Basil Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 1 cup basil leaves, loosely packed
• 2 11-oz cans frozen 100% white grape concentrate
• 14 oz granulated sugar (to specific gravity of 1.085)
• Water to make one gallon
• 2-1/2 tsp acid blend
• 1 Campden tablet, finely crushed and dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp tannin
• 1-1/4 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pkt Champagne wine yeast

Wash fresh basil leaves and place in nylon straining bag and tie closed. Put all other ingredients except yeast in primary and stir well to dissolve. Cover primary and set aside 6-8 hours. Add nylon straining bag, activated yeast, recover primary, and set aside for 5 days. Taste and remove bag and discard leaves if basil flavor is sufficient. If not, leave bag in an extra day. Recover primary until s.g. drops to 1.015. Transfer liquid to secondary, top up if required and fit airlock. Ferment to dryness, then rack, top up and refit airlock. Repeat every 30 days until wine clears and no new sediments form during a 30-day period. Stabilize and sweeten to taste if desired (if sweetened, wait three weeks for any renewed fermentation to begin) and rack into bottles. Age 3 months before tasting. Serve chilled. [Author’s own recipe]