How to Make Organic Red Wine
Organic wine, according to the USDA, is wine made from organically grown grapes and must not contain sulfites. (See Reference 1.) Organic red wine should come from grapes that are grown without chemical fertilizers, insecticides, weed killers and other synthetic chemicals. Red wine that is 100 percent organic, without the preservation assistance of sulfites, must be consumed within 18 months to ensure that there has been no bacteria growth and to prevent the wine from turning into a vinegar. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 15 pounds of organically-grown ripe red grapes
- Wine yeast
- Large straining bag
- Bucket
- Cheesecloth
- Water
- Two large glass jugs
- Fermentation lock and bung
- Siphon
- Bottles
- Corks
Instructions
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1
Harvest or acquire organically-grown ripe red grapes from a wine vineyard. Use a straining bag within a large bucket to crush the grapes inside the bag until all the grapes have been thoroughly crushed inside the bag.
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2
Cover the bucket with a cheesecloth and let it sit for at least one hour.
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3
Dissolve yeast into a pint of warm water and allow the yeast to sit for 10 minutes.
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4
Remove the cheesecloth and pour the warm yeast water over the straining bag within the bucket and stir gently.
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5
Return the cheesecloth to cover the top surface of the bucket and leave the bucket in a warm area for at least 24 hours for fermentation. Stir the mixture once every 12 hours.
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6
Remove the straining bag from the bucket after the 24-hour fermentation process and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Cover the bucket again with the cheese cloth and let the wine sit for 24 hours.
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7
Transfer the wine into a large sanitized jug and top it off with water that has been boiled and cooled. Fit the jug with a bung and fermentation lock to seal it. Repeat this process into another jug after 10 days.
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8
Let the wine settle for at least a month, and then siphon it into clean and sanitized bottles. Cork the bottles and store them in a cool and dark location.
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Tips & Warnings
Wine vineyard grapes are most classically used to make red wine, but you can also use or incorporate blackberries and elderberries to make red wine. ("See Reference 3")
Beware of contamination in sulfite-free organic wine. Prevent contamination by making sure that every piece of equipment is sterile before use, and use a layer of carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas during the bottling process. (See Reference 4.)
References
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