Dago Red (Recipe Makes 5 Gallons
- 70 pounds of any black wine grape
- 4 tsp pectic enzyme
- 1/2 to 3/4 tsp potassium metabisulfite
- 3 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 pkt red wine yeast
Wash and crush grapes, then move then into primary. Adjust acidity to 6.5 grams per liter and sweeten if
necessary to bring specific gravity to 1.088 if necessary. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon potassium metabisulfite on grapes
and stir in well. Cover primary and let sit 12 hours. Sprinkle pectic enzyme on grapes and stir in well. Recover
primary and let sit another 12 hours. Add yeast nutrient, stir well, and add activated yeast. Cover the primary
again and set aside. Punch down the cap daily, stirring juice as you do so. When vigorous fermentation subsides
and specific gravity is below 1.020, press and transfer juice to secondary. Fit airlock and ferment to dryness.
Rack, adding 1/4 teaspoon potassium metabisulfite stirred in well. Top up and refit airlock. After wine clears,
wait 30-45 days and then rack again, top up and refit airlock. Wait additional three months, stabilize, sweeten to
taste, wait ten days, and rack into bottles. Age three months before tasting. May require additional aging.
[Author’s own recipe]