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Elderberry Dessert Wine

Experienced

In season September to October · makes 4.5 L · target OG 1.105

The dessert extreme of the elderberry lesson: high sugar, high tannin, and real patience.

Before you start. Elderberries must be cooked and stripped from all green stalk — never used raw (cyanogenic glycosides).

You will need

  • Elderberries, ripe, stripped from ALL stalk1.6 kg
  • Sugar1.5 kg
  • Raisins, chopped300 g
  • Pectic enzymeper dose
  • Red wine yeast (high-alcohol) + nutrient1 sachet
  • Waterto 4.5 L

Picking it at the right moment

  • Elderberry

    Ready when the whole bunch has turned deep purple-black, the berries are soft, and the heads hang DOWN (they point up while unripe). Any red or green berries in the bunch mean wait.

Method

  1. 1

    Sanitise. Strip the elderberries from every piece of green stalk (the stalks are toxic) and use only fully ripe black berries.

  2. 2

    Elderberries must be COOKED: simmer them in 2 L water for 20 minutes, which makes them safe to ferment and releases colour and tannin.

  3. 3

    Strain the hot liquor onto the sugar and chopped raisins; top to 4.5 L. This is a dessert wine, so the OG is high — about 1.105 — for a rich, sweet, port-like result; use a yeast that tolerates high alcohol.

  4. 4

    Cool, add pectic enzyme, then pitch the yeast and nutrient.

  5. 5

    Ferment out; it will likely leave some sweetness as the alcohol climbs. Rack twice over the first months.

  6. 6

    This is elderberry's tannin and sweetness taken to the limit — undrinkable young, superb after two years. Keep it.

What this one teaches you

  • · Astringency and long age

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An original MakeWine recipe.