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The secrets of winemaking are passed down from generation to generation and it will take many years to master them. Anyone can make wine at home. With the observance of technology, you can get wine with good taste, which is in many ways superior to store-bought.
The recipe for homemade red grape wine includes a certain sequence of actions. It must be observed regardless of the selected grape variety. The order of preparation is adjusted depending on the type of wine that you want to get.
Grape variety selection
To obtain red wine, you need grapes of the appropriate varieties. Red wines have a rich taste and aroma, which depend on the content of tannins in the pits of the berries.
In Our Country, you can make red wine from the following grape varieties:
- “Isabel”;
- “Lydia”;
- “Tsimlyansky black”;
- “Cabernet Sauvignon”;
- “Merlot”;
- “Pinot Noir”;
- “Moldova”;
- “Regent”;
- “Crystal”.
It is best to choose table grapes for wine. Such varieties are distinguished by small clusters and small berries. Red wine is made from blue, black and red fruits.
Preparation of ingredients
Grape harvesting for further production of wine must be carried out in compliance with certain rules:
- berries are harvested in late September or early October;
- work in the vineyard is carried out in sunny weather;
- unripe berries contain a large amount of acid;
- astringent taste appears when using ripe grapes;
- overripe berries contribute to vinegar fermentation, which leads to wine spoilage;
- fallen grapes are not used in winemaking;
- after picking the berries, 2 days are allotted for their processing.
The collected berries need to be sorted out, removing the leaves and branches. Damaged or rotten fruits are also removed.
To make red wine, you will need the following components:
- grapes – 10 kg;
- sugar (depending on the desired taste);
- water (only for sour juice).
Container preparation
It is not recommended to use metal containers for work, with the exception of stainless steel. When interacting with the metal, an oxidation process occurs, which ultimately negatively affects the taste of the wine. You can use containers made of wood or food grade plastic.
The containers are pre-disinfected so that mold or other pathogenic microbes do not get into the juice. In industrial conditions, containers are smoked with sulfur, while at home it is enough to rinse them with hot water and wipe them thoroughly.
Classic recipe
The classic technology for making homemade wine includes several stages. If you follow them, you get a delicious drink. The above recipe allows you to prepare a semi-dry red wine that has a certain sweetness due to the addition of sugar. How to make homemade wine, tells the following procedure:
Getting the pulp
Pulp is called crushed grapes. In the process, it is important not to damage the bones, due to which the wine becomes tart.
The fruits must be crushed and the resulting mass placed in an enamel bowl. The grapes should fill the container ¾ of the volume. The future wine is covered with a piece of cloth to protect it from insects, and placed in a warm and dark place with a constant temperature of 18 to 27 ° C.
Fermentation of grapes occurs within 8-20 hours, which leads to the formation of a crust on the surface of the mass. To eliminate it, the wine must be stirred daily with a wooden stick or by hand.
Juice extraction
Over the next three days, fermentation of the pulp occurs, which becomes lighter. When there are hissing sounds and a sour aroma, it is necessary to squeeze the grape juice.
The pulp is collected in a separate container, and then squeezed. The procedure is carried out manually or using a press. The juice obtained from the sediment and by squeezing the grape pulp is passed through gauze several times.
Transfusion of grape juice will eliminate foreign particles and saturate it with oxygen for further fermentation.
Usually water is added in cases where grapes grown in the northern regions are used. For 1 liter of juice, 0,5 liters of water is enough. This method is not recommended because it reduces the quality of the finished wine.
If the grape juice is sour in taste, then it is better to leave everything unchanged. With further fermentation, the acid content in the wine will decrease.
Future wine is poured into glass bottles, which are filled to 70% of the volume.
Installing a water seal
With constant contact with oxygen, the wine sours. At the same time, you need to get rid of carbon dioxide, which is released during fermentation. The installation of a water seal helps to solve this problem.
Its design includes a cover with a hole where the hose is inserted. A water seal is installed on a container with future wine. The device can be purchased in specialized stores or made independently.
