WESTSIDE INFORD

Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon

Chardonnay

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it's hot enough when you put your batter in.

Preheat the Oven

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add in the granulated sugar while continuing to mix.

Cream the Butter

Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.

Add Eggs and Milk

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Do not overmix.

Combine Mixtures

Gently fold in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Fold in Nuts and Chocolate Chips

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.

Prepare the Baking Pan

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pour Batter and Bake

Allow the baked good to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Cooling and Serving

All-purpose flour

Granulated sugar

Baking powder

Salt

Unsalted butter

Eggs

Milk

Vanilla extract

Ground cinnamon

Chopped nuts

Chocolate chips

Powdered sugar

Select ripe Merlot grapes and harvest them. Remove any spoiled grapes.

Harvesting Grapes

Crush the grapes to extract the juice. This can be done using a grape crusher or by hand.

Crushing Grapes

In a large fermentation vessel, combine the grape juice, water, and sugar (if using).

Mixing Ingredients

Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and gently stir to combine.

Adding Yeast

Cover the fermentation vessel with a cloth and let it sit at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, stirring daily. Monitor the fermentation process until bubbling slows down.

Fermentation Process

Once fermentation is complete, transfer the wine to oak barrels for aging. Make sure to leave some space at the top.

Transferring to Oak Barrels

Add sulfites to the wine in the barrels to help prevent spoilage.

Adding Sulfites

Allow the wine to age in oak barrels for at least 6 months to develop flavor.

Aging Time

Once the aging process is complete, bottle the wine using a siphon to avoid sediment.

Bottling the Wine

Seal the bottles with corks and store them in a cool, dark place.

Sealing Bottles

Let the wine mature for a few more months before enjoying. Serve it at room temperature.

Enjoying Your Merlot

Merlot grapes

Water

Yeast (wine yeast recommended)

Sugar (optional, to adjust sweetness)

Oak barrels

Sulfites (for preservation)

Select ripe Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and harvest them. Aim for a brix level of around 24-26 degrees.

Harvesting

Crush the harvested grapes to release the juice. You can use a crusher or do it manually.

Crushing

Press the crushed grapes to separate the juice from the skins and seeds. Collect the juice in a fermentation vessel.

Pressing

Add 5 liters of water and 1 kg of sugar to the grape juice. Stir well to dissolve the sugar completely.

Sprinkle 10 grams of wine yeast into the mixture. Stir gently to incorporate the yeast evenly.

Cover the fermentation vessel with a cloth and let it sit in a dark, warm place (around 20-25°C) for about 7-14 days. Stir the mixture daily.

Starting Fermentation

Use a hydrometer to check the specific gravity daily. When it stabilizes below 1.000, fermentation is complete.

Monitoring Fermentation

Once fermentation is complete, add 50 grams of sulfites to the wine to prevent spoilage.

Use a siphon to transfer the wine into clean bottles, leaving some space at the top.

Siphoning

Seal the bottles with corks using a corker. Ensure the corks are secure.

Corking

Store the bottles in a cool, dark place for at least 6 months to allow the flavors to develop.

Aging

Cabernet Sauvignon grapes

Sugar

Yeast (wine yeast)

Fermentation vessel

Hydrometer

Bottles

Corker

Siphon

Select ripe Chardonnay grapes, ensuring they are free of rot or damage. Harvest them carefully to avoid crushing.

Wash the harvested grapes thoroughly under running water to remove dirt and pesticides.

Washing Grapes

Crush the cleaned grapes using a grape crusher or by hand to release the juice. Transfer the crushed grapes into a fermentation vessel.

Sprinkle the yeast evenly over the crushed grapes and gently stir to combine.

Add 1 litre of water to the mixture. Stir well to ensure all ingredients are combined.

Adding Water

Cover the fermentation vessel with a cloth and let it sit in a cool, dark place for about 1-2 weeks. Stir daily.

After fermentation, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to separate the liquid from the solids.

Straining

In the strained liquid, add oak chips (if using), sugar, and citric acid. Stir well until the sugar dissolves.

Adding Flavor Ingredients

Transfer the Chardonnay into clean, sanitized bottles. Seal with corks or caps and store in a cool, dark place for aging.

Westside Inford

Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon

Chardonnay