Pick only ripe berries. Wash and destem cherries, discarding any that are not sound and blemish free. Chop the fruit as best you can. It is not necessary to destone the cherries, but discard any stones that crack or break open. Put in crock with water, stir in crushed Campden tablet and, 24 hours later, pectic enzyme. Cover and set aside four days. Pour through nylon sieve or jelly-bag and squeeze well to extract all possible juice. Add sugar, citric acid and nutrient and stir well to dissolve sugar. Transfer to secondary, add yeast starter, fit airlock, and set in warm place (70 degrees F.). Rack after initial fermentation subsides (14-21 days), top up with cold water, refit airlock, and ferment to dryness in cooler place (60 degrees F.). Rack again and bottle. For sweeter wine, stabilize and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar-water before bottling. Taste after 6 months or allow to age one year. Drink within 18 months. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry's 130 New Winemaking Recipes]
Pick only ripe cherries. Wash, destem and remove stones from cherries, discarding any that are not sound and blemish free. Chop the cherries and mince the raisins while bringing water to boil. Place fruit and sugar in primary and cover with boiling water, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Allow to stand until temperature drops to 70 degrees F. Add pectic enzyme and nutrient. Wait 12 hours and add yeast starter. Cover well and set in warm place for 14 days. Strain through a nylon sieve, pressing thoroughly, and pour into secondary. Top up and fit airlock. Rack after three weeks and again after additional three weeks. Taste for sweetness (should be medium dry). For sweet wine, stabilize and add up to one-cup sugar water (to taste), or simply bottle. Taste after 6 months. [Adapted from Brian Leverett's Winemaking Month by Month]
Pick only ripe cherries. Wash, destem and remove stones from cherries, discarding any that are not sound and blemish free. Chop the fruit, add one-pint water and bring to low boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Drain through nylon jelly-bag. Reserve drained juice and seep jelly-bag in 2 pints cold water for 15-20 minutes. Squeeze jelly-bag thoroughly to extract residual juice and color. Discard pulp and combine juices, sugar, pectic enzyme, citric acid, and nutrients in crock or bowl. Add remaining water, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Test total acid and reduce to 0.85% if necessary. Pour into secondary and cover with cloth. After 12 hours, add bentonite and yeast starter and fit airlock. Move to cool (55-60 degrees F.) place. Rack every three weeks until no new deposits form. Bottle and store in dark place to preserve color. May taste after 6 months but improves with age to 18 months. [Author unknown]
Some of the best non-grape wines I have ever tasted were cherry wines. While freshly picked cherries of any type are preferred to those purchased at the market, if you have to purchase them, be sure you select the ripest and most blemish-free specimens you can.
Some people claim that morello cherries make the best wine, while some say black cherries make a wonderful wine. Still others swear by sour cherries, and some people will use nothing but the bing variety. Whichever type you use, make sure you have enough. If you're going to make weak wine, you might as well not make it at all.
These recipes offer a wide leeway in the quantity (from 4 to 8 lbs) and types of cherries required.
Stir sugar into water and put on to boil. Meanwhile, sort, destem, and wash the cherries, rejecting any that are unsound or moldy. Put the cherries in a nylon straining bag, tie, and place in primary. Without breaking the stones, crush the cherries with your hands or other means. Pour the boiling water with dissolved sugar over the crushed cherries. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature. Add all remaining ingredients except yeast. Stir well, recover, and set aside for 12 hours. Add activated yeast and recover. Stir daily. After two weeks, remove bag and drip drain (do not squeeze). Transfer to a dark secondary and fit airlock. After two weeks, rack, top up, and refit airlock. Rack again in two months and again two months later. When specific gravity registers dryness (0.990), rack into bottles and store in dark place for one year. Server slightly chilled. [Adapted from Terry Garey's The Joy of Home Winemaking]
Bring water to rolling boil. Destem, wash and crush the cherries in the primary without breaking any stones. Pour the boiling water over the cherries. Cover and set aside for 48 hours. Strain through nylon straining bag. Bring water to a boil and pour over sugar. Stir until dissolved and add remaining ingredients. Cover thoroughly and ferment in warm place for 14 days. Pour into dark secondary and fit airlock. When clear, rack again. After two months, stabilize, sweeten if required, wait 10 days, rack into bottles, and store in dark place. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry's First Steps in Winemaking]
Bring water to boil. Meanwhile, destem, wash and crush the cherries in the primary without breaking any stones. Pour sugar over cherries. Pour the boiling water over the sugar and cherries and stir well to dissolve. Cover and set aside until cool. Add remaining ingredients and ferment 5 days. Strain juice into dark secondary and discard pulp and stones. Rack after 30 days and again when wine clears. After two additional months rack into bottles and store in dark place. [Adapted from Leo Zanelli's Home Winemaking from A to Z]
Bring water to boil. Meanwhile, destem, wash and crush the cherries in the primary without breaking any stones. Pour sugar over cherries. Pour the boiling water over the sugar and cherries and stir well to dissolve. Cover and set aside until cool. Add remaining ingredients except yeast, cover and set aside for 12 hours. Add activated yeast and ferment 5 days. Strain juice into dark secondary and discard pulp and stones. Rack after 30 days and again when wine clears. After two additional months stabilize, sweeten if required, wait 10 days, rack into bottles, and store in dark place. [Adapted from Leo Zanelli's Home Winemaking from A to Z]
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