Wine made from fresh blue grapes is distinguished by its rich and pleasant taste. This grape variety is considered the most suitable for making alcoholic beverages. Finished products are combined with fruits, vegetables, side dishes and meat dishes. Aged blue wine perfectly complements any holiday table.
The nuances of making wine from blue grapes
It’s not always possible to calculate the proportions and make the drink rich and delicate the first time.Therefore, experienced winemakers recommend following some tips during the process:
- To press the berries, you can use either a meat grinder or a juicer. If these devices are not at home, the procedure is carried out manually, but it takes more time.
- To prepare dry wine, sugar is used in minimal quantities. When making a fortified drink based on vodka, the dosage of granulated sugar is doubled.
- It is better to keep and infuse wine in glass containers. This way it better retains its taste characteristics.
The resulting product must be filtered 4-6 times, otherwise the drink will become cloudy.
Suitable varieties
To obtain an aromatic and rich wine drink, certain grape varieties are used:
- Merlot.
- Portugieser.
- Isabel.
- Pinot Franc.
Regardless of the variety, it is forbidden to wash the berries after picking. On their shell there are natural yeasts, which ensure the fermentation of the wine during the infusion process.
Correct selection of raw materials
Before starting cooking, you should carefully work with the grapes:
- The collected berries are sorted and the mass is cleared of branches, sticks and leaves.
- Spoiled fruits are removed; on their basis, the wine will lose its taste characteristics.
- This rule also applies to overripe berries; there is no need to use them in the process. Otherwise, the drink will turn out very strong and brown.
- The prepared grapes are immediately pressed and squeezed; they cannot be left for a long time.
Fruit harvesting takes place in autumn. It is best if the weather outside is dry and windless.
How to make wine from blue grapes at home
A simple blue wine recipe looks like this:
- The washed grapes are transferred to a deep bowl.For preparation, take 2 kg of berries.
- Mix them with your hands and then grind them through a meat grinder.
- Squeeze the berry mixture several times to obtain clear juice without pulp.
- The resulting mass is covered with gauze and sent to a warm room for 5 days.
- When time passes, the juice is filtered and poured into a clean container.
- Mix 1.5 kg of sugar into the drink, install a water seal or glove (you will need to make 1-2 holes on one of the fingers using scissors).
- The workpiece is sent to a dark and warm place for 1.5 months. You can tell that the wine has fermented by a deflated glove and the end of the gurgling process of the wine base.
- Start filtering the product. To do this you need to use a small rubber tube. It is important not to mix the sediment with the drink itself, otherwise the mass will become cloudy and the fermentation process will begin again. This will make the alcohol base strong and overly sweet.
- The finished product is poured into glass bottles and taken to a cool room.
It is recommended to keep alcohol for 3-4 months before drinking. During this time, it will infuse and acquire its true shade.
If this is not possible, it is better to keep the bottle in the refrigerator for several days before drinking.
Practical advice
What additional tips can you use during the process:
- Cooking containers can be treated with sulfur bombs. This method helps prevent the development of bacteria in the drink. The same treatment is used in basements and cellars to prevent mold from appearing on the vessels.
- To remove sediment from wine, you can use cow's milk. For each liter of wine, take 1 spoon of milk, pour the mixture into a container and leave the mixture for 4 days.
- The gauze must be changed periodically during the fermentation process to prevent bacteria from accumulating on it.
Before pouring the product into vessels, it is recommended to filter it at least 3 times. This will help make the drink sweet and light. In other cases, you can get a product with a color and smell unusual for blue wine.
Expiration date and storage rules
It is better to keep the product in the cellar and basement, where the temperature does not rise above 15 degrees Celsius. At higher rates, the taste characteristics of the product may change. You can store wine in the basement for up to 5 years. However, some winemakers advise drinking reserves over several years. At home, the product may not be made quite correctly, which will lead to sediment and a change in taste after a few years.