HOME MADE BLACK GRAPE WINE

We were staying in Nasik when my friend gave me a wine recipe.All the four years I stayed there I made this wine.There were vinyards close by , so in February every year this had become a regular ordeal.Once the grapes came my work started.

The fabric you see above, on which the glass is placed has been painted by me. I is a semi  chiffon scarf.I paint on white fabric edge to edge giving it aprinted effect.

Making wine at home is easy except prior preparation is required .1. Firstly you require a plastic drum or a plastic bucket preferably of lighter colour, colourless will be ideal.It should have a lid also.I had specially bought one huge drum (in which you store water).

Choose the size of the drum keeping in mind the quantity of grapes, the amount of water required and enough space for fermentation.

2.A bucket to strain the wine .Ihad bought a new one because I was going to need it every year. Those of you who want to make in small quantities can use plastic container in which you store groceries.

3. Plastic net strainers. Clean kitchen towels.

4. wooden spatula.

5. Packing tape

6. plastic soft drink bottles

Items no. 2, 3 , 4 , 6 you will require only after 20 days.On the first day you require the drum and spatula and the tape.

Ingredients:-Black grapes-2 kg

sugar- 1kg+700gm

water-4 litre+500ml

wheat 250 gm

dry yeast- arround 1 heaped Tbsp

Method:- First wash the grapes ( along with their stems), spread them on a clean cloth .You can do this overnight. Also wash the wheat and keep it separately in a strainer or cloth.

Then take water I used filtered water , and boil it.Use the water only when it is luke warm.

Once the water reaches luke warm temperature crush the grapes in a food processor.

Put the crushed grapes+ water + half of the sugar + wheat + yeast at this stage. Stir with the wooden spatula .Close the lid of the drum and put the packing tape to seal the mouth of the drum .Mark the date on the calender . Keep the drum in a dry undisturbed place.

After 20days open the drum. Line the strainer with the kitchen cloth .If you put more than one cloth the better.Str ain the wine in the plastic bucket with the help of a plastic glass or a plastic jug . You may need some one to help you.Don’t wash the drum with water at this stage.It will look dirty but still DON’T.

Pour back the strained wine back in the drum. At this stage you have to put the left over sugar in the wine . But before that just taste the wine for sweetness .Put the sugar according to the sweetness you require in the wine.Everyone’s taste differs.

Stir again,close the lid and pack it up with the packing tape again.

Mark the date on the calender.

After 20 days again repeat the above procedure for final straining. This time keep clean n dry bottles ready. I used 2litre Soft drink bottles.Keep the drum on a chair 2-3 hours before you actually want to strain it. This will help in settling down the sediments at the bottom of the drum.Keeping the drum on the chair will prevent you from bending down every time. Slowly strain the wine in the bucket with the help of a plastic jug . Pour it in bottles. Don’t fill them to the top . Keep some space.. Use the wine after 3 months or soon after bottling if your hubby can’t wait. It tastes better with time .

With this recipe you will get around two bottles 2 litre each , or five rum bottles which are 750 ml each.

All those guests (some from abroad too) who have tasted my wine liked it a lot. So happy wine making to you all .One feels proud to say I have made it .