Homemade wine is a classic symbol of celebration. A slice of Christmas cake with wine is something we look forward to every year. This is a simple recipe to make a rich and sweet homemade wine that is easy to make at home. Grapes, sugar and spices is all that is needed to make wine.
Ingredients
1. Black grapes (with seeds) – 1 kg
2. Sugar – ½ to ¾ kg
3. Boiled and cooled water – 1½ to 2 litres (should cover the grapes)
4. Instant yeast – ½ tsp
5. Wheat grains – 100 gm (washed and dried)
6. Beetroot – 1 small (for colour)
7. Cloves – 4
8. Cardamom – 2
9. Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
10. Ginger – ½ inch piece (crushed)
Preparation
1. Soak the grapes in warm water mixed with vinegar and salt for at least one hour. Wash and pat dry the grapes and remove the stems.
2. Chop one beetroot, boil with 2 cups of water for 5 minutes and strain the juice. Cool and keep aside.
3. Tie the wheat grains and the spices in a clean and dry cotton cloth and keep the bundle aside.
4. Take a clean and dry ceramic or glass jar (4-5 ltr capacity) and layer it with the grapes and sugar. (Top layer should be sugar).
5. Sprinkle the yeast and pour the boiled and cooled water and the beetroot juice. Insert the wheat grain bundle in the jar and close it with the lid and then cover tightly with a clean cotton cloth. Keep the jar in a dark place.
6. Stir the mixture well on alternate days with a dry wooden spoon for 20 days. Try crushing the grapes every time you stir it.
7. On the 21st day strain the mixture using a dry strainer and transfer to another dry jar and keep it tightly covered with the lid for 7 days. Ensure that the jar is filled up to 3/4th only.
8. After the 7 days, strain the wine using a clean fine cotton cloth and transfer to dry glass bottles. Use coloured bottles preferably.
Tips
1. Use the same dry spoon for stirring the wine mixture.
2. Caramel also can be used as colouring agent.
3. If you are using normal yeast, then mix it in ½ cup warm water and 1 tsp of sugar and keep it for 5-10 minutes and add to the wine mixture.
4. It is most important to use only clean and dry utensils.
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