Simple Steps to Make Your Own Wine

While no one is sure about the exact origins of wine, many agree that it was probably a happy accident. Wine is created when grape juice is fermented with yeast, this seems simple enough to have happened by accident. Since then, the art of winemaking has been refined to build a stronger drink that complements the presence of each note in it, read more about it here.

Some wines are fruitier than others, some are sweeter, and some are nutty. But at the end of the day, all wine is fermented grape juice – prepared with care and love for the art.

Making your own wine, at least a bottle to understand and appreciate the drink better, is quite simple. You could even involve your family and make this an annual tradition – a Father’s Day activity where your children participate with some quality time instead of a store-bought card.

Going back to the basics, it is important for you to have the right apparatus for making wine at home. Stainless steel utensils are a bad idea for this project, so, keep those out of the way. You will need –

· A Plastic/Ceramic Container with a Lid

· 1.5 Kilograms of Black Grapes

· 1-1.5 Kilograms of Sugar

· 15 Grams of Yeast

· 2.5 Liters of Water

· Plastic Wrap

· A Glass Bottle with a lid

Now that you have all your ingredients, let’s move on to the process. The process is divided into 3 main categories –

Cleaning and Crushing

1. De-stem the grapes and clean them with water.

2. Spread out the grapes on a sheet or tray and let them dry

3. Clean your jar with distilled water to avoid any chances of contamination

4. Boil 2.5 Liters of Water and let it cool down

5. Once the grapes have dried – the water you washed them with has evaporated, it is time to crush them

6. Put the grapes in the clean container/jar and smash the grapes

7. Smash the grapes – make sure that you don’t crush them too hard or blend them

Ageing

1. Put the boiled and then cooled water into the jar on top of the crushed grapes

2. Activate the yeast with sugar and water or as instructed

3. Add the activated yeast into the jar along with half the sugar – 750 grams

4. Stir the contents of the container with a spoon (Note: Do not use a steel spoon)

5. Cover the opening of the container tightly with plastic wrap and then the lid

6. Store the jar for 21 days in a cool, dry, and dark place where it is easily accessible

7. Take out the jar and open it to stir its contents every 2 days for 21 days

Filtration and Bottling

1. After 21 days – open the jar and filter the content using a sieve

2. Squeeze the grapes to extract any remaining juice from them

3. Clean the jar and put the liquid back into it with the rest of the sugar – 750 grams

4. Stir the contents lightly (Note: Do not use a steel spoon)

5. Store the jar in a cool, dry, and dark place as before but this time no daily checks are required

6. After another 21 days open up your jar and transfer to a bottle

7. Enjoy your wine!

Now, wasn’t it simple?

Making wine at home is essentially a game of patience as the rest of the process is quite simple – easier than making a hot bowl of pasta. Enjoy your wine with your loved ones responsibly and ready yourself for another round, as there is no way you’ll want to quit this simple and rewarding technique so soon.

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