After installing the water seal, the container is placed in a room with a temperature of 22 to 28°C. When the temperature drops, the fermentation of wine stops, so you need to monitor the maintenance of the necessary microclimate.
Adding sugar
Every 2% sugar in grape juice provides 1% alcohol in the finished product. When growing grapes in the regions, its sugar content is about 20%. If you do not add sugar, you get an unsweetened wine with a strength of 10%.
If the alcohol content exceeds 12%, then the activity of wine yeast will stop. At home, you can determine the sugar content in wine using a hydrometer. This is a device that allows you to determine the density of a liquid.
Another option is to use averages by grape variety. However, keep in mind that these data vary depending on the region. Such statistics are not kept in every region.
Therefore, the main guideline is the taste of the wine, which should remain sweet, but not cloying. The introduction of sugar is carried out in parts. The first sample is taken from the wine 2 days after the start of the fermentation process. If there is a sour taste, sugar is added.
First you need to drain a few liters of wine, then add the required amount of sugar. The resulting mixture is poured back into the container.
This sequence of actions is repeated up to 4 times within 25 days. If the process of reducing sugar content has slowed down, this indicates a sufficient concentration of sugar.
Removal from sediment
If there are no bubbles in the water seal for 2 days (or the glove no longer inflates), the wine clarifies. A sediment forms at the bottom, which contains fungi that cause an unpleasant odor and a bitter taste.
Young wine is drained through a siphon, which is a hose with a diameter of 1 cm. The end of the tube is not brought close to the sediment.
Sweetness control
At this stage, the active fermentation of the wine has ended, so the addition of sugar will not affect its strength.
Sugar is added in the same way as several stages earlier. If the wine turned out to be sweet enough, then you can not use a sweetener.
You can get fortified wine by adding alcohol. Its concentration should not exceed 15% of the total volume. In the presence of alcohol, the wine is stored longer, but its aroma loses saturation.
Maturation of wine
The final taste of the wine is formed as a result of quiet fermentation. This period takes from 60 days to six months. This exposure is sufficient to obtain red wine.
Fully filled wine containers are placed under a water seal. You can also close them tightly with a lid. To store wine choose a dark place with a temperature of 5 to 16 ° C. Temperature increase up to 22°С is allowed.
If sediment appears in the containers, then the wine is poured. If the wine turns cloudy, then you can lighten it. This procedure will improve the appearance of the drink, but will not affect its taste.
For red wines, it is recommended to use egg white, to which a little water is added. The mixture is whipped and poured into a container with wine. The result can be seen after 20 days.
Storing homemade wine
The finished wine from red grapes is bottled and corked. You can store a homemade drink for 5 years at a temperature of 5 to 12 ° C.
The best option is to use dark bottles that protect the wine from light. The bottles are placed in an inclined position.
Homemade wine keeps well in oak barrels. They are first filled with water, which is constantly changed. Immediately before pouring the wine, the barrels are treated with soda and boiling water.
It is recommended to store wine in a cellar, cellar or earthen pit. Another solution is to use special cabinets where the necessary conditions are maintained.
Making dry wine
Homemade dry wine is low in sugar. This drink has a ruby or pomegranate hue. The taste of dry wine is light, has a slight acidity.
To obtain dry wine, sugar is not added during the fermentation of the juice. Its concentration is not more than 1%. During the fermentation process, the bacteria process all the fructose.
Dry wines are considered the most natural and healthy, but there are increased requirements for the quality of grapes. For their preparation, you will need berries with a sugar content of 15 to 22%.
The process of making homemade dry wine from grapes takes place in accordance with the classic recipe, but the steps with the addition of sugar are excluded.
Conclusion
Homemade wine is prepared with strict adherence to technology. First you need to harvest the grapes in dry weather and prepare the container. Depending on the recipe, you can get dry or semi-dry wine. The finished drink is stored in bottles or barrels.
