Kiwi Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

• 3-4 lbs fresh green kiwi fruit
• 1-3/4 lbs finely granulated sugar
• 7-1/2 pts water
• 1 tsp acid blend
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pkt Lalvin AC or 71B-1122 (Narbonne) wine yeast

Mix sugar into the water and put on stove to boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve. Meanwhile, thinly peel and coarsely chop fruit and place in nylon straining bag. Tie bag closed and put in primary. Crush fruit with hands. Add acid blend, tannin and yeast nutrients to primary and pour boiling water over fruit when all sugar is dissolved. Cover with clean cloth and set aside to cool. When room temperature, add pectic enzyme and stir. Recover primary and wait 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily, lifting and dunking bag of fruit pulp several times (do NOT squeeze bag) before stirring. After 7 days, remove bag and drip drain without squeezing for about an hour. Return drained juices to primary and discard pulp. When specific gravity drops below 1.015, rack into secondary and fit airlock. Rack after 3 months, top up and refit airlock, and repeat after additional 3 months. Wine should be clear and completely dry. If wine is too dry for your taste, stabilize, sweeten to your liking, refit airlock and set aside. After 10 days, rack into bottles and set aside to age another 6 months. Serve lightly chilled. [Adapted from Terry Garey’s The Joy of Home Winemaking ]

• 3-4 lbs fresh golden kiwi fruit
• 2 lbs finely granulated sugar
• 7-1/2 pts water
• 1-1/2 tsp acid blend
• 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
• 1/8 tsp tannin
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 pkt Lalvin D-47 (Côtes-du-Rhône) or any Champagne wine yeast

Mix sugar into the water and put on stove to boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve. Meanwhile, thinly peel and coarsely chop fruit and place in nylon straining bag. Tie bag closed and put in primary. Crush fruit with hands. Add acid blend, tannin and yeast nutrients to primary and pour boiling water over fruit when all sugar is dissolved. Cover with clean cloth and set aside to cool. When room temperature, check specific gravity to ensure it is between 1.080-1.090 (correct if required) and then add pectic enzyme and stir. Recover primary and wait 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily, lifting and dunking bag of fruit pulp several times (do NOT squeeze bag) before stirring. After 7 days, remove bag and drip drain without squeezing for about an hour. Return drained juices to primary and discard pulp. When specific gravity drops below 1.015, rack into secondary and fit airlock. Rack after 3 months, top up and refit airlock, and repeat after additional 3 months. Wine should be clear and completely dry. If wine is too dry for your taste, stabilize, sweeten to your liking, refit airlock and set aside. After 10 days, rack into bottles and set aside to age another 6 months. Serve lightly chilled. [Adapted from Terry Garey’s The Joy of Home Winemaking ]