Country Wine Recipes

Here are straightforward, 1‑gallon (4.5 L) country wine recipes using fruit you can hand‑pick in the UK (hedgerows or pick‑your‑own farms). They all follow the same base method below; then use the fruit-specific ingredients and notes. Important notes - Foraging: Pick away from busy roads and sprayed hedges; take only what you’ll use. Correctly ID fruit (especially elderberries). - Sanitation: Clean and sanitise all equipment. - Elderberries and some other hedgerow fruits benefit from a brief scald/simmer to remove harshness and, in elderberries, to denature compounds that can upset stomachs. Standard 1‑gallon country wine method (for all recipes) - Gear: Primary bucket (7–10 L) with lid, nylon straining bag, 1 glass demijohn (4.5 L), airlock, siphon, hydrometer, thermometer, sanitiser. - Targets: Original gravity (OG) 1.085–1.095 for ~11–12% ABV. - Steps: 1) Prep fruit: Rinse, de‑stem. Freezing then thawing helps extraction. Place in a sanitised nylon bag in the primary. 2) Sugar syrup: Dissolve recipe sugar in ~1.5–2 L boiling water. Cool to <30°C and pour over fruit. Add cool water to ~3.5–4 L. 3) Additions (per recipe): Campden tablet (1, crushed) to must. Wait 12 hours, then add pectic enzyme (as per pack, typically 1 tsp/gal). Add yeast nutrient (1 tsp/gal). Add tannin/acid if listed. 4) Pitch yeast: Rehydrate and add yeast. Cover and fit an airlock or loosely cover. Keep 18–22°C. 5) Primary: 5–7 days. Stir/punch down cap 1–2× daily. When SG ~1.020, lift bag, drain gently (don’t wring seeds hard). 6) Secondary: Rack to demijohn, top up to neck, fit airlock. Ferment dry (≤0.998). 7) Clearing: Rack off lees after 2–3 weeks; then every 1–2 months until clear. 8) Optional sweetening: If sweetening, stabilise with 1 Campden tablet + 1/2 tsp potassium sorbate per gallon, wait 24 h, then back‑sweeten to taste. 9) Bottle: When clear and stable. Age as noted. General optional boosters (useful for lean fruits) - 200–300 g chopped raisins/sultanas or 250 ml white grape concentrate for body. - 1/4 tsp grape tannin if fruit is low in tannin. - Acid blend or lemon juice to balance to total acidity ~6–7 g/L if you measure; otherwise follow per‑recipe guidance. 1) Blackberry wine (late Aug–Oct, hedgerows) - Fruit: 1.6–1.8 kg blackberries - Sugar: 1.0–1.2 kg (adjust to OG 1.090) - Additions: Pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient, optional 200 g raisins, optional 1/8–1/4 tsp tannin - Yeast: Lalvin 71B‑1122 or EC‑1118 - Notes: Blackberries vary; taste the must. Usually no extra acid needed. Ferments and clears fairly easily. - ABV/time: 11–12%; drinkable at 6 months, better at 9–12. 2) Elderberry wine (Sept–Oct, hedgerows) - Fruit: 1.8–2.3 kg elderberries, stripped from stems - Sugar: 1.1–1.2 kg - Additions: 250 g raisins for body, pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient. Skip extra tannin (elderberries are tannic). Optional 1/2 tsp acid blend after tasting. - Yeast: 71B‑1122 (softens malic) or EC‑1118 - Special prep: Scald berries with boiling water or simmer 10 minutes, then into the bag; discard stems (they’re bitter). - Notes: Big, red, structured wine. Long aging smooths it out. - ABV/time: 12%; age 12–24 months. 3) Damson or wild plum wine (Aug–Sept) - Fruit: 2.5–2.8 kg damsons/plums, washed, pricked. Optional: stone after primary to avoid almond notes. - Sugar: 1.0–1.2 kg - Additions: Pectic enzyme (essential), 1 tsp nutrient, 1/8 tsp tannin, optional 250 ml white grape concentrate - Yeast: D47 or QA23 - Notes: Freeze/thaw helps. Ferment on stones no more than ~5 days to avoid bitterness; remove when transferring to secondary. - ABV/time: 11–12%; 9–15 months. 