Italian Style – Dry Red Wine

NB: If you are new to winemaking, it is worth checking out our guide to success.

Ingredients

• 250g Elderberries
• 750ml Red Grape Concentrate
• 450g Granulated Sugar
• Sufficient Pectolytic Enzyme
• Gervin No. 2 Yeast
• 2-3g / ½ Teaspoon Yeast Nutrient
• Water to 4.5 Litres

Method

There are quite a few styles of Italian red wines, ranging from blockbusting Barolo of the Northwest to the lighter Valpolicella of Venetia, and the classical Tuscany wines.  You can use any descent red grape concentrate to produce these wines.

I find that a simple mix of such concentrate with elderberries gives me a whine midway between Chianti and Valpolicella.  If you want to give your wine a little more body and a higher tannin, then add 500g of chopped conference pears to the initial fermentation.