Hello Vyacheslav! I want to share with you the experience of making homemade wine, which was born thanks to my efforts and desire to find a worthy use for such a useless product, in my opinion, as chokeberry.
Of course, someone will object and say that this is a healthy berry, contains many vitamins and minerals, normalizes blood pressure and will be absolutely right. But there is one small nuance!
This is how my subscriber began his letter. The topic of chokeberry disposal is also very close to me – in the country there are 4 huge bushes that my mother-in-law does not allow to cut down. I think some of you have this problem (excess of chokeberry, not mother-in-law). Therefore, I will share with you the recipe of Nikolai Andreevich.
Why I decided to make homemade wine
There are so many berries that are wonderful in all respects in my area that the population of a small town can lower or increase the pressure. And you will also need a small processing plant, which, unfortunately, I do not own.
So, all this splendor was usually eaten up in autumn by birds that accumulate strength for a long journey to their wintering grounds. I began to think about how to use these gifts of autumn.
Some preparations from chokeberry, of course, were made, but usually everything was limited to freezing berries with subsequent addition to compotes. Sometimes a small amount of jam was cooked, which has a specific astringent taste and is not popular in the family.
Once on TV I saw how wine is made from chokeberry. So the idea came. I asked neighbor grandmothers, and they gave me several recipes, which I combined into one. Personally, I think it’s perfect!
What did it take
Given some experience in making homemade wine from other types of berries and fruits, I decided to use the usual ingredients and tools, namely:
- glass bottle with a capacity of 10 liters;
- a medical dropper (tubes and a large needle are used to make a water seal), but you can also use an ordinary rubber glove;
- fully ripe chokeberry berries 5-6 kg;
- sand sugar 0,5 kg;
- raisins 50 g (optional ingredient).
Note: for the preparation of wine, the collected berries and raisins must not be washed in any case!
The surface of the berries already contains natural yeast, which allows you to make wine without the addition of other yeasts. The addition of raisins is a safety net in case of their low content, and the taste of the wine will not be spoiled.
The cooking process
The process itself is simple and uncomplicated. In an enameled container (I used a regular bucket), carefully knead the berries with your hands and pour sugar into the resulting mass. For better dissolution of sugar, you can add a little warm, boiled water.
I added two glasses and that was enough. Next, tightly cover the container with gauze to prevent the penetration of various flying reptiles and leave in a warm place for 5-7 days.
The resulting wort must be stirred 1-2 times a day, preferably with a wooden spoon. After a week, squeeze the slightly fermented mass through gauze or a colander and pour the resulting juice into a clean bottle for further fermentation by installing a water seal. The process has begun!
Given that fermentation should take place in a warm and dark place, I placed the vessel behind the headboard near the radiator and … safely forgot about it!
Tasting
No, really, I remembered only three months later about the experiment – in early December. I carefully poured the resulting substance, and it turned out to be transparent with a pleasant, light burgundy color.
I decided, without delay, to conduct a tasting. Oh miracle! The wine had a harmonious, moderately astringent tart taste with a slight acidity. Drinks great, reminiscent of some very good grape dry wine. The fortress, according to my feelings, did not exceed 12 degrees. Sherry!
New Year’s Eve soon arrived. On the table, among others, was homemade wine, which my friends also liked, especially the women.
When I called my wine “sherry” there was a bit of an argument. Some said that sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes, which is produced exclusively in Spain. Others objected, saying that champagne was invented in France, but produced all over the world.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
As a result, as one famous character used to say, the people came to a consensus. The verdict was as follows: although the wine is not sherry, it is prepared with soul, has the right to exist and is appreciated by those present, and respect and respect for the home-grown winemaker.
Here is such a story. What is your opinion my friends? Can this drink be called sherry?