4) Sloe wine (Sept–Nov; usually used for gin, but makes a lovely claret‑style wine) - Fruit: 1.6–1.8 kg sloes, frozen then thawed, lightly crushed - Sugar: 1.0–1.2 kg - Additions: 250 g raisins, pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient. Usually no extra tannin or acid. - Yeast: EC‑1118 or RC‑212 - Notes: Tannic; benefits from blending 10–30% apple juice if you want it softer. Long aging required. - ABV/time: 12%; 12–18 months. 5) Apple or crab‑apple wine (Sept–Nov; apple “wine” rather than cider by chaptalising to wine strength) - Fruit: 3.5–4.0 L fresh pressed juice (or ~3 kg chopped apples in bag, then strain), ideally a mix of sweet apples plus some crab for tartness - Sugar: 600–900 g to reach OG 1.085–1.090 (depends on juice gravity) - Additions: Pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient, 1/4 tsp tannin if juice is soft; adjust acid with 1–2 tsp acid blend or lemon to brighten - Yeast: D47, QA23, or Cider yeast - Notes: If using chopped apples, don’t boil; sulphite then enzyme for good yield. Consider 250 ml white grape concentrate for body. - ABV/time: 11–12%; 6–12 months. 6) Gooseberry wine (June–July, gardens/PYO) - Fruit: 1.8–2.0 kg gooseberries, topped and tailed, lightly crushed - Sugar: 1.1–1.2 kg - Additions: Pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient, optional 200 g raisins. Gooseberries can be sharp; many add 1/2–1 tsp precipitated chalk or back‑sweeten slightly. - Yeast: 71B‑1122 or EC‑1118 - Notes: Makes a crisp, white‑style country wine with good acidity and aroma. - ABV/time: 12%; 6–9 months. 7) Blackcurrant wine (July–Aug, gardens/PYO) - Fruit: 0.9–1.2 kg blackcurrants (they’re potent) - Sugar: 1.1–1.2 kg - Additions: 250–300 g raisins for body, pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient; usually no extra tannin or acid - Yeast: EC‑1118 or K1‑V1116 - Notes: Deep colour, intense cassis. Often benefits from a touch of residual sugar when bottling. - ABV/time: 12%; 9–15 months. 8) Strawberry wine (June–July, PYO) - Fruit: 2.2–2.5 kg ripe strawberries, hulled, lightly crushed - Sugar: 1.0–1.1 kg - Additions: Pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient, 1 tsp acid blend or juice of 1–2 lemons, optional 1/8 tsp tannin, optional 250 ml white grape concentrate - Yeast: QA23, D47, or K1‑V1116 - Notes: Gentle handling preserves aroma. Rack promptly off lees; drink younger to enjoy freshness. - ABV/time: 11–12%; 4–8 months. Optional: Rosehip wine (Oct–Nov, hedgerows) - Fruit: 1.0–1.2 kg fresh rosehips, topped/tailed and split; or 500–600 g dried - Sugar: 1.1–1.2 kg - Additions: Pectic enzyme, 1 tsp nutrient, 1/4 tsp tannin, 1 tsp acid blend - Yeast: 71B‑1122 - Notes: Keep hips in a bag; the inner hairs are irritating if loose. Pour boiling water over to scald. Orange‑marmalade notes after aging. - ABV/time: 12%; 9–12 months. Quick tips - Sugar adjustments: Always check OG with a hydrometer; add sugar syrup as needed before pitching yeast. - Temperature: Aim 18–22°C. Too cool stalls; too warm loses aromatics. - Clearing: Many country wines clear on their own with time. If needed, use finings after fermentation completes. - Sweetness: Many hedgerow wines taste best off‑dry. Stabilise first if back‑sweetening. - Scaling: For 5 L, use ~10% more than 1 US gallon quantities; or multiply by 4.5 for 1 L per unit. Seasonal picking guide (UK) - Spring/early summer: Strawberries (June), gooseberries (June–July) - Mid–late summer: Raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, plums/damsons - Late summer/autumn: Blackberries, elderberries, apples/crab apples, sloes, rosehips