Feijoa Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

Feijoa Wine

April 5, 2001
  • 2-1/2 lbs peeled feijoas
  • sugar to bring s.g. to 1.100
  • water to make up 1 gallon
  • 1/4 tsp tannin
  • 1/2 tsp tartaric acid
  • 1/4 tsp malic acid
  • 1-1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • wine yeast

Wash fruit before peeling. Discard peelings and chop fruit roughly. Place fruit in nylon straining bag, tie and put in primary. Mash fruit in bag and squeeze vigorously to extract juice. Set nylon bag aside for now and add enough water to make up one gallon. Measure specific gravity and add sugar to bring s.g. up to 1.100, stirring thoroughly to dissolve sugar completely. Add tannin, tartaric acid, yeast nutrient, and pectic enzyme. Cover primary and set aside 12 hours. Add bag of fruit pulp and wine yeast (best to start yeast in advance and add starter). Ferment on the pulp for 6 days, squeezing bag daily to extract juice. At end of 6th day, squeeze bag thoroughly and discard pulp. Allow to settle overnight and siphon off sediments into secondary and fit airlock. You will have slightly more than a gallon, so pour the extra juice into a bottle just large enough to accept it and put a clean ballon over the mouth of the bottle of juice and place in refrigerator to use later for topping up. Ferment in secondary 30 days and rack into clean secondary, topping up with juice in refrigerator, and refit airlock. After 60 days rack, top up again and refit airlock. After additional 60 days if wine is not clear rack into another secondary and wait until it clears before racking into bottles. If clear, rack into bottles right then. Wine will be drinkable after 6 months, but improves with age. [Author’s recipe]

Feijoa Blossom Wine

April 5, 2001
  • 2 qts loosely packed feijoa flowers
  • 2 lb finely granulated sugar
  • 7 pts water
  • 1/8 tsp tannin
  • 1 tsp acid blend
  • 1 tsp pectic enzyme
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Côte des Blancs, Sauterne or Hock wine yeast

While washing flowers, put 2 quarts of water on to boil. When water boils, stir in sugar until dissolved completely. Tie flowers in nylon straining bag and place in primary with acid blend, tannin and yeast nutrient. Pour boiling water over flowers, punch down bag and cover primary. Stir frequently while cooling but cover between stirrings. When cooled to room temperature stir in pectic enzyme and remaining water. Recover primary and set aside 10-12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover. Stir twice daily for 7 days. Remove bag, squeezing to extract flavors, and set covered primary aside for 3 additional days. Rack to clean secondary and fit airlock. After 45 days, rack, top up and refit airlock. Repeat racking every 45 days until wine is clear and leaves no sediment at all in secondary. Rack into bottles and enjoy. [Author’s recipe]

Feijoa Blossom-Rhubarb Wine

April 5, 2001
  • 1 qt loosely packed feijoa flowers
  • 3-4 lbs rhubarb
  • 2-3/4 lb finely granulated sugar
  • 7 pts water
  • 1/8 tsp tannin
  • 1 tsp acid blend
  • 1 tsp pectic enzyme
  • 1 crushed Campden tablet
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Sauterne or Hock wine yeast

Wash flowers and add to 1 quart water in 2-qt pan, covered, on medium heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, wash rhubarb and cut into 1/2-inch lengths. In primary, crush rhubarb with a piece of sterilized of hardwood (the end of a baseball bat is perfect). Strain off flowers and add hot flower-water to primary. Dissolve crushed Campden tablet in remaining cold water and pour over rhubarb. Cover primary and let set for three days, stirring daily. Strain through a nylon straining bag and squeeze as much liquid as possible from the pulp. Discard pulp and return liquor to primary. Stir in all remaining ingredients and activated yeast, making sure the sugar dissolves completely. Cover and set aside overnight. Transfer to secondary and fit airlock, but to allow for foaming during fermentation hold back a pint or so in a small bottle plugged with cotton. When ferment settles down (5-7 days), top up with reserved liquor and refit airlock. Set aside in cool place until wine begins to clear. Rack, refit airlock and top up. Allow at least another two months, making sure fermentation has ceased, and rack again. If possible, cold stabilize wine for 30 days. If you can’t cold stabilize, at least allow the wine the additional 30 days. Rack into bottles and enjoy. [Author’s own recipe.]

Feijoa Blossom-Passion Fruit Wine

April 5, 2001
  • 1 qt loosely packed feijoa flowers
  • 1 11-oz can Welch’s frozen passion fruit concentrate
  • 1 11-oz can Welch’s 100% white grape juice frozen concentrate
  • sugar to bring s.g. to 1.090
  • 6 pts water
  • 1/8 tsp tannin
  • 3/4 tsp acid blend
  • 3/4 tsp pectic enzyme
  • 1-1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Sauterne, Hock or Montpellier (Lalvin K1V-1116) wine yeast

Wash flowers and add to 1 quart water in 2-qt pan, covered, on medium heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. In primary, add remaining water to passion fruit and white grape concentrate. Strain off flowers, adding flower-water to primary. Stir and take hydrometer reading. Use hydrometer chart (see chart at Using Your Hydrometer ) to calculate sugar required to raise specific gravity to 1.090. Add sugar and stir well to dissolve. Add all remaining ingredients except yeast, stir, cover primary, and set aside 12 hours. Add activated yeast. Stir daily for 7 days, then transfer to secondary and fit airlock. Rack, top up and refit airlock after 30 days. Repeat racking every 30 days until fermentation ceases and wine is clear. Rack again, top up, refilt airlock, and set aside 60 days. Rack into bottles and enjoy. [Author’s own recipe]