Making wine the ole’ fashion way

[BundleflowerPower]

For the past couple of of years, I’ve dabbled around with creating wine. Everyone seems to say that one needs to add yeast and sugar to kick start their wine. Well, I’ve found out different.

For the past two or so years, I’ve made wine and had nothing but the sugar and/or whatever is in the fruit ferment the wine itself. Weather it was blackberry, or grape or whatever.

So I’m wondering if any of you have created wine and if if you can share your secrets? And I’ll share mine as well.

 

[brokedownpalace10]

Wild yeast can give off flavors, and it can be great.
If you ferment to a lower alcohol percentage, the wine is good to drink right away. Think beer, hard cider, etc. If you go to a higher ABV it doesn't taste as good immediately and will need aging for at least a few months (a year is better).

 

[murklan]

I've done quite a lot of wine through the years. Most of it from local fruit and berries.
I've only wild fermented two of three times. It worked and the wine were not so much weaker in alcohol that others I've done with bought yeast.
But as you write brokedownpalace10 it can also give you flavors that I might not wish. I find that with stronger/sweeter wine the storage makes a big difference. I might like a young berry wine after one year. Full of taste of the fruit. But after 5-10 years it is something else. You can not really say what fruit it is and the yeast variety make more difference. It reminds more of a Port or Sherry. Really nice!
So I suggest that you make more that you think you'll need and give some to a friend/family that don't drink for storage. Then forget about it and have a pleasant (hopefully) surprise in 10 years

 

[breathingneon]

Not wine specifically, but have been making quite a few raw meads for a little while (as in only water and honey, no yeast) although I'm by no means particularly experienced. Secrets? Well my main strategy is to keep a "continous" brew. As in using a little of my last brew in any new ones even if its finished fermenting for the most part...I just give it a shake lol. This helps speed up the fermentation by a few weeks and helps ensure it will ferment somewhat correctly. That, and not worrying too much and letting nature do its course.

That said yeasts can make a big difference so if you're not happy with how a batch turned out, don't use that to continue and start anew. I found that wild yeasts gave my mead such a bright and flavorful experience compared to my single strain...although my abv isn't nearly as high. But maybe I just got lucky the first time haha.

That said, you can never make enough and they make great gifts