How to make wine

People have written weighty tomes on how wine is made, but this article is just going to cover the basics so you are able to fully appreciate the work that goes into that next glass of wine.

Any fruit is actually capable of being turned into wine, but traditionally we use grapes because of their flavor and complexity. The juice of the grapes is squeezed out, and then combined with sugar and yeast. The mixture has to be airlock sealed and left to ferment together in a cool, dark area (65-75 degrees Fahrenheit) for four to five weeks at a time (or longer for more expensive and fine wines). They know the wine is ready once the liquid becomes clear and opaque.

The wine is then adjusted to taste using chemicals and sugars and often has to sit and re-ferment with the new levels for another few days to a week. The sediments left behind from the fermentation process are then cleared out of the wine, and it goes through a rigorous sanitation process and bottled for you to drink!

It’s not hard to make your own wine given the right equipment, but don’t expect too much the first time. It is a learning process and, until you learn what tastes good, what you like, and what others like, it’s entirely possible that your first few batches may be pretty undrinkable. Don’t get discouraged, just keep plugging away, and eventually you’ll have wine that anyone would be proud to drink with dinner (or at least some hot dogs).