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Country Wine
Full-Bodied Elderberry Wine
A richly coloured, tannic wine that rivals some grape wines for body and complexity. Needs at least a year to mature. I compare it to a young Rhône red.
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12.4%
ABV
23 L
Batch size
1.096
Target OG
1.002
Target FG
Ingredients
1.4kg fresh elderberries (per 4.5L)
1.5kg white sugar (per 4.5L)
1 tsp citric acid
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp wine tannin
1 Campden tablet
1 tsp pectic enzyme
Port or wine yeast
Method
1. Strip berries from stalks using a fork. Crush in a bucket.
2. Add Campden tablet, cover 24 hours.
3. Add pectic enzyme. Leave another 24 hours.
4. Boil sugar in half the water, cool, add to berries with remaining cold water, citric acid, tannin, nutrient.
5. Pitch yeast, ferment on pulp 5–7 days, pressing down cap twice daily.
6. Strain and press. Transfer to demijohn. Ferment to dryness.
7. Rack, treat with Campden, bulk age minimum 6 months.
8. Fine with bentonite, filter, bottle. Age 12+ months.
Process
Yeast
Premier Cuvée (Gervin)
Target temp
20°C
Skin contact
6 days
Nutrient protocol
Standard nutrient additions at pitch and 1/3 depletion.
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