight of the mass of grapes is sufficient to squeeze the fermented juice out of grapes. This juice is allowed to run into casks as free-run wine. The rest of the bulk goes into a press and is crushed to produce wines with high tannins. The wine from both vat and press are mixed and transferred to barrels or tanks. Here, the second fermentation of wine occurs.

Fine wine almost always spends at least a year in large or small barrels. Here egg-white is used, which drags suspended yeast and other solids in the wine downwards before being racked, filtered and bottled.

Finally, time spent in the bottle is vital. However, not every wine needs bottle ageing. A fine wine which may be an expensive bottle of red wine will almost certainly benefit from bottle ageing. Even white wine with high acidity and body will benefit from bottle ageing. Where as on the other hand, simple wines that are intended to be enjoyed young and meant for prompt drinking, will lose colour and freshness if left for too long.

Wild Mountain Honey Strawberry Mead

They just had a sale on Strawberries at the Local Grocery store. Although I typically prefer local BC Grown Strawberries over the California counterparts, I did manage to find some very sweet smelling large deep red berries in the pile. I immediately grabbed 8 Pounds of them.

Awhile back, I also stumbled across a booth selling organic Honey and picked up a couple of pails of Unpastuerized mountain wild flower Honey. It is a beautifully thick and deep yellow honey with a sweeter and richer taste than the Clover Honey I usually use.

So now that I have given you the history of the ingredients in this batch of Strawberry Mead, let's move onto making Mead.



I cleaned and weighed out the strawberries and put them in a large stainless steel pot with 1.5 Litres of Spring water and the Citric Acid & Honey. while heating up the mixture, I crushed the strawberries with a hand crusher thingy (Sort of like a pastry cutter.) All the recipe's I found said to hand crush, I am assuming this is to keep the must chunky. Heating the mixture up, just to disolve the honey I then transfered the must to my 2 Gallon primary fermenter and added water to bring the level up.
I then checked the Specific Gravity and found it to be right around 1.091 which would bring the Mead to a 12% Alc level if left to ferment to dry.

I prepared and dumped in 2 packages of Lalvin K1-V116 Yeast, which I'm told is a Mead Yeast and let it sit on my fridge (Nice and warm.)

I did not have any yeast nutrient left, so I figured I would try it au-natural...well sort of.

Ingredients:

6 lbs strawberries
4 Tsp Citric Acid
4.5 litres water
7 cups unpasteurized wild mountain honey

spec gravity
1.091

1 Package of Lalvin K1-V1116

The Must was innoculated at 5PM PST on April 29th, 2008

See ya in a few days.

Basic Mead

Here is a Basic Mead recipe I found.

Mead, which is also known as honey wine, is produced from 51 per cent honey, water and yeast. As fruit, spices and herbs can be added to mead, the result is a wide range of varieties, much like grape wine.

Ingredients like yeast, tannin, acids and nutrients can be obtained from beer-or wine-making supply shops or can be ordered online.

Here is a recipe for sweet mead to try at home.

Sweet Mead

1.5 kg (3 1/4 lb) pure honey

3.5 l (14 cups) water (not distilled, no chlorine)

15 ml (3 tsp) malic acid

7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) tartaric acid

1 ml ( 1/4 tsp) tannin

5 ml (1 tsp) yeast nutrient

1 campden tablet

1 pkg wine or mead yeast

In a 4.5-l (1 gallon) plastic bucket, mix ingredients (except yeast). One day later, add yeast.

After 1 month, transfer mixture to a glass jug. Keep at a constant temperature of 21 to 24 C (70 to 75 F.) Transfer to a clean glass jug once a month for the first 3 months. After that, transfer when the mead is clear of any layer of yeast or sediment buildup.

When the fermentation has completed, mead has cleared and no bubbles are visible, it is time to bottle. You may have to wait a full year before bottling. If you bottle too soon, you might have a lot of sediment which will detract from the mead.

Makes 4.5 l (1 gallon).

Sparkling Apple Pineapple Cider-Mead

OK, so it's been awhile since I've tried anything new. I've been wanting to do an apple cider so why not.

After doing a little searching and letting my mind wander a little, I came up with this recipe


Sparkling Apple Cider Mead

6 Litres Organic Apple Juice - Pressed, not from concentrate.
Specific Gravity of juice is 1.050

1 can pineaple tidbits with juice 540 ml Tossed in blender
1 litre spring water
5 1/2 Cups Honey
1 Tsp Jamaican Allspice

specific gravity is 1.100 pot alc of about 13%.

