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Wine “Isabella” is named after the red grape variety of the same name, which is grown by many of our compatriots. Despite the fact that professional winemakers speak negatively about this grape, if you follow the production technology, you can get good homemade wine from it.
Isabella belongs to the table-technical varieties. These grapes are not usually consumed fresh, but are made into juice or wine. Isabella has become widespread in Russia due to its frost resistance and good yields in a humid climate.
Attention! Wine from Isabella grapes is prohibited in the European Union, because it contains a lot of hydrocyanic acid and methyl alcohol, this is due to the characteristics of the variety. In order not to harm your health, I advise you to drink no more than 200-300 ml at a time.
Ingredients:
- grapes – 15 kg;
- sugar – 100-200 grams per liter of juice;
- water – 50-500 ml per liter of juice (in some cases).
Water is needed only to reduce acidity if the grapes grew in adverse conditions. In all other cases, diluting the juice with water spoils the taste of the wine.
Isabella wine recipe
1. Harvesting
Fruits of any size will do, the main thing is to remove green, rotten and moldy berries. Another important note – the grapes cannot be washed, very dirty fruits can be wiped with a dry cloth. The fact is that bacteria and fungi live on the surface of the grapes, which are natural yeasts that ensure fermentation.
2. Getting grape juice
At this stage, the grapes are crushed. This can be done by hand or in any other way. Each berry must be completely crushed, only then it will give the juice. It is very important not to damage the bones, otherwise the finished wine will be bitter.
The result is grape slurry, which in the language of winemakers is called pulp. Every 6-8 hours, the slurry is mixed with a clean hand or a wooden stick, knocking off the “cap” of the skin and pulp from the surface to prevent souring. After 3-4 days after grinding the berries, the pulp should be filtered through a colander (large sieve) or squeezed through cheesecloth.
Depending on the grape growing region and weather conditions, the juice may be too acidic. The normal acid content in wine is 4-6 grams per liter, but even in ripe Isabella, acidity sometimes reaches 12-15 grams per liter. The problem is that it is impossible to determine this parameter at home without a special device (pH meter).
If the juice tastes strongly stings the tongue or reduces the cheekbones, you should add 20-500 ml of water per liter of juice. Strongly dilute the wort with water should not be, since the acidity will also decrease when sugar is added.
3. Fermentation
First you need to prepare the container. It is better to use glass bottles of 5 and 10 liters, pouring grape juice into them. The containers must be perfectly clean and dry, they are filled with juice no more than 2/3 of the volume, leaving free space for fermentation.
Then a water seal is put on the neck of the juice container. The design is shown in the figure. An alternative option is a medical glove with a hole made with a needle in one of the fingers. Separately, you should take care of the tightness of the cork, it should not let air through, otherwise vinegar will turn out instead of wine. To ensure sealing, it is advisable to close the cork with plasticine.
The juice is transferred to a dark room (or covered) with a temperature of 16-22°C. Fermentation will also take place at higher temperatures (up to 30°C), but then I recommend filling the container only halfway, otherwise it may not withstand gas pressure and burst.
The amount of sugar depends on the type of wine. The best option is from 100 to 150 grams per liter of juice. In this case, the introduction of sugar is desirable to be divided into 3 stages. Before installing under the water seal, sweeten the juice with 50% of the planned amount.
After 4-5 days, add another batch (25%). To do this, remove the water seal, drain 0,5 liters of fermenting juice per 1 kg of added sugar through a tube, dilute the sugar in the juice. Pour the resulting syrup back into the wort, then install a water seal. After 4-5 days, repeat the procedure by adding the remaining 25% sugar.
The process of fermentation of wine from grapes “Isabella” lasts 35-70 days. When the shutter stopped releasing gas (the glove deflated), the wine became lighter, and a layer of sediment appeared at the bottom, which means that fermentation was over.
Attention! If the fermentation lasts longer than 55 days, you need to drain the wine through a straw into another container without sediment, and again put it under a water seal for further fermentation, otherwise bitterness may appear from a long stay on the sediment.
4. Taste stabilization and aging
If the Isabella wine turned out to be too sour, it can be corrected with sugar (to taste). I advise fans of fortified wines to add 2-15% vodka or alcohol from the volume of the drink. Fortified wine keeps better, but it tastes tougher.
Pour the young wine into aging containers, seal tightly. If sugar was added for sweetening, keep under a water seal for the first 7-10 days, then cork. It is advisable to pour the wine to the top to minimize the contact of the drink with air.
Transfer containers to a refrigerator or cellar with a temperature of 6-16°C. Leave at least 3 months for aging. As sediment appears at the bottom (at first once every 10-15 days, then less often), pour the wine through a straw into another container.
5. Bottling
After 3-6 months, homemade Isabella wine can be bottled, corked and stored in a refrigerator or cellar. Fortress – 9-12% (without fixing), subject to the temperature, the shelf life is 5 years.
The technology of preparation with dilution of juice by half with water is shown in the video. This technique is only useful for very sour grapes.
