San Antonio Regional Wine Guild RecipesSan Antonio Regional Wine
GuildOur RecipesDedicated to wine appreciation and amateur
winemaking Preface SARWG differs from many winemaking clubs. Our
members share their recipes. Here are a few worth printing out for
further reference. Best of Show (Medina County Fair) White Niagara
Wine by Bob Wehner For three gallons 7 large cans Welch's 100%
White Grape Juice Concentrate 5 lb. granulated sugar 2 Tblsp acid
blend 5 qts water 2 1/4 tsp powdered pectic enzyme 1 Tblsp yeast
nutrient 1 sachet Champagne wine yeast Add sugar to 5 qts boiling
water, remove from heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Let cool. Add
all ingredients except yeast to 5-gallon carboy. After 24 hours,
add yeast to 1/2 cup warm water and let set 15 minutes. Stir well
and add to carboy. After about 10 days, rack into 3-gallon carboy
and attach airlock. Rack wine three times in eight weeks adding 2
1/4 tsp pectic enzyme each racking. When wine is clear and no
longer dropping sediments, add 1/4 tsp potassium sorbate and 5 tsp
Glycerin per gallon. Bulk age two months and bottle. [Bob Wehner's
recipe] Best of Show (Kerr County Fair) Pomegranate Dessert Wine by
Jack Keller For five gallons 1 gallon juice from fresh pomegranates
2 lb. barley 12 lb. granulated sugar 4 lemons, juiced 5 Valencia
oranges, juiced 3 gal. water 2 tsp. yeast nutrient 2 sachets
Burgundy wine yeast I began with one gallon of pomegranate juice
from fresh fruit. Bring 1 gallon water to boil with the barley in
it. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then strain into the primary with
the pomegranate juice, sugar, and juice of the citrus. Stir well to
dissolve sugar and add remaining water. When cool (70-75 degrees
F.), add the nutrient and stir. Beginning specific gravity was
1.115. Add yeast starter. Cover and ferment until s.g. drops to
1.050, then transfer to secondary (do not top up) and fit with
airlock. When fermentation slows, top up. Rack every 45 days,
topping up and reattaching the airlock. When wine clears and
fermentation has stopped of its own accord, rack and stabilize. Set
aside 45 days, rack and sweeten to s.g. 1.030 with simple syrup (2
parts sugar dissolved in 1 part water). Reattach airlock and bulk
age 1 year, checking fluid in airlock periodically. Rack into
bottles and age another year. [Jack Keller's own recipe] Best of
Show Mango Sweet Wine by Jack Keller For three gallons 25 small,
fresh, ripe mangos 6 11.5 oz cans Welch's 100% White Grape frozen
concentrate 2 lbs fine granulated sugar 3 tsp pectic enzyme 2 tsp
citric acid tsp grape tannin 3 tsp yeast nutrient 6 crushed Campden
tablets water to 3 gallons 2 pkg Cte des Blancs wine yeast Peeled
and diced mangos, put in nylon straining bag and tied closed. In
primary, squeezed mangos. Added frozen white grape concentrate,
pectic enzyme, tannin, citric acid, yeast nutrient, and water to 2
gallons 7 pints. Measured specific gravity and calculated sugar to
bring s.g. to 1.095. Stirred two minutes to dissolve sugar. Covered
and set aside overnight. Added activated yeast. Stirred daily,
squeezing bag, until s.g. dropped to 1.015 (9 days). Drip drained
bag and squeezed pulp dry. Transferred to secondary and fitted
airlock. After three days topped up secondary. After 30 days,
racked into clean secondary containing three crushed Campden
tablets, topped up and refitted airlock. Racked, topped up and
refitted airlock each 60 days for six months (added 3 crushed
Campden tablets during 3rd racking). Stabilized, drew off one
gallon for sweetening, bottled remaining two gallons dry. Sweetened
third gallon with 3 tablespoons sugar, stirred, refitted airlock,
waited two weeks to watch for refermentation, then bottled. Best of
Show Sparkling Peach Wine by Susie Higgins For five gallons 15 lbs
fresh ripe peaches 1 qt white grape concentrate 8 lbs granulated
sugar 6 tsp Vinacid 6 qts hot water 2 tsp pectic enzyme 1 tsp
liquid tannin 9 crushed Campden tablets 7 qts cold water Bentonite
finings 1/4 tsp sulphite crystals 9 oz wine conditioner 2 tsp yeast
nutrient 1 pkg Champagne yeast Halve the peaches and remove the
stones. Place the peach halves and white grape concentrate in
primary. Add hot water, sugar and Vinacid. Stir well to dissolve
sugar. Add yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme, liquid tannin, crushed
Campden tablets, and cold water. Check specific gravity to ensure
it has reached 1.095. Prepare yeast starter in separate container.
