What’s better than spending a weekend with some great friends, food & drinks? To those who politely decline ‘hard’ drinks, the Wine is the first thing that comes to mind of the host and is immediately offered. Who can refuse this mildly intoxicating & delightful drink?
In India the most popular alcoholic drink after Whiskey, Rum & Brandy has been the Wine. Cocktails and mocktails became popular only a couple of decades ago when the pub and party culture grew. At least in Mangalore, Wine was offered to ladies by default (even if they would have wanted to have a peg or two of some other kind of alcohol) 🙂 because it was the socially accepted and permissible drink where the alcohol content was almost negligible (or so it was assumed!). It was unladylike to ask for anything else and the only ladies who grabbed a ‘hard’ drink were grannies who needed a ‘dose’ to be in the best of spirits and probably get a good night’s sleep too.
Wine has been very popular in the Mangalore Catholic culture as it has a Eucharistic significance (although it is never served to people in the church) and is also served (although a namesake – usually grape juice) along with a piece of cake (usually plum cake) to guests during weddings. As soon as the Toast Master (the person who wishes well to the newly weds) finishes his rather lengthy speech of introducing the bridal couple, their education, their families, the extended families, family background and how each of them is related to all & sundry and their domestic pets (phew!) he/she raises his/her wine glass in honour of the happy couple and wishes them a great beginning to a happy married life.
Wine has a longstanding history and is probably one of the first things that man ever created. Made of fermented fruit juice (usually grapes) to which yeast is added which helps the conversion of sugars present in the juice into alcohol. Wines can be made from different sources ranging from fruits (grapes, apples), berries, roots (ginger) and grains such as barley & rice. Wine has not only acquired a significant place in religion (Christianity/Judaism) it is also greatly valued in the art of cooking.
Viticulture in India is also traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization during which it was believed to have been introduced from Persia. So it’s really not a valid argument when people say that it is not Indian culture to have a little wine (or any alcoholic drink)
Wines can also be of different types, the most popular being the Red & White wines.
My relationship with Wine has been minimal. It was never made in my home as my mom never ventured out to make any kind of preserved foods/beverages (which require a great deal of time & patience) as she had her hands full taking care of the young and old besides running a house & a plant nursery and a couple of pets thrown in for good measure. My maternal grandma has always dabbled with making pickles, jams, preserves, wines and what not beside making all kinds of seasonal eats such as Patholis (rice cakes sweetened with jaggery & coconut & steamed in Teak leaves of Turmeric leaves), Pathrades, Gariyos etc. This particular recipe belongs to her which she lovingly gave me last year, six months before she had a fall & an injury. Not sure if she can make it any time soon to taste some of my wine, but nevertheless this post is especially dedicated for my dearest Nana.
Grape Wine
Recipe Source: My grandmother
You Need:
- 1/2 kg sour black grapes (over ripe is better)
- 350gms sugar (increase it upto 500gms if you like sweet wine – I like my wine less sweet)
- 1 tbsp sugar (to make the caramel)
- 1 litre water (boiled & cooled)
- 1 tsp yeast dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water
- 2 tsp rum or brandy (as a preservative)
Method:
1. Wash the grapes well & allow to drain. In a large pan crush them along with the sugar (350gms) and make a paste out of them (messy? enjoy it 🙂
2. Add the water and stir well with a wooden ladle. Pour this mixture into a sterile glass jar (see note below) and add the dissolved yeast. Stir and close the jar (place the lid over it loosely or just cover it – DