Apricot Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads
- 1 lb. chopped dried apricots
- 3 lb. granulated sugar
- 1 cup strong, black tea
- 1 tsp. pectic enzyme
- 6 pints to 1 gallon water
- Sherry wine yeast and nutrient
Bring apricots in 6 pints water to simmer for 30 minutes without boiling.Strain off liquor, add sugar and stir well to dissolve, and bring to boil for five minutes. Add tea, and pour into secondary fermentation vessel. When cool, add pectic enzyme, cover, and set in warm place for 24 hours. Add yeast culture and nutrient and fit airlock. After 30 days, replace airlock with one devoid of water but plugged with cotton to allow the Sherry yeast to “breathe.” Allow to sit undisturbed for six months, then rack and return 2 tblsp. of cleanest yeast from lees to secondary fermentation vessel. Refit dry airlock and bring into warm room (75-80 degrees fahrenheit) for five days to promote final fermentation. When fermentation is strong, top up with water and retire to cool place for additional six months. Rack and bottle. Matures after one year but improves after two.[Adapted from C.J.J. Berry’s 130 New Winemaking Recipes]
- 3/4 lb. chopped dried apricots
- 6 oz. raspberries
- 3 oz. dried elderberries
- 1-1/4 lb. granulated sugar
- 1/2 pt. white grape concentrate
- 1 cup mixed red and yellow rose petals
- 1 tsp. pectic enzyme
- 1 gallon water
- crushed Campden tablets
- Burgundy wine yeast and nutrient
Before you start, dissolve sugar in 6 pts. warm water, then chill the water overnight in refrigerator. Chop or mince dried apricots and elderberries, crush raspberries, and mix together in primary fermentation vessel with chilled sugar-water, nutrient, pectic enzyme, and two crushed Campden tablets. Stir well, cover and set aside 24 hours. Add activated Burgundy yeast, cover and ferment on pulp three days, stirring daily. Strain pulp in fine nylon sieve and press lightly to extract juice without pulp particles. Add grape concentrate, cover and ferment additional four days. Add rose petals and ferment additional three days before straining and add sufficient water to bring volume to 1 gallon. When S.G. drops to 1.000 or lower, add another crushed Campden tablet and rack, without splashing, to secondary fermentation vessel as soon as fermentation restarts or a heavy deposit of yeast forms, whichever is sooner. Fit airlock and store bottle in cool place (65-70 degrees F.) without disturbing for three months. However, check after two weeks and, if pulp debris is detected in sediment, carefully rack again without splashing and add another crushed Campden tablet. After total three months in secondary fermentation vessel, rack again, being careful to avoid splashing, add one crushed Campden tablet, and top up with water before refitting airlock. After additional three months, rack again as before, add another crushed Campden tablet, top up with water, and bottle. May taste after six months but matures at 18 months. [Adapted from Bryan Acton and Peter Duncan’s Making Wines Like Those You Buy]
- 1 lb. chopped dried apricots
- 2 lb. chopped dated
- 1/2 lb. barley
- 2 lb. 2 oz. light brown sugar
- 2 oranges
- 2 lemons
- 6 pints to 1 gallon water
- Sauterne wine yeast and nutrient
Combine chopped apricots and dates, barley, and zest of oranges and lemons in 6 pints water, bring to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain onto sugar, add juice of oranges and lemons, and stir well to dissolve sugar. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel when cooled to 70 degree fahrenheit, add yeast and nutrient, and fit airlock. Top to one gallon in three weeks. Rack when clear, wait three additional months, then rack again and bottle. Allow one year or more for maturity.[Adapted from C.J.J. Berry’s 130 New Winemaking Recipes]
- 2 lb. chopped dry apricots
- 1 lb. wheat, cracked
- 3 lb. granulated sugar
- 1 gallon water
- 2 lemons, juice only
- 1/4 tsp. grape tannin or 1/4 cup black tea
- Madeira wine yeast and nutrient
Bring apricots to boil in gallon of water, reduce to simmer, then strain into primary fermentation vessel without pressing after one-half hour, discarding pulp. Add remaining ingredients, except yeast and nutrient, and stir to dissolve sugar. When cool, add yeast and nutrient, cover, and ferment in warm place for three weeks, stirring daily. Strain into secondary fermentation vessel, top up to one gallon, and fit airlock. Rack after one month. When clear, rack again and bottle. Taste after six months, but allow one year for best quality and flavor. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry’s First Steps in Winemaking]
- 2 lb. chopped dry apricots
- 1 lb. chopped golden raisins
- 2-1/2 lb. light brown sugar
- 1-1/4 tsp. acid blend
- 8 pints water
- 1 tsp. pectic enzyme
- 1/4 tsp. grape tannin
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- Champagne wine yeast and nutrient
Combine all ingredients except yeast in primary fermentation vessel, stir to dissolve sugar, cover, and set in warm place for 24 hours. Add yeast, cover, and stir daily for 10 days. Strain into secondary fermentation vessel, pressing pulp lightly. Top to one gallon with additional water, and fit airlock. Rack after 30 days and again after another 60 days. When clear, rack again and bottle. Allow to age one year. [Adapted from magazine-clipping recipe, source unknown]