Wait 24 hours and add yeast to primary. Cover and stir twice daily.
When S.G. drops to 1.020, scoop peach halves into nylon straining
bag and gently squeeze juice from pulp. Discard pulp. Siphon off
sediments into sterilized seconday, top up and fit airlock. When
S.G. reaches 1.000 or after 10th day in secondary, whichever comes
first, rack, top up and refit airlock. After three weeks or when
S.G. drops below 0.095, rack again and top up. Add Bentonite
finings, refit airlock and allow to sit 10 days. Filter into clean
secondary. Add 1/4 tsp sulphite crystals dissolved in 1/2 cup
water. Finish topping up and refit airlock. After 30 days rack into
primary, add 1/2 cup priming sugar, stir to dissolve, and bottle in
champagne bottles, wiring corks. Wine will ferment in bottle with
CO2 being absorbed into wine. Sediment formed in bottles may be
left or drawn off using one of several methods described elsewhere
for doing so. Best of Show Blackberry Wine by Russell Maxwell For
one gallon 5 lbs frozen blackberries 7 pts water 2-1/4 lbs
granulated sugar 1/2 tsp acid blend 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme 1 tsp
yeast nutrient 1 pkg Champagne yeast Thaw and mash the berries into
the primary and add the remaining ingredients. After 5 days, rack
the juice into the secondary and press the pulp in a nylon
straining bag to extract more. Fit airlock, wait two months, and
rack again into a gallon glass jug you can seal. Taste for
sweetness. Add about 1/4 cup of sugar for a sweeter wine. Refit
airlock and check it daily. When you're sure fermentation has
stopped, seal the jug and let the wine age another two months. Rack
into bottles. Russell buys his berries at the HEB frozen foods
department. He says the quality is really good and he has won a lot
of home wine awards using it. Best of Show Cherry Wine by Tom Wells
For two gallons 3 16-oz cans "Oregon" Bing Cherries (pitted) 1 qt
Black Cherry Juice (unsweetened) 3 qts water 5 lbs honey 1 tsp acid
blend 1 tsp tannin 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme 1 tsp yeast nutrient 1 pkg
wine yeast Heat water, add honey, bring to boil. Put cherries in
nylon straining bag in primary and pour boiling honey-water over
bag. When cooled to room temperature, add all remaining ingredients
except yeast. Wait 12 hours for pectic enzyme to activate, then add
yeast. After 5 or 6 days, rack the juice into the secondary and
press the pulp in nylon straining bag to extract more. Add
extracted juice to secondary and fit airlock. Rack when wine
clears, and taste every two weeks until you think it ready. Then
rack again into bottles. This is a dry wine, beginning S.G. 1.095
and Brix 23.5 and ending S.G. 0.990 and Brix 0. If you want a
sweeter wine, stabilize after final racking, sweeten to taste (with
sugar-water), wait 7-10 days, then bottle. Atascosa County Fair
Grand Champion White Mustang (Sweet) by Jack Keller For 3 gallons:
28 lbs Black Mustang Grapes 3-1/2 lbs invert sugar* 1 tsp pectic
enzyme water to raise volume to 3 gallon 2-1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
Lalvin 71B-1122 (Narbonne) yeast Grapes were picked at height of
ripeness (solid black, plump and juicy), washed, drained and
destemmed. Each grape was then squeezed between thumb and
forefinger until pulp and free juice were expelled into bowl (yes,
this took about two hours). Pulp was pressed and juice evaluated.
Specific gravity was exactly 1.050, total acid was 1.15%, pH was
3.4. Invert sugar* and water were added to bring volume to three
gallons. Both TA and pH vastly improved and s.g. elevated to 1.094.
Yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme added and volume transferred to
secondary, which was covered with a paper towel held by rubber
band. After 12 hours, activated yeast was added and secondary
recovered. Fermented for 12 days and racked at s.g. 1.012. Airlock
installed and wine set in cool cabinet. After 60 days, fermentation
was complete. Bentonite added. Two weeks later gelatin was added.
After 30 days, wine was brilliant and racked for bulk aging. At
four months aging, wine was stabilized and one drop of tannin
added. Ten days later one gallon was bottled dry, one gallon
sweetened to 1.002 (bottled as a semi-sec) and the remaining gallon
sweetened to 1.008 and bottled. The dry won 2nd place in the SARWG
Fall Competition and the sweet won the Atascosa County Grand
Champion. The semi-sec has not yet seen competition. * Invert sugar
is made by mixing two parts sugar to one part water, adding two
teaspoons lemon juice per pound of sugar. This is brought almost to
a boil and held there for 30 minutes (do NOT allow to boil). This
is poured into sealable jar, sealed and cooled in refrigerator.
This process hydrolizes sucrose into glucose and fructose and
speeds fermentation. Invert sugar should NOT be used to sweeten
finished wine as it will encourage refermentation. Best of Show
Black Raspberry Wine by Jack Keller for one gallon 4 lbs black
raspberries 1 tsp pectic enzyme 2 lbs sugar 7 pts water 1 crushed
Campden tablet 1 tsp yeast nutrient 1 pkg Cote des Blancs yeast
Pick only ripe berries. Combine water and sugar and put on to boil,
stirring occasionally. Wash and destem berries. Put in nylon
straining bag, tie, put in botton of primary, and crush berries in
bag. Pour boiling sugar-water over berries to set the color and
extract the flavorful juice. Add acid blend and yeast nutrient.
Allow to cool to 70 degrees F. and add crushed Campden tablet.
Cover primary with plastic wrap secured with a large rubber band.
After 12 hours, add pectic enzyme. After additional 12 hours,
specific gravity measured 1.092. Add wine yeast and resecure
plastic wrap. Stir daily for a week, replacing plastic wrap if it
looks like it needs it. Remove nylon bag and allow to drip drain
about an hour, keeping primary covered as before. Do not squeeze
bag. Return drippings to primary. Continue fermentation in primary
until specific gravity falls below 1.015, stirring daily. Rack to
secondary, top up with water and fit airlock. Use a dark secondary
or wrap with brown paper (from paper bag) to preserve color.
Ferment additional 2 months, then rack into clean secondary. Refit
airlock and rack again after additional 2 months. Wait a final 2
months, rack again and stabilze wine. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar and
refit airlock. After 10-14 days, bottle in dark glass. Drink after
one year. This is an excellent sweet wine, but you must ferment the
full 6 months and age another year. Best of Class (Novelty) Jamaica
Blossom Wine by Jack Keller for one gallon 1/4 lb dried jamaica
blossoms 2-1/2 lbs sugar 7 pts water 1-1/2 tsp acid blend 1 tsp
yeast nutrient 1 pkg Cote des Blancs yeast Jamaica blossoms are
Mexican red hibiscus. Dried whole flowers are available at the
H.E.B. grocery chain in south Texas and are used to make a
delicious tea. Combine water and sugar and put on to boil, stirring
occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Tie flowers in nylon
straining bag and put in primary. Pour boiling sugar-water over
flowers and stir in all ingredients except yeast. Cover primary
until water cools to room temperature. Squeeze flowers to extract
maximum flavor and then discard flowers or use for tea. Add
activated yeast, recover primary, and stir daily until active
fermentation dies down (7-8 days). Rack to secondary, top up with
water and fit airlock. Ferment 30 days then rack into clean
secondary. Refit airlock and rack again after additional 30 days.
Wait a final 2 months, rack again and stabilze wine. After 10-14
days, bottle in dark glass. May drink immediately, but improves in
six months. Pear Wine by Charlie Suehs For one gallon 4 lbs pears 6
pts water 4 cups sugar 2-1/2 tsp acid blend 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme 1
crushed Campden tablet 1 tsp yeast nutrient 1 pkg wine yeast Wash
pears, cut in half and remove core, and cut into smaller pieces.
Press through nylon straining bag to remove juice, tie bag and
place in primary. Add remaining ingredients except yeast and stir
well to dissolve sugar. Cover and add yeast after 24 hours. Recover
and stir daily. When S.G. drops to 1.040, siphon juice into
secondary. Squeeze pulp to extract all juice and add to secondary.
