Cheap Wine for the Cruiser

[gunnyman]

Just recently turned out my first batch of wine. Am practicing this art to supply my beloved with quantities to insure her enjoyment while cruising.
I won''t go into the details at this time. Just curious if others have tried this. Also have made some beer in the past that was quite tolerable.
In all repects this is a KISS project.

[TrueBlue]

Would this, by any chance, be your KISS wine-making ingredients list?

2 to 3lb Any or mixed fruit.
2lb Bag of sugar.
2 Lemons or oranges.
Yeast.
Yeast nutrient.
Campden tablets.
Sterilizing powder.
Pectic enzyme.
Water.

We tasted a friend''s batch using this "keep it simple stupid" recipe and decided that our bilge wine tasted better. Let us know how yours came out.

[gunnyman]

Ha! Haven''t tried bilge water but have tried some store bought stuff that might qualify. Make the wine in a 2 litre jar that has been used for sodas etc. Used white grape juice and filled about 2" from top. 1 cup of sugar and about 1/8th tsp of yeast. Put saran wrap over top and secure with a rubber band. This will let it breath without blowing up. Room temp for about a week.Then pop in the fridge/cooler for a few days to settle. Then it is ready to drink.
Last batch my wife said was too sweet. She likes a Zinfandel type wine. So I guess next time I will cut the sugar back a bit.
You won''t challenge Napa Valley by any means but I thought it was tolerable.
Guess you could use fruit as your friend did. I was just told aboout using juice and tried it. Sounds like he used one heck of a lot of sugar.Sugar controls the alcoholic content of the wine. A friend told me he makes his with less sugar and adds it at the end of fermentation. I am still trying different things. Willing to listen so if you have any ideas feel free.
My beer turned out better I think. But then again I am a beer drinker and only occassionaly drink wine.

[gunnyman]

Bad news for those who were awaiting the wine accolades. Can''t prove a thing I said as all the wine was was consumed and I am now considering making another batch. Hey it wasn''t bad. Bud then again I drink cheap beer.

[swhall]

I can buy some really cheap wines here in Panama City for like $3 a bottle at a grrocery outlet. Merlot, Shiraz, etc. Is making your own cheaper than that?

Steve

[TalbotUK]

I used to make a lot of country wines with a variation on the recipe above plus berries or flowers (rose petal makes a nice wine) For best results they need to be kept stable during the initial period and allow sediment to settle (even more important with beer) Then they really need to be left for at least 6 months. They get better and stronger with age. But they need a fair bet of looking after to get reasonable results. I never had any luck with tins of grape juice - I wouldnt have offered it to my worst enemy, but some of the proper elderberry and rose petal wine were glorious and worth the effort. IMHO its not a boat activity but a garage/home workshop one, and with prices of reasonable drinking wine as low as they are, why bother.

[Dewey Benson]

Geez Guy's this thread is just too painful!

Life is too short to drink cheep wine (notice the color and clarity of this bildgewater, what an expressive nose, and such a depth in complexity and body!).

There is some pretty drinkable stuff under $10, if one takes some time to research it.

Dewey

[PBzeer]

Riunite makes a nice, what they call soft red, Lambrusco Emilia, for about $8 for a 1.5 liter bottle at Wally World. Best served chilled, and it says to refrigerate after opening. I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I enjoy this stuff.

[Ssor]

It don't get cheaper than Box wine. Any kind is better than the garbage in garbage out home made wines i have tried.

[jerryrlitton]

I saw this on the net...maybe it will give you something to judge yours by....

http://www.bumwine.com/guestbook3a/g...ok.php?show=18

Jerry