- 2 lb. apricots
- 1/2 lb. chopped golden raisins
- 3 lb. granulated sugar
- 2 lemons, juice only
- 7 pints water
- 1 tsp. pectic enzyme
- 1/4 tsp. grape tannin
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- Campagne wine yeast and nutrient
Combine all ingredients except apricots and yeast in primary fermentation vessel, stirring to dissolve sugar. Wash, pit and finely dice apricots. Add to vessel, cover, and set in warm place for 24 hours. Add yeast, cover and stir twice daily for seven days. Strain into secondary fermentation vessel, pressing pulp lightly. Top to one gallon with additional water, and fit airlock. Rack after 30 days and again after another 60 days. When clear, rack again and bottle. Taste after six months, but allow one year for maturity. [Adapted from passed-on recipe, source unknown]
- 2-1/2 lb. apricots
- 7 pints water
- 2 lb. sugar
- 1-1/4 tsp. acid blend
- 1 tsp. pectic enzyme
- 1/4 tsp. grape tannin
- 1 crushed Campden tablet
- yeast and nutrient
In primary fermentation vessel, combine all ingredients except yeast and apricots, stirring to dissolve sugar. Wash, pit and dice apricots. Place in grain-bag, tie top, and squeeze as much juice as you can into vessel. Place grain-bag of pulp into vessel, cover, and set in warm place for 24 hours. Add yeast, cover, and squeeze pulp daily to extract more juice. Stir twice daily. After five days, strain juice from grain-bag, discard pulp, transfer liquor to secondary fermentation vessel, and fit airlock. Rack after 30 days and again after another 60 days. When clear, rack again and bottle. Allow to age one year or longer. [Adapted from Raymond Massaccesi’s Winemaker’s Recipe Handbook]
I received a request a year ago for a fruit wine you can make in the winter, other than apple, that you would be proud to serve year-round. I almost didn’t reply because the answer is so obvious — dried fruit wine. I looked in my pantry and there were two pounds of dried Turkish apricots I picked up from Whole Foods. The wine just sort of made itself. I tasted it last night and drank half a bottle before I realized what I was doing. Need I say it? Fabulous!
You don’t need dried Turkish apricots for this recipe, but you do need dried apricots. Mine were sulfited to preserve the color and discourage bacterial attachment. Do not worry about the sulfites, please. Their amount is very slight, far less than you would get by adding a Campden tablet.
I used Demerara sugar, but you can use any light brown sugar you can find. Turbinado sugar would be a good substitute and is easy to find. If push comes to shove, use Light Brown Sugar, which is white sugar with molasses added.
- 2 lbs chopped dry apricots
- 1 can Welch’s or Old Orchard 100% White Grape Juice Frozen Concentrate
- 1 3/4 lb Demerara sugar
- juice of 2 lemons
- water to 1 gallon
- 1/4 tsp powdered grape tannin
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- sachet of Kitzinger’s Madeira, Red Star Premier Curvee or Lalvin EC1118 wine yeast
Bring apricots to boil in 3 1/2 quarts of water, reduce to simmer for 30 minutes, then strain into primary without pressing. Discard pulp or save to make jam or preserves. Add remaining ingredients, except yeast and nutrient, and stir well to dissolve sugar. When warm, add nutrient, and stir. When cool, add activated yeast as starter solution, cover and ferment in warm place for three weeks, stirring daily. Strain into secondary, top up to one gallon, and fit airlock. Rack after one month. Rack every 30 days until clear, rack again adding 1/2 teaspoon potassium sorbate and one crushed and dissolved Campden tablet. Set aside two months, then rack again. Sweeten to taste and wait 30 days to see if refermentation occurs. If not, bottle. Taste after six months, but allow one year for best quality and flavor. [Jack Keller’s own recipe]
This wine can be made using Flor Sherry yeast, but requires very careful measurement of sugar in the must — from the apricots, white grape concentrate and sugar added — so the potential alcohol falls between 14.5% and 16%% alcohol. This window is crucial to grow a flor. Ferment normally (anaerobically) to dryness, then move to a larger secondary to allow air in over the wine. Either seal mouth of secondary with cotton or cover with a double layer of muslin secured with a rubber band.
A flor does not develop under all conditions. A cooler temperature (60° is ideal) and high humidity are desired, but there is not much you can do about the latter. If floret’s do not develop within one month stabilize the wine and await yeast die-off — about 3 months. Rack and then rack again in 30 days. Sweeten to taste and wait a final 30 days to see if refermentation occurs. If not, bottle. Since the wine has been exposed to air, drink within one year.
If floret’s do develop, wait and they will form a complete flor over the wine, protecting it from further air exposure until the flor collapses. When that occurs, stabilize the wine. Sweeten if desired and wait a final 30 days to see if refermentation occurs. If not, bottle.