How to Make Grenache Wine

Wine made from Grenache grapes is light and fruity and an excellent wine to make at home. If grenache grapes are grown in your area, they can be used for making wine, or you can purchase prepared grenache grape juice from wine-making supply stores or online. Grenache wine is relatively easy to make with good results. It is a great wine for the beginning and experienced wine maker alike. This recipe produces 6 gallons.

Things You'll Need

• 5 gallons grenache grape juice
• Sugar
• 1 package wine-makers yeast
• 3 Campden tablets, crushed
• 3 tsp. yeast nutrient
• 1 1/4 tsp. potassium sorbate
• Hydrometer
• 5-gallon food grade bucket with lid
• 5-gallon glass carboy
• Air lock and stopper
• Siphon hose
• Wine bottles with new corks
• Corking tool
• Sanitizing cleanser

Instructions

Preparing the Juice

1. Sanitize all the wine making equipment that will come in contact with the juice.

2. Place the grenache grape juice in the sanitized food-grade bucket that will be the primary fermentation vessel.

3. Add the crushed Campden tablets, yeast nutrient and enough water to bring the juice up to the 5-gallon level. Stir the juice.

4. Place the hydrometer in the grenache grape juice and measure the specific gravity. It should be around 1.09 or higher. If not, add sugar. Stir and test again.

5. Allow the juice to sit overnight.

Fermentation

1. Add the yeast to the grenache grape juice. There is no need to stir. Place the lid loosely on the bucket.

2. Watch the grenache grape juice for fermentation to start in the first 24 hours. Foam will accumulate on the surface of the juice.

3. Check the specific gravity of the juice around day seven. If it has reached 1.04 or less, use the siphon hose to transfer the juice from the primary fermentation vessel to the sanitized glass carboy, which will act as your secondary fermentation vessel. Leave about 2 inches of space between the juice and the top of the carboy.

4. Sanitize the airlock and stopper. Fill the airlock with water and place them in the top of the carboy.

5. Watch the fermentation process in your carboy. You will notice bubbles rising and carbon dioxide escaping through the airlock.

6. Allow the juice to remain in the carboy until the yeast settles to the bottom. This may take several weeks.

7. Siphon the grenache grape juice into the bucket when the sediment is about an inch thick. Be careful to leave the sediment behind. Stir the wine in the bucket to drive off any excess carbon dioxide.

8. Clean the carboy and siphon the juice back into it and top off the wine with water to leave about 2 inches between the juice and the top of the carboy. Replace the airlock.

9. Repeat steps 7 through 8, as the yeast settles, until the wine clears, usually within two to three months. During this time, the juice will be change to wine.

Bottling and Storage

1. Check the specific gravity of the wine occasionally. When it has reached 1.00 or less, the wine is ready to bottle.

2. Siphon the liquid into the bucket for the last time, leaving the sediment behind in the glass carboy.

3. Stir in 1 1/4 tsp. potassium sorbate into the wine to stabilize it and prevent yeast from continuing to develop, once the wine is bottled.

4. Siphon the wine from the bucket into sanitized wine bottles. Soak the wine corks in warm water for about 15 minutes. Cork each bottle using the corking tool.

5. Store your wine in a cool, dry place. To keep your wine from spoiling, store your wine on its side to keep the corks moist.

References

• Home Winemaking Instructions and Information
• How to make homemade grape wine: step by step
• All Purpose Fruit Wine Recipe

Resources

• Beerwine.com