2 Packs of Lalvin K1-V1116 Yeast. Most ciders suggest using a Champagne Yeast, but I've never been one to listen to what others tell me :P

1 Tsp Energizer

Innoculated @ 5PM on Feb 27th 2008

Sparkeloid as a clarifying agent

I tried this stuff the other day and was quite amazed.
I had a batch opf Cranberry Mead which was really being difficult. Clarification was just not happening and it had been sitting for several months already. In a last ditch attempt to clarify this Mead, I picked up some Sparkeloid, which as far as I'm concerned is Mud, well clay, but I will call it mud.

I mixed it up as per directions and dumped some in (Probably abit more than recomended, but this mead was really thick.) The next day, a bunch of mud had gathered at the bottom, along with the muck from the mead. I'm sold

Tender Coconut wine process patented in India

KOCHI: Coconut farmers in Kerala, hit by falling prices and pests, may find solace in the Maharashtra model of wine tourism. A farmer in Kasargod district, who invented the technology to make wine from tender coconuts, thinks the invention would help his peers tide over the recurring crop crisis if the state government opens up its wine sector as in Maharashtra, where grape farmers are free to make and market wine.

Sebastian P Augustine, winner of Kerala government’s Kera Kesari Award, has patented his invention to make wine from tender coconut. The invention, which got India government patent in August 2007, is being processed by the patent offices in the European Union, the US, Canada, Indonesia and the Philippines. He is the first person to patent tender coconut wine anywhere in the world.

“I don’t use any artificial agents in the wine. It is the purest drink around as it does not even contain natural water as found in other wines. The drink is fermented from tender coconut kernel and tender coconut water,” he told a press meet in Kochi on Saturday. This drink, he claims, is 100% organic since there is no chance of contamination by pesticides. The wine has permissible levels of ethyl alcohol (12.25%) and acids as tested at the Central Food Technical Research Institute, Mysore.

He says the unique wine would be a boon to the coconut farmer if the government distinguishes wine from foreign liquor. “Now a farmer gets Rs2 or 3 per coconut. If the government lets us make wine, we can pay farmers’ collectives Rs10 per coconut,” he said.

He hopes that Kerala, with the abundance of tender coconuts and patented technology to brew it into a unique wine, can make the product its USP in the tourism sector. But the state, where wine-making is a household chore, doesn’t have any winery in the absence of sympathetic excise rules. Tender coconut harvesting doubles yields.
Augustine is a former deputy tehsildar. His organic farm in Beemanady in the eastern part of Kasargod district has been awarded the best coconut garden award by the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute in 2000.
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More info on this

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Kochi: Sebastian P. Augustine, 66, a farmer in Kerala’s northernmost Kasargod district, started making wine by turning adversity into an opportunity. On seeing that his coconut grove was diseased, he was forced to make good use of it by plucking the tender coconuts and making wine by fermenting coconut water.
Today, armed with a patent for the method, Augustine is getting ready for the commercial production of wine.
The government trade and cultivation promotion body, the Coconut Development Board, has even promised 25% subsidy for the project. But wine-making may still remain an academic exercise for Augustine because excise rules in Kerala do not allow the government to issue licences for making wine or any alcoholic beverage commercially. “If, Kerala decides to promote wine tourism, things may change,” says Augustine, who was approached by a few companies from outside the state with plans to commercialize the project. But Augustine has not taken any firm decision.
In 2004, when his seven-acre coconut grove developed rot, Augustine started cutting bunches of coconuts on the advice of his neighbours. Not knowing what to do with the hundreds of tender coconuts, he decided to try his hand at making wine from coconut water. Once, on a holiday with his daughter and son-in-law in the US, Augustine saw wine being made from fruits and he was inspired.
The process is not too complicated. First, the water from the tender coconuts is mixed well with the kernel. Then, a few fruits, such as grapes and pineapple, and spices, such as cinnamon, clove and vanilla, among others, are added along with a bit of sugar, and the concoction is left to ferment for nearly a month. The wine then is cleared and pasteurized and bottled. And typical of wine, ageing makes it headier, says Augustine.
Water from three tender coconuts, in addition to a few fruits, spices, sugar and yeast, go to make a bottle of wine and the total cost involved is just around Rs30. Since the excise rules in Kerala do not allow wine sales without a licence, he has not been able to contemplate sales. A bottle of coconut wine, according to Augustine, can fetch more than Rs60. The tender coconut wine does not have any artificial agents or water that could be contaminated, says Augustine.
Augustine, who retired from the government’s revenue department in 1998, began to engage himself in what interests him the most—farming. He started helping farmers improve their practices and raise productivity.
In 1998, he won the Kera Kesari Award from the Kerala government that recognized him as the best coconut farmer in the state. His farm at Beemanady village in Kasargod district is organic, where no chemical fertilizer is used. In 2000, the farm won the best coconut garden award from the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI).
In 2004, Augustine was invited to make a presentation of his innovative initiative at the Indian Horticulture Congress in New Delhi. With the help of scientists at CPCRI, Augustine applied for a patent. Recognition came in August 2007. His application is now being processed by the patent offices in the European Union, the US, Canada, Indonesia and the Philippines.
“If the state government grants the licence, I will involve farmers in wine making,” he says. Coconut cultivation has been on a decline in Kerala. “Tender coconut harvesting doubles the yield from the tree,” he adds. “Moreover, the frequent plucking of tender coconut helps keep at bay dreaded epidemics. While this double-harvesting gives a decent profit to the farmer, plucking coconuts before they are ripe increases work days of the labourers.”

