When most of us think of wine, we think of grapes. And it’s true that most wine is made from grapes, but not all. In fact, if you want to make your own wine, you can go right ahead with just about any kind of fruit you have on hand. How about some apple or peach wine? Got some raspberries or strawberries left over from your most recent crop? (And yes, you can even “go bananas” with your wine if you want to.)

Now is the time to get creative

There are lots of recipes on the Internet when it comes to winemaking, and you can use just about any type of fruit you have. Get creative and mix-and-match, too. For example, apple raspberry wine sounds good, doesn’t it?

Some things to keep in mind

Good fruit equals good wine

Start with fresh, whole, ripe fruit that’s nice and sweet for the best tasting wine. Cut bruised parts out of apples and don’t use anything that’s gone south or is otherwise substandard.

Rinse and repeat

Make sure the fruit you use has been thoroughly rinsed so that it’s nice and clean and you’re not going to get unwanted contaminants in your wine.

Usually, you dilute

Except for wines made directly from juices (like apple, for example), you’ll want to dilute your fruit mash with water so that the flavor is not too strong.

More fruit equals a heavier wine, less fruit equals a lighter wine

It’ll take some experimentation, but you can opt for a really heavy, sweet wine or a lighter, drier wine. A very rough estimate for a good balanced wine is about 3 pounds of fruit for every gallon of wine. Again, the type of fruit and the richness you want will change this amount so that this is only an estimate.

Use a winemaking hydrometer

The winemaking hydrometer will tell you how much sugar your resulting fruit mash has. When you begin the fermentation process, read the hydrometer’s “potential alcohol” scale so that you know whether or not you need to add more.

What sugar should you use?

In most cases, wine is probably going to need some sugar added to it unless the fruit is very sweet or you like a very dry wine. Different types of sugar (such as cane sugar, honey, fructose, etc.) have different characteristics, and each will add a different “flavor” to your wine. If you like, start out with plain white table sugar and then experiment with other types once you get a knack for winemaking itself.

A little “acid” sweetness is good

Wine doesn’t just get its properties from being sweet; it also gets its unique flavor from being acidic. The type of fruit you use will change the acidity in the wine, so use a winemaking tartration kit to make sure you’ve got the proper acidity. If you want your wine to be more acidic, you can use malic, tartaric, or citric acids to balance this. You can also buy these as a blend specifically for wine making.

Onto fermentation

Fermentation is absolutely necessary to make wine; for this, you’ll need winemaking yeast and nutrients necessary to the process. Again, you can find this information on the Internet.

Finally, “your own brand”

Once the fermentation process is complete, you can bottle your wine as is, or you can make adjustments to it by adding flavor or body enhancements, a little more sugar, a little more acid, et cetera. It’s a myth that you can’t change the flavor of your wine once the fermentation process is complete. In fact, this could be one of the more interesting parts of the process.

Getting the hang of it

Don’t be discouraged if your first batch of wine doesn’t turn out great. In fact, few “first batches” of anything do. However, as you get used to the process, you may just find that store-bought wines taste, well, boring. After all, you can make any type of wine you want. Why would you just stick with bland, boring grape wine when you can do so much more?

There is an enormous variety of wines out there. If you’re interested in learning more about pairing wines with your meals, then you’ll probably want to start with the popular wine varieties before delving into some of the lesser known varieties.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBPDO8gzNF8

Oh, and before we get started, if you love to try new wines, then you can’t go wrong with a wine of the month club, they’re fun and you’re always expanding your wine palate.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular wine varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Known to many as cab sauv for short, this is a flavorful, full bodied red wine which originated in France. This is one of the best known and most popular wines on the market.

This well rounded red goes wonderfully with steaks and roasted lamb as well as being delicious on its own.

Merlot

Merlot is a very soft red which has a lower level of tannins than many other red wine varieties. It is often blended with cabernet sauvignon and other grapes, but is often found on its own, making a good accompaniment to chicken and other poultry dishes.

Shiraz

Also known as Syrah, Shiraz is a deep red colored, medium bodied wine whose flavor includes hints of black pepper and berries. This is one of the best wines to go with barbecue as well as many other meat dishes. Shiraz can be aged for a long time and improves well with age.

Originally from Iran, this grape is now very much associated with the Australian Barossa Valley region, where some of the world’s best Shiraz is produced.

Served with peppery or mustard-based sauces on spicy, garnished meats, Shiraz is the perfect complimentary red wine.

Grenache

This soft wine has plum and black pepper flavors and is also a good partner for spicy foods. It is often seen in blends with Shiraz, especially those from France and Spain.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a stunning light- to medium-bodied red wine with a fine fruity aroma. When this fine wine is well aged, it can develop lovely floral flavors.

Chardonnay

This is one of the most popular white wine varieties. Chardonnay makes a lovely wine on its own and it is often blended with other white wines. Chardonnay has notes of melon and lemon, as well as oak; the wine is generally aged in oak for between one and three years. This wine is the perfect complement to salmon and tuna dishes.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc produces a very flavorful, somewhat acidic wine with gooseberry and lemon flavors. This wine pairs excellently with seafood and grilled vegetables and is wonderful on its own.

Semillon

This French grape is not as well known to those outside of France and Australia, where it is also widely grown. However, Semillon has a pleasing honeyed toast-like flavor, with lower acidity than many whites. It is often blended with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with which is makes some very good wines.

Riesling

This is a German wine which has found favor worldwide and is now grown in many different countries. This is a white wine with a pleasing green apple and lemon flavor which may be either dry or sweet. The dry varieties of Riesling are excellent paired with spicy foods.

Now get out there, start trying new wines and enjoy.