How to Make Tangerine Wine
The tangerine is closely related to the orange and there are at least 37 cultivated varieties. The rich, aromatic flavor of the Kinnow and Wilking varieties make them preferable for wine-making. If these are unavailable, make sure that you use both sweet and acidic varieties. The oranges in this recipe must be Valencia oranges, which is a sweet variety with a low citric acid content. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 8-10 small Valencia oranges
- 16-24 tangerines (equal number of sweet and sour varieties)
- 5 pints water
- 1 1/4 lb finely sugar
- Hydrometer
- Nylon straining bag
- 2 carboys with fitted airlocks
- 1 tsp citric acid
- 1 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1/4 tsp tannin
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 packet Champagne wine yeast
- Bottles
Instructions
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1
Grate the zest from five of the oranges and set it aside. Peel and section all of the oranges and tangerines and carefully remove all of the pith. Boil the water in a steel pot and dissolve enough sugar to raise the specific gravity (S.G.) to 1.09 as measured by your hydrometer. This should require about 1¼ pounds of sugar.
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2
Place the zest and sections of fruit in a nylon straining bag. Tie the bag closed and squeeze out the juice into the primary fermentation vessel (carboy). Place the bag in the carboy and pour the boiling sugar water on top of it.
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3
Cover the carboy and allow this mixture (must) to cool to room temperature. Add the citric acid, pectic enzyme, tannin and yeast nutrient and cover the carboy. After 12 hours, add the yeast and cover the carboy.
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4
Stir the must each day and measure the S.G. When it drops to 1.01, in 7 to 10 days, transfer the must to the secondary fermentation vessel and drip drain the nylon bag into the second carboy without squeezing it.
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5
Siphon off the wine into another carboy, but leave the dregs behind. This is also known as racking the wine. Add water to increase the volume to 1 gallon (top up) if needed, attach the airlock and ferment the must to completion. Rack the wine and top it up every 60 days for six months. Bottle the wine and allow it to age for at least six more months.
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