How to Make Homemade Wine from Grape Juice

If wine is your passion, why not learn how to make homemade wine from grape juice? The process of wine making is fairly simple, and how tasty your homemade wine will be is entirely up to you. If you patiently taste the wine during its fermentation process, cradle it lovingly in the right temperature and scent, appreciate the labor of the yeast as much as the taste of the wine-you will make homemade wine from grape juice and love every minute of it, but especially that final sip, the culmination of your labors. Here's everything you need to know to learn how to make homemade wine from grape juice, using a simple recipe for success.

What You'll Need to Make Homemade Wine from Grape Juice

1 gallon of organic, 100% pure grape juice (not from concentrate)

4 empty gallon jugs, or 2 giant water jug from a water dispenser

Brown sugar

Baker's dry yeast

Distilled warm water

Paper napkins

Rubber bands

Follow These Steps to Make Homemade Wine from Grape Juice

Step #1. Add Sugar to the Grape Juice

Alcohol in wine is produced when yeast consumes sugar. To ensure a high enough content of alcohol in your homemade wine, you'll need to enrich the grape juice with sugar. Begin by pouring half the juice into a second jug, so that each jug will be only half full. If you are using a giant jug from a water dispenser pour all the juice into it. Add 5 tablespoons of brown sugar to each of the small jugs, or 10 tablespoons into the giant jug. Shake the jugs well to dissolve the sugar and mix it well into the grape juice. This way your homemade wine will foment successfully.

Step #2. Prepare the Yeast

A thick foamy yeast concoction lies at the heart of a good homemade wine. In a medium bowl, put 1/3 cup of slightly warm water. Sprinkle 1/2 a teaspoon of dry yeast on the water, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of brown sugar. As the yeast gets wet it will be activated and feeding on the sugar will cause it to start fomenting. To make homemade wine from grape juice you rely on this activation of the yeast. If the yeast does not begin to foam up within 10 minutes, the yeast is dead and cannot be used to make homemade wine. Cover the yeast in a towel and leave it to foment in a dark place for 3 hours.

Step #3. Add Yeast to the Grape Juice

To make homemade wine be sure to distribute the yeast in even quantities between the 2 jugs of juice. If you're using a giant jug simple pour the yeast in. Put a cap on the jug and shake it thoroughly to mix the yeast with the juice. Cover the jag bottleneck with 3 paper napkins held in place with a rubber band.

Step #4. Taste the Wine as It Foments

To make homemade wine that has a rich, flavorful aroma, place the wine in a dark room with a steady temperature of 77 degrees Farenheit for 9 days. Hang dry lavender or roses in the room, or any other scent that you wish the wine to acquire during the fermentation. Every 2 days, taste the fomenting wine. If it's very sweet leave it to foment for another day. Otherwise, transfer it to a clean bottle without pouring out the sediment from the bottom. This will ensure that you make homemade wine that is clear and rich in color.

Step #5. When Can You Drink Your Homemade Wine?

Allow your homemade wine to age for at least 1 month. The longer you wait, the more rich and delicious your homemade wine will be, so try to wait for 4 or 6 months if possible.

I hope you enjoy making homemade wine from grape juice. Share your creation with friends and family. Homemade wine makes an elegant gift for Christmas or birthdays. Knowing that you made the wine yourself, the toasters will appreciate the wine all the more.