How to Make Natural Wine at Home

Prep your space. Sterilise your demijohn, airlock, funnel, sieve, spoon, anything that will touch the wine.
Let it drain (don’t towel-dry). 

Pick your flavour base, then prep it:

Fruit and Vegetables (berries/plums/apples/carrots): wash, chop if needed.

Tip: freeze then thaw to break cell walls and boost flavour and juice.

Flowers (elderflower/dandelion/rose): shake out bugs, avoid washing if possible (or rinse very gently), use petals/heads only.

Herbs/spices: use sparingly (they can dominate).

Good starting amounts (choose one):

Berries: 2kg

Apples: 2.5kg (chopped or juiced)

Plums: 3kg (stoned)

Elderflower: 15 heads (steeped like tea)

Add 1kg of sugar to the demijohn.

Add 2L of cooled boiled water, swirl until dissolved.

Top up with cool water until you’re close to 4L total.

Let it cool to room temperature (important).

Pour in 1 sachet of the Winemaking Blend.
Swirl or shake gently to mix and activate. 

Add your fruit/flowers/herbs into the demijohn.

Top up with cool water to just below the neck, leaving 8 - 10cm space for foaming.

Put the sterilised bung and airlock on firmly.

Fill the airlock well with cooled boiled water - this stops anything from entering the demijohn.

Place somewhere dark and with a stable temp (around 18 - 22°C)

Expect bubbling in the airlock within 24 - 72 hours and a foamy “cap” and sediment forming

During the first week, give the demijohn a gentle swirl once a day (optional, helps early fermentation).

If using a hydrometer, the fermentation is usually “done” when gravity is around 0.995–1.000 and stable for 2 - 3 days.

Once the big bubbling slows, strain the wine off the ingredients into a clean, sterilised demijohn (or remove a straining bag if you used one).  

This helps avoid off flavours from fruit breaking down too long. 

Put the sterilised airlock back on and leave it somewhere cool and dark.

Over time, it will:

- stop bubbling

- become clearer

- form a sediment layer (aka lees)

When it’s:

- no longer bubbling,

- reasonably clear,

and there’s little new sediment forming,

Bottle into sterilised bottles.

Important: don’t bottle if it’s still actively fermenting (pressure risk). Pasteurise the wine in the bottles to remove this risk.

Store bottles on their side in a cool, dark place.

Keeping the bottle horizontal allows the wine to stay in contact with the cork, which keeps it gently swollen and sealed. 

If bottles are stored upright for long periods, the cork can dry out, allowing air to enter. This leads to oxidation, which gradually alters the flavour and reduces the wine’s quality over time.

Light fruit wines can be lovely from 2 months

Most improve at 12 months

Some, like elderberry or plum shine after 12+ months

Slow, dark, and undisturbed storage helps your wine age gracefully.

Enjoy and keep in touch by following us on Facebook!

Natural wine is a term that refers to a movement of winemakers who produce wine using simple or traditional methods, without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or additives. Natural wine is made from fruit or veg that are grown organically, biodynamically, or with permaculture.

Natural wine is not filtered or fined, which means it may have a cloudy appearance and a funky, yeasty, or sour taste.

Different natural wine producers may have different philosophies and practices, and the quality and style of natural wine may vary widely. We consider natural wine to be more authentic, healthy, and environmentally friendly than conventional wine.

You can make wine from almost any type of fruit (or veg if you're feeling experimental) as long as you add enough sugar and juice to ferment. However, some fruits are more suitable for winemaking than others, depending on their flavour, acidity, and aroma. 

Grapes are the most common and traditional fruit for making wine, because they have a balanced ratio of sugar, acid, and water, and a complex flavour profile. Grapes are also coated in yeast and contain natural tannins, which give wine structure and body. Unfortunately for us, high-quality grapes are difficult to grow in small spaces and in cold climates.

Therefore, we choose to use other fruits that grow wild and in abundance across the UK such as:

Berries are a great choice for making wine, because they have a rich colour and a fruity and aromatic flavour. Berries can also be mixed with other fruits or herbs to create unique wines. Some examples of berry wines are blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and elderberry wines

Plums are a delicious fruit for making wine because they have a sweet and juicy flavour and a pleasant aroma. Plums can be used to make light and refreshing wines that are perfect for summer. Plums can also be combined with other fruits or flowers to enhance their flavour.

Apples are another popular fruit for making wine because they have a high sugar content and a crisp and refreshing flavour. Apples can be used to make dry or sweet wines, depending on the amount of sugar added. Apple wine can also be blended with other fruits or spices to create different flavours.

Yes, you can make wine from vegetables or herbs, although it may not be as common as making wine from fruits. Wine is essentially fermented juice that contains sugar, yeast, and water. Vegetables and herbs usually have less sugar and juice than fruits, so you may need to add more sugar and water to the mixture to achieve the desired alcohol level and flavour. 

Some examples of vegetables and herbs that can be used to make wine are:

Carrots have a natural sweetness and a bright orange color that can make an interesting wine. You can use fresh or canned carrots, or even carrot juice, to make carrot wine. Carrot wine can take several months to ferment and age, and it may have a dry or sweet flavor depending on the amount of sugar added.

Parsnips are similar to carrots, but they have a more earthy and nutty flavor. You can use fresh or frozen parsnips, or even parsnip puree, to make parsnip wine. You will need to add sugar, water, lemon juice, yeast, and optionally some ginger or nutmeg to the mixture. Parsnip wine can take several months to ferment and age, and it may have a light or dark color depending on the type of sugar added.

Tomatoes are technically fruits, but they are often used as vegetables in cooking. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes, or even tomato juice, to make tomato wine. You will need to add sugar, water, lemon juice, yeast, and optionally some basil or oregano to the mixture. Tomato wine can take several weeks to ferment and age, and it may have a tangy or savory flavor depending on the type of tomatoes used.

Dandelions are edible weeds that have a bitter and floral flavor. You can use fresh or dried dandelion flowers, leaves, or roots to make dandelion wine. You will need to add sugar, water, lemon juice, yeast, and optionally some raisins or orange peel to the mixture. Dandelion wine can take several months to ferment and age, and it may have a golden or amber color depending on the part of the plant used.

The alcohol content of homemade wine can vary depending on several factors, such as the type of fruit, the amount of sugar, the type of yeast, and the fermentation and ageing process. Generally speaking, homemade wine can have an alcohol content ranging from 10% to 20% by volume (ABV), with most wines falling between 10% to 15%. 

To measure the alcohol content of homemade wine, you will need a device called a hydrometer, which is a glass tube that floats in the liquid and indicates its specific gravity. Specific gravity is a measure of how dense the liquid is compared to water. By taking the specific gravity readings before and after fermentation, you can calculate the alcohol content using a simple formula.

Here's the formula:

ABV = (Original Gravity - Final Gravity) x 131.25

For example, if your wine had an original gravity of 1.090 and a final gravity of 0.990, then the alcohol content would be:

ABV = (1.090 - 0.990) x 131.25

ABV = 0.100 x 131.25

ABV = 13.125%

This means your wine has 13.125% alcohol by volume.

Yes, it is vegan-friendly and 100% organic.