Sparkling Peach wine - The original Bellini

Peach has a great significance in different cultures. It can be of different colors such as red, yellow, pink, white or a blend of these colors. The tradition of making peach wine is popular in many countries. The Bellini is an Italian sparkling peach wine, which was believed to originate during 1930s at Harry’s Bar in Venice. It was named after a famous opera composer.

Peach wine is good for general health and making peach wine at home is an easy but wonderful hobby. In practice, peaches generally contain a very little character and a second ingredient is mandatory for giving it a delicious shape. Here is a recipe for making peach wine that uses raisins in it.



Peach With Raisins Wine

The first step for making peach wine is to select good and fresh peaches. Thoroughly wash 3 lbs of ripe peaches in cool water. You do not need to peel the peaches. Cut them into thin pieces and throw the stones aside. Now mash the peaches and mix ½ cup chopped raisins into the mix. Take 1 qt of boiled water and add 1 lb of sugar and stir it carefully to dissolve. Wrap it with disinfected cloth and let it sit until it comes to room temperature. Now mix cool water to make it equal to one gallon.

After that, add the juice of one large lemon and one crushed campden tablet into the mixture and let it sit for the next 12 hours. Now add ½ tsp peptic enzyme and set aside for another 12 hours. Mix 1 tsp yeast nutrient and blend it thoroughly. Now ferment the solution for next three to four days and stir it twice daily. Now pour all the mixture into a nylon-straining bag and squeeze it tightly so that the maximum amount of juice can be extracted.

Now it is the time to add more sugar to the solution. This is a crucial phase in making peach wine. The sugar not only gives the additional flavor, but it helps in further fermentation. Add ½ lb sugar into the mixture and stir well to dissolve it. Now move the mixture into secondary fermenter and make it airtight. After that the fermentation slows down and terminates.

Now, you are on your final phase of making peach wine. Within the next two weeks, you need to stir it for the final time and put it into bottles. If possible, age it for six months to one year to give it an aged flavor.

Source: secrettowinemaking.com

The story of wine since 3500 B.C.

Here is an interesting little article on the history of wine. I also remember reading something awhile back which stated there was reference to mead in prehistoric "caveman" days where honey dripped into puddles and fermented. A little bit muddy for my tastes but back then they figured it was some nectar from the gods.... Kinda makes sense in a caveman sort of way.



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Source: sthelenastar.com

The origins of wine are clouded in prehistory.

The grape from which wine is best made, Vitis vinifera, originated in what is today the disputed land between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the wild grape there having the additional name of silvestris. The wine, made from that grape, was probably insipid, especially as compared with today’s wines.

More solid evidence was discovered at an archeological dig, called Godin Tepe in what is now modern Iran. Archeologists discovered a 3500 B.C. ceramic vessel that held reddish crystals. These resembled the tartrate crystals which are found today on the bottom of many corks of wine bottles. They came from the wild grape sylvestris, which still grows there today and which ferments overnight.

One theory about wine making is that a Neolithic man made grape juice from wild grapes, forgot it or left it alone for awhile, then tasted it: “Praise the gods; I am tasting heaven!”

Another theory is that it was a development of previous knowledge. Archeology has evidence that mead or honey wine and beer existed prior to wine, made from grapes. And the people of the time applied their knowledge of fermentation to grape juice.

In time, the knowledge of wine making and domestication of the wild grape spread around the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, and Mediterranean Sea, and eventually all over the world. Egyptian hieroglyphic depicts feasts with wine. Homer refers frequently to wine in his Iliad and Odyssey. The roots for the word enology, the study of wine, come from the Greek, oinos meaning wine, and logos meaning study.

The Romans spread the culture of wine and viticulture all over their known world — from their word for wine, vinum we get the many words like vine and vineyard. The Bible, both Old and New Testament, discusses wine. Many religions, both ancient and modern, have adopted wine as part of their rituals.

Pottery of many ancient cultures depicts aspects of wine. In time many lands cultivated their own grapes by cross pollination, grafting and individual agricultural methods.

Today, most of the people in varying lands throughout the world drink wine and have vineyards, and produce their wines from their own unique varietals.

The early American colonists did not have much interest in wine. An exception was Thomas Jefferson, who tried to grow European grapes at Monticello.

Prohibition was an indication of the way the American citizen viewed wine. However, after the repeal of Prohibition, the citizenry of the United States began to take an interest in wine, slowly but increasingly. That was the era of jug wines when wines of the same color were mixed together with no indication of the varietal and given the name of a district in Europe. Today the name of Burgundy or Chablis or Champagne and similar district names can be used only by those districts in Europe with a few exceptions.

In the late ‘30s and early ‘40s, varietals began to be the vogue. Wineries began to be interested in the grape as a varietal. Also, the maxim was white for fish and poultry, and red for red meat.

Today, the majority of the populace has reached a new sophistication. Wineries and vineyards exist in all 50 states. Wineries produce both varietals and special blends of wines, which people enjoy. Wine is recognized as a food, and like all foods, the individual matches all the foods so that they blend into a pleasing taste. And even that rule can be set aside for the person who prefers one wine for all his or her meals. Wine like all else in life follows the Latin saying: “De gustibus non disputandum est.” Freely translated, it is, “One does not argue about taste.”

Watermelon Wine Made Easy

Of course, I wouldn't use the Campden, but other than that is sounds intersting.


Grapes are not the only fruit that can be used to make wine. Although they are the most common, the truth is that other fruits can be used to make wine as well. In fact, it is very easy to make wine with watermelon or other fruits, such as blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Not only is watermelon wine easy to make, but it also provides a nice contrast to the standard grape option. Give it a try and see for yourself!

Easy As One Two Three

Making watermelon wine is extremely easy in fact, it is one of the easiest wines to make. To begin, make sure that you have all of the winemaking equipment necessary to the winemaking process. Next, gather the ingredients you will need specifically for making watermelon wine. These ingredients are: 1/2 gallon Watermelon Juice, 1 Campden tablet, Water, 1/2 pound sugar, 1/8 tsp Tannin, 1 tsp nutrient, 2 1/2 tsp Acid Blend, and wine yeast.



Begin by cutting the watermelon into quarters and removing the rind as well as all the seeds. Then cut the watermelon into slices. Using a strainer bag, squeeze the juice from the watermelon into a primary fermentor. (Put the strainer bag into a primary fermentor as well.) Add all the remaining ingredients to the primary fermentor at this time, with the exception of the yeast. Stir the mixture, cover, and let it sit for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, remove the cover and add the yeast to the primary fermentor. After three to five days, pour the juice into the secondary fermentor. Squeeze the juice in the strainer bag into the secondary fermentor, and then discard the bag.

After this point, it is safe to continue with the normal fermentation process. Remember that this process takes time and that it is important to have patience. The longer you allow the wine to ferment, the better it will taste. Also remember that your easy-to-make watermelon wine will taste better if you let it age several months after it is bottled.

Fruity Fun

Easy to make watermelon wine is also poplar because the ingredients are easy to acquire. It is a great selection both for someone who is just starting to make their own wine, and for someone who has been doing it for years. Whatever the circumstances, this easy watermelon wine will make a great addition to your evening meal.