Lemon Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

Lemon Wine (1)

April 5, 2001
  • 8 large lemons
  • 10 oz can of white grape juice concentrate
  • 1 lb 14 oz granulated sugar
  • 6-1/2 pts water
  • 1/4 tsp grape tannin
  • 1/4 tsp pectic enzyme
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Chanpagne wine yeast

Boil water and dissolve sugar in it. Grate the zest from 3 lemons into primary. Juice all lemons and add juice to primary. Add grape juice to primary and add sugar water. Cover primary and set aside to cool to room temperature. Add tannin, yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme. After 12 hours, add yeast. Ferment until specific gravity drops to 1.020 (about 8 days). Rack into secondary, top up if required and fit airlock. In 4-6 weeks, check specific gravity. Rack when S.G. is 1.000. Top up and refit airlock. Age 6 months, checking water in airlock periodically. Rack into bottles and age additional 6 months before tasting. [Author’s own recipe]

Lemon Wine (2)

April 5, 2001
  • 6 medium-sized lemons
  • 2 lbs finely granulated sugar
  • 7-1/2 pts water
  • 1/4 tsp grape tannin
  • 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Champagne wine yeast

Put water on to boil and dissolve sugar in it. Meanwhile, grate the zest of 3 lemons and peel the lemons. Remove all white pith from lemons and break lemons into segments. Place segments and zest in nylon straining bag, tie bag closed and place it in primary. Mash the segments and add boiling water to primary. Cover until cooled to room temperature. Add tannin, yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme. Twenty-four hours later add yeast. Squeeze bag daily to release juice for 8 days. Drain bag and allow to ferment 3 more days. Rack into secondary, top up if required, and fit airlock. Rack in 3 weeks and again 3 weeks later. When wine had fermented to dryness, taste. If too dry, stabilize and sweeten to taste. After 10 days, rack into bottles. Age 6-12 months. [Adapted from Terry Garey’s “The Joy of Home Winemaking”]

Lemon Wine (3)

April 5, 2001
  • 6 medium-sized lemons
  • 2-1/2 lbs granulated sugar
  • 7-1/2 pts water
  • 1/4 tsp grape tannin
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Champagne wine yeast

Grate the zest of 1 lemon into primary. Add juice of lemons, sugar, water, tannin, and yeast nutrient. Stir well to dissolve sugar. Wait 12 hours and add yeast. Ferment 2 days and strain into secondary, top up if required, and fit airlock. Rack every 30 days until specific gravity reaches 1.000. Stabilize, wait 10 days, and rack into bottles. Age 1 year. [Adapted from Leo Zanelli’s “Home Winemaking from A to Z”]