Fit airlock. Check S.G. in three weeks. When 1.000 or below, siphon
into clean secondary and refit airlock. Rack every two months until
wine clears. If it doesn't clear by sixth month, bottle it anyway
(or use fining). The taste is so good that a little cloudiness is
worth it. Lomanto Grape Wine by Greg Howard for 5 gallons 35-40 lbs
destemmed Lomanto grapes 3 gal water 4 tbsp pectic enzyme 5 tsp
yeast nutrient 1 tsp yeast energizer 4 crushed Campden tablets 1
pkg Champagne yeast Grapes are picked when fully ripe, washed,
destemmed, and crushed. I put grapes in gallon freezer bags for one
month to aid in breakdown from solids to liquids and obtain
additional color. Place grapes in fermentor bag and add all
ingredients except yeast to primary. Use hydrometer to determine
sugar required to attain 12.5% alcohol (this should yield a
finished wine of 12% alcohol after losses due to racking). Add
sugar and stir well to dissolve. Cover primary and add yeast after
24 hours. Stir at least twice a day (the more the better). Check
the S.G. after a few days. When S.G. reaches 1.015 or less, remove
the fermentor bag, squeezing to extract liquid. Siphon into
secondary when S.G. drops to 1.000. Rack as deposits form. I
normally rack my wines 6 to 9 times before bottling. If you have a
filter this is not required. Oak chips (White Oak only) can be
added during the aging process. Stabilize and sweeten to taste
before bottling. Watermelon-Peach Wine by Jack Keller for one
gallon 1/4 large watermelon 2 peaches 1/4 cup chopped golden
raisins 3 limes (juice only) 5 cups sugar water to make 1 gallon 1
tsp acid blend 1 crushed Campden tablet 1 tsp yeast nutrient 1 pkg
wine yeast Extract the juice from watermelon and peaches, saving
pulp. Boil pulp in one quart water for 1/2 hour then strain and add
water to extracted juice. Allow to cool to lukewarm then add water
to make one gallon total and all other ingredients except yeast to
primary fermentation vessel. Cover well with cloth and add yeast
after 24 hours. Stir daily for 1 week and strain off raisins. Let
stand additional 24 hours and rack. Pour into secondary
fermentation vessel, fit fermentation trap, and set aside for 4
weeks. Rack and set aside another 4 weeks, then rack again. Allow
to clear, then rack final time and bottle. Allow 6 months before
tasting, but improves with age Grapefruit Wine by Dorothy Alatorre
for one gallon 6 grapefruit 3-1/2 quarts water peaches 2-1/4 lbs
granulated sugar 1/4 tsp tannin 1 crushed Campden tablet 1 pkg
Champagne yeast Slice the grapefruit into quarters and crush.
Strain the juice into the primary fermenter. Save the pulp and
place in a nylon straining bag. Tie bag and place in primary. Add
all other ingredients except yeast. Cover primary, wait 24 hours,
add yeast. Check it daily and press the pulp to slightly to aid
extracting juice. In 5 days press pulp ona more time and rack wine
off sediments into a glass secondary fermenter. Fit airlock. Rack
every 3-4 weeks as needed. It may be ready to drink in 2-3 months.
Taste to see if the balance is right. If it needs sweetening, ass
1/2 tsp of stabilizer, then 1/4 lb sugar. Wait a few days and taste
again. If balance is right, bottle it. Elderberry Wine by Richard
LaVigne for five gallons 12 oz dried elderberries 1 lb muscat
raisins 3 lb dark raisins 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme 10 lbs sugar 5-1/2
tsp acid blend 5 gallons water 1 tsp acid blend 3 tsp yeast
nutrient 1 pkg wine yeast Mix all ingredients into primary
fermenter. After 5-6 days, rack to a 5-gallon carboy and strain the
fruit through a mesh bag and squeeze well. Discard pulp. Check it
every week and keep adding a cup of sugar a week until the
fermentation stops. Then stabilize, sweeten and adjust acid to
taste. Strawberry Wine by Duane Howard for six gallons 37-40 lbs
strawberries 3-1/2 tblsp pectic enzyme 14 lbs sugar 3 gallons water
6 crushed Campden tablets 6 tsp yeast nutrient 1 tsp yeast
energizer 1 pkg Champagne yeast Freeze the strawberries for 3-7
days. Thaw in sterilized ice chest or other appropriate container.
When thawed, remove green tops and crush by hand. Place
strawberries in nylon mesh bag, add water and crushed Campden
tablets. Let sit 24 hours, then add remaining ingredients, using a
hydrometer to add correct amount of sugar to produce 12.5% alcohol.
This will produce a finished wine of 12%. Stir at least twice a
day. Check specific gravity after a few days and revove
strawberries when S.G. is 1.015 or less. When S.G. reaches 1.000,
remove balance of liquid to secondary fermenter. Rack as pulp and
yeast form sediments (once a week for first four weeks, then once a
month thereafter. When wine clears, rack final time, add
stabilizer, and bottle without sweetening. This is a dry wine. This
page was updated March 13th, 2004 bySARWG's appointed webmaster,
Jack Keller
