RAISIN WINE

by - January 27, 2016

WINE
RAISIN WINE

      Here's a very simple recipe for an old-fashioned wine made out of Raisins.  The better the raisin, the better the wine! In the making of fruit wines, raisins are often used to add body to the wine. Dark Raisins will make a dark, somewhat brownish wine. White or golden raisins will make a white or golden wine. This is a simple Raisin Wine recipe with simple home-made wine making technique, but the results are really awesome.
      I have always made wine with Grapes in India.  We mix both Sweet and slightly sour Grape varieties to suit our taste preference. An occasion to come may be a Wedding, Baptism, Christmas in the family - will surely call for Wine making at home.  But an old collection of recipes for 100 Fruit Wines made me try this Raisin Wine, the taste, texture, fullness and flavour of this wine is simply awesome. 
      I have made this Raisin Wine with Dark Raisins for about three times in all these years and my last batch is nearly 3 years old, which I made for my kid's, Holy Communion in 2013. Currently I should update the fact that I have made it another 3 more times since writing this post. Raisin Wine gets better every time, as it tastes better day by day. Yet new batches following the suit as always.

Best wines I have ever made...

Recipe Type - Wine
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 3-4 Bottles
Author - SM


Preparation Time - 30 -45 Minutes
Brewing Time for Wine - 3 Months - 1 Year.

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HOMEMADE RAISIN WINE 

INGREDIENTS :

Raisins  -  1 kg
Sugar  -  1/2 kg
Lemon  -  1 No.
Boiling Water  -  5 Litres
Yeast  - 1 Packet (11Grams)
Cinnamon Sticks - 8-10 big pieces (Optional)


METHOD :

  • Chop the Dark Raisin into small pieces.
  • Put the Raisins, Sugar, and the Lemon in a large glass or ceramic jar.
  • Pour 5 litres of boiling water into it and leave it aside for 12 hours.
  • Activate the Yeast by putting it in warm water and 5 tspns of Sugar.
  • Add activated yeast to the mix after 12 hours
  • Can add some extra Sugar and few sticks of Cinnamon to add more sweetness and flavour to the Raisin Wine.
  • Stir it every day for a week.
  • After a week strain and press the juice out of the mixture and bottle it. 
  • Keep the bottles tightly closed.
  • Store them in a dark and dry place for a month.
  • Re-bottle the clear wine leaving the sediments behind for another one month. 
  • The Raisin Wine should be filtered properly at this stage.
  • Taste the Raisin Wine after two months, add sweetness and flavour if needed.
  • Do the above process until there are no sediments left.
  • Good quality Raisins yield best Raisin Wine. 
  • Like most of the wines, it will improve with age.

NOTES :

  • Cutting the raisins into small pieces will yield more flavour and body to the wine.
  • Raisins are naturally sweeter, so adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
  • I used dark brown raisins for the wine
  • I just used normal yeast, as it is very difficult to get wine yeast in my area.
  • If you can get hold of Wine Yeast go ahead with it and also can add Campden Tablets.
  • Stirring the wine is very important for the fermenting process.
  • Store them in clean and dry bottles in moist free place.
  • As I am staying in a tropical area, my wine brewed up sooner. But I strictly followed the regime.
  • I did not use any artificial colours, food preservatives or enhancers in this Raisin Wine.
  • The colour and flavour, which I got naturally out of it were more satisfying.



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      10 comments

      1. Nice recipe. Would like to try out sooner...

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Try the reipe and let me know how it turned out.
          SM

          Delete
      2. Love this recipe! I am now in the secondary fermentation stage. Do I need to stir during this stage as I do see some sediments at the top and bottom layer. If stirring is required how often do I need to stir? I hope this wine making will be successful for me! Thank you for the recipe!

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Hi,
          Thanks for trying this recipe. As far as for the stirring process, I understand that you have strained it after a week of brewing. There would be some sediments at this stage. You can stir the wine occasionally like once or twice in a week with a long wooden/plastic stick/spatula. Make sure the stick and your hand, both are dry while doing the process. Also it is not necessary that you need to strain the contents just after a month. Longer brewing time better the Wine. So if you have enough time then leave it until you get the needed peppy taste in wine. Also the climatic condition of the place you live plays a major role. So adjust the brewing time accordingly.
          Trust me this is a simple Homemade Wine and it brews well without any flaws, giving a natural peppy taste and a wonderful colour on its own. Patience is the key. Wishing you Good Luck and let me know with the final results.

          Regards,
          SM

          Delete
        2. Thank you so much for your prompt reply and valuable information. I will brew another 2 months. Will come back to on the results then. Cheers, Jessica

          Delete
        3. Hi Jessica,
          Two months from now would yield you a perfect Wine. Are you brewing this Wine for Christmas/New Year? Then it would be perfect if you strain it just before Christmas/New Year. If not, and if your patient enough, then there is no harm to wait for few more months, roughly 3-4 monthly totally. Your persistence is sure to benefit you.
          Will wait for the results and then we will toast for the Success of the homemade Raisin Wine. Cheers!!!

          Regards,
          SM

          Delete
        4. Hi SM

          Merry Christmast to you in advance!

          I have brewed the raisin wine for 2 months and have filtered the sediments. The results is awesome! I will leave it to brew another 4 weeks and consume it during Chinese New Year ! I used to take the raisin wine during my confinement period cooked with ginger and chicken pieces. My mother-in-law did them for me back in 1991. She has taught me how to do it but I have misplaced the recipe. Luckily I stumbled upon your blog and wanted to try it. Thanks again for the superb and easy recipe.

          Delete
        5. Hi Jessica,
          Thank You for the Wishes. Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to you & your family.
          I was really happy to hear that the Wine turned out well.
          Wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year in advance.
          Gong Xi Fa Chai!!!

          Regards,
          SM

          Delete
      3. Hi just wanted to know if the wine has to be refrigerated or should it be left in a dark place for it to age, I have bottled it and kept it in the fridge,

        ReplyDelete
        Replies
        1. Hi Mythili,
          As you have asked, aging the wine in a dark place is fine and totally depends on what climatic condition you live in. Aging homemade wine in a refrigerator is okay to do, just expect it to take longer to fully mature. If you do not have a problem with this, no worries, however if you want the wines to age as quickly as possible then leave it in a dry & dark place.
          Age the wine at your convenience, warmer temperatures for a few months – say for about 3 to 6 months(max). Then store the wine in the refrigerator. This will suspend the life of the wine for many years. I usually store my homemade wines in the refrigerator.
          Once the Wines has passed its prime, they do not continue to improve indefinitely with more aging.

          Regards,
          SM

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