Wine and juice from your own fruit
Having your own orchard is a fine thing. Some people immediately think of jam at the sight of vines, currant bushes or strawberries. But why not try something new? Why not turn the garden-fresh fruit into a full-bodied wine, tasty juice or delicious must ?
You don't have to be a winemaker to make your own wine. You don't even necessarily need grapes: any fruit can be fermented and turned into tasty wine. The only important thing is that the fruit contains enough sugar and acid. Only in this way can at least 8% vol. Alcohol, which is essential for the shelf life of the wine.
In our store you will find everything you need to make delicious wine, juice or must from the fruits of your garden - to give away or enjoy yourself.
Juice, must and wine - what's the difference?
You can make various drinks from the fruits of your garden - with more or less alcohol, depending on your taste:
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Juice is made by simply squeezing the fruit. Depending on the fruit and your preference, you can drink the pulp along with it, or filter the juice first before enjoying it. Juice is alcohol-free and can also be drunk safely by children.
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Must is an intermediate between juice and wine: Must is also obtained by pressing (i.e. squeezing the fruit), but already contains alcohol due to the beginning of the fermentation process. Common fruits for cider are apples, grapes and pears. Grape must, for example, can be considered intermediate between grape juice and Federweißer (young wine).
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(Fruit) wine is fermented juice of fruits, usually grapes or grapes. The fermentation process converts the sugar of the juice into alcohol.
A special form of wine is mead, which is made from fermented honey and has a lovely sweetness.
What you need to make your own wine, juice and must
Producing wine from your own fruit is not that difficult. However, a basic set of ingredients and equipment is definitely necessary. You will need the following:
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fresh fruit (use only ripe fruit and carefully remove rotten parts!)
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a fruit press, fruit grinder, or juicer to juice or mash the fruit (→ to our Fruit presses).
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a fermentation vessel
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a fermenter to prevent animals or oxygen from contaminating the wine
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a scale for an exact measurement of the other ingredients
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a vinometer to show you the alcohol content
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Wine yeast
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Sugar
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if necessary, lime for deacidification or lactic or citric acid to increase the acid content
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Bottles for bottling
Wine from juice or mash? This is how you proceed
In fact, even with the fermentation method, there are two ways you can proceed: Variant number 1: You squeeze the fruit and let the juice ferment. For this you need a good fruit press. The advantage is that the juice ferments without the pulp. This gives the wine no chance to develop bitterness; the final product will be lighter and sweeter.
Variant 2: Wine from the mash. Here you do not juice the fruit, but crush or puree it. This causes all substances, including fruit pulp, to ferment. The final product acquires a more intense color. This variant is a little easier and less complicated.
After the gradual addition of sugar, acid or lime (depending on the acidity of the fruit) and wine yeast, the mixture must rest in a fermentation vessel. The ripening process lasts at least four weeks. You will know the end of the fermentation process when the mixture stops bubbling and all the carbon dioxide produced has escaped from the fermentation vessel.
You can find out exactly how to make excellent wine from your own garden from this list in Kitzinger's wine book read more: There you will find detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make your own wine, as well as a wide variety of wine recipes.
Our tips for beginners
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Start small: Don't harvest an entire fruit tree to make your first wine. Work with small quantities at first - after all, you are a beginner. If the first attempt goes wrong, you won't have to bother with large quantities of wine.
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Take notes: the proof of the pudding is in the eating, but to learn from your mistakes, it's best to keep a log of how you worked and when you tried. That way, you can find out for yourself what worked particularly well - and what you'd be better off leaving alone next time.
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Patience: Winemaking is a real craft. While you can make delicious wine in your own home, it takes time and patience. So if your first wine doesn't taste great yet, don't give up right away - keep trying.