Grape Wine White

Pick the grapes, remove them from the stalks and place them in a plastic bucket.

If the grapes are fully ripe they can be crushed easily by hand or with a sterilised wooden block.

Add the pectic enzyme, and one crushed Campden tablet or 1 teaspoon strong sulphite solution.

Stir well, cover with an upturned plate, then cover the bucket and leave for 24 hours.

Press the grapes or strain through a strong nylon straining bag, squeezing the bag to extract all the juice.

Take an S.G. reading of the juice and adjust with sugar syrup to 1.080.

Pour into a glass demijohn and add an active yeast starter.

Plug the jar with cotton wool and when the fermentation is active replace with an airlock.

Leave in a warm place and when the fermentation ceases (10-14 days) rack the clearing wine from the lees into a clean jar and remove to a cool place.

After 2 days rack again, adding 2 campden tablets or 2 teaspoons strong sulphite solution.

Mature in bulk for 12 months before bottling.