Home Made Country Wines?

[JasonFrishman]

What success have people had making these?
What Vermont ingredients have you used for country wines?

I think that i missed my window to pick a gazillion dandelion heads for the classic dandelion wine. I've never tasted it and would love to!

I just finished my first batch of a pure Maple Wine (which we called Micah's Maple Mead - brewed around the time my son was born and bottled around his first birthday.)  I have loved drinking it.  It's quite dry and had a bit of a bite, but lots of fun and I can say that I know the guy who made the syrup, which is super fun.

Other country wine ideas?

[vtrockdork]

I've never made it, but my friend's grandfather makes AMAZING dandelion wine.  Served on the rocks on a hot summer's night - perfection.

You did miss your window this year, but there's always 2010!

[JasonFrishman]

Yeah, i decided that i will definitely do some dandelion wine next summer. My son, who is 17 months old right now, will likely be at the perfect age to play the world's greatest game:How Quickly can YOU fill MY bucket with Dandelions!   

My Maple Peach wine is drinking wonderfully!
and I had a revelation: don't bottle it all in one sitting. I transferred it all to my 5 gallon keg and topped it with CO2, so it will stay perfect, and voila, I have wonderful wine, on tap!  (and i can fill bottles as needed if i want to give it as a gift or something!)

hooray!

[Carolyn Fox]

As I was working on the Seven Days calendar, this came up:

'Vino Making with Local Plants'
Wine enthusiast Fred Cheyette sheds light on the best techniques for transforming dandelions, elderberries, rhubarb and rose hips into vintage drinks.
Wednesday, August 26, 6–8PM at Downs Road in Worcester. $10.
802-229-0173

Sounds like a good way to get started on DIY country wines!

Check here for full info: http://www.7dvt.com/vino-making-local-plants

[Undead Molly]

Jason, did you end up trying to make dandelion wine this year? My grandfather used to pay my mom and her siblings to pick and process dandelion heads for wine when they were little. She said it took a very long time because he wanted only the petals, so the kids would sit there for hours pulling all the tiny yellow petals out and discarding the heads.

[JasonFrishman]

Molly,
best laid plans.... erg. not this season.
your grandfather's story made me smile though, because that was the plan - have my son and our friend's kids pick them for me. one problem though... my son is 2 and has the attention span of, well, a 2 year old.  maybe next year. 

i am thinking about doing a rhubarb strawberry wine this year. but it's disappointing, i so like the idea of a dandelion wine, where the ingredients are (basically) free. (so if anyone wants to donate rhubarb and strawberries, i'll split the batch with you!)

i am due to make another maple wine, and we are drinking the oaked apple wine more quickly than i would like, so this fall i will probably do three batches rather than 2!
-jason

[Haylley Johnson]

Jason,

You mentioned making rhubarb-strawberry and maple wine. I've never heard of something like that. Do you make it the same way you make grape-based wines? How long does it take you? I'm curious to find out.

~Haylley