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Learn how to make homemade muscadine wine—all you need is some simple ingredients and a little time!
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Prep: 2 hrs
Cook: 0 mins
Fermentation Time: 1,008 hrs
Total: 1,010 hrs
Servings: 25 servings
Yield: 1 gallon
452 ratings
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Sweet, tart and tasty muscadine grapes are native to the United States, but if you've never heard of them, that's probably because muscadine grapes aren't commercially farmed like other grapes, and their wine isn't currently as sought after as wine from other varieties. That's a shame because learning how to make muscadine wine will not only give you serious DIY cred, but it will also give you delicious wine to drink and share with family and friends.
Our recipe for muscadine wine makes a sweet, old-fashioned wine that's ready to enjoy after about eight weeks of fermentation. Read on for everything you need to know about the process of making and fermenting the best muscadine wine.
What Exactly Are Muscadine Grapes?
Muscadine grapes are still cultivated in the South, mainly because they do well in warm, humid climates and because that's where they were originally found. The grapes range in color from green and bronze to deep purple, are larger than other grapes used for making wine, and have tougher skins and seeds. They mature in late summer and early fall and have worked their way into the culinary repertoire of the South in the form of jams, jellies, fruit butter, pies, juice, and especially wine.
Are Muscadine and Scuppernong Grapes the Same?
Thescuppernongis a variety of muscadine named after a river in North Carolina, but it is not the exact same as muscadine. Both grapes grow wild and are now domesticated in the southeastern United States. Scuppernongs are usually greenish bronze, while muscadines are typically dark bluish purple. Technically, you can call any scuppernong grape a muscadine, but you can't call a muscadine grape a scuppernong.
Many people use scuppernongs interchangeably with muscadines, but in addition to thecolor,the flavor is different. Muscadines are sweeter than many kinds of grapes, more similar to Concord grapes. Scuppernongs are tarter. Muscadines and scuppernongs both have thick skins and don't grow in bunches like traditional grapes but instead, in clusters like blueberries.
Why Muscadine Grapes Are So Great for Making Wine
Muscadine grapes yield both white and red wines, and they're famous as sweet wines because, in the past, a lot of sugar was added to resemble the flavors of other types of grapes. Now that processes are changing, the production of muscadine wine is shifting and giving birth to bottles of refreshing and medium-bodied wines that, although typically sweeter than other wines, are wonderful accompaniments for dessert and great as post-dinner caps.
Since this recipe will strain the liquids from the solids, it's not necessary to remove the skin and seeds from the grapes before mashing them. The recipe calls for 1 quart of mashed grapes; you'll need about 4 pounds of grapes to produce that amount. This kind of process can also be done with regular grapes or blackberries.
Tips for Making the Best Muscadine Wine
- Sanitize your tools, containers, measuring cups and spoons, and bottles—It's imperative to sanitize everything you'll use for making and fermenting your wine to prevent bacteria and mold from growing. You can use a sanitizing solution such as Star San or use the sanitize setting on your dishwasher (if you have one). While for home fermentation projects you only need to sanitize, not sterilize, if you prefer to go the extra step or don't have sanitizing solution, you can sterilize containers and other implements for at least 10 minutes and then allow them to air-dry before use. We also recommend choosing implements that stand up to sanitizing solution or can go in the dishwasher, such as silicone spoons over wooden spoons.
- Mash the grapes well—Before you turn your grapes into wine, you'll need to mash them. You can simply use a potato masher to crush them until they are well mashed.
- Skip the sulfites—Sulfites are additives that help preserve foods and beverages, and without them, products don't last as long. While you can add sulfites to homemade wine to extend its shelf life, it's not necessary. The clean bottles guarantee that there will be no bacterial growth or mold, but the lack of sulfites does shorten the shelf life so be sure to consume your homemade wine within three to six months, and discard it if you see or smell any signs of mold or spoilage.
- Opt for filtered water—We recommend using filtered water rather than water right out of the tap to make your wine. Not only does filtered water make for a better tasting wine, but tap water contains chlorine that can kill the yeast used to make this wine.
What You'll Need to Make This Muscadine Wine Recipe
Ingredients
6 cups granulated sugar
3 quarts filtered water
1 quart mashed muscadine grapes
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (7 grams)
Steps to Make It
Gather the ingredients.
In a large, cleaned, and sanitized gallon-sized glass container, dissolve 6 cups granulated sugar in 3 quarts filtered water.
Add 1 quart mashed muscadine grapes to water and sprinkle 1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast over top, but don't stir. Cover container with a clean cheesecloth or kitchen towel and place in a dark and cool area, ideally between 68 F and 72 F. Let mixture rest for 24 hours.
Once a day has passed, stir mixture well and cover again, returning it to a dark and cool area. From this moment on, you need to stir mixture every day at the same time, for a full week.
After seven days of stirring and resting, strain liquid into another clean and sanitized gallon container with an air lock.
Fill with additional filtered water to come up to the top of the gallon container. Let wine ferment for six weeks in a cool and dark place.
After six weeks, strain liquid again and place it in a clean galloncontainer. Cap lightly for three days to allow for any more fermentation to cease.
Pour wine intobottles with an airtight cap and store in a cool, dark place.
How Much Alcohol Is In Muscadine Wine?
Muscadine wine has an average alcohol content of 10 percent ABV.
How to Store Homemade Muscadine
Store your homemade muscadine in a cool, dark place. Properly stored in bottles that were well sanitized, the wine should last 3 to 6 months. However, any faulty smell, the appearance of mold, or any change in texture should be sufficient alarm for you to get rid of the wine. This means that the containers, tools, or bottles were improperly sanitized.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 207 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 53g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 25 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 207 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 6mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 53g | 19% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 5% |
| Total Sugars 48g | |
| Protein 0g | |
| Vitamin C 2mg | 12% |
| Calcium 17mg | 1% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 77mg | 2% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Recipe Tags:
- Wine
- southern
- summer
- beverage
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