Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Wine Ingredients
Method
Wine Making Process
- 1
Harvest Grapes
Select and harvest 10 pounds of ripe Zinfandel grapes from the vineyard.
- 2
Crush Grapes
Crush the grapes in a sanitized container to release the juice. Ensure to keep the skins and seeds for flavor extraction.
- 3
Add Water
Add 1 gallon of water to the crushed grapes to dilute the mixture and help with fermentation.
- 4
Prepare Yeast
Activate the wine yeast according to the package instructions and then add it to the grape mixture.
- 5
Add Sugar
Stir in 2 cups of sugar into the mixture until fully dissolved to increase alcohol content.
- 6
Add Tannin and Acid Blend
Mix in 1 teaspoon of tannin and 1 teaspoon of acid blend to enhance flavor and balance acidity.
- 7
Fermentation
Cover the container with a clean cloth and let it ferment for about 7-10 days, stirring daily.
- 8
Pressing
After fermentation, press the mixture to separate the liquid from the solids, transferring the liquid into a sanitized fermentation vessel.
- 9
Secondary Fermentation
Allow the wine to undergo secondary fermentation in a cool, dark place for about 4-6 weeks.
- 10
Bottling
When fermentation is complete, siphon the wine into sanitized bottles and seal them tightly.
- 11
Aging
Let the bottled wine age for at least 6 months for optimal flavor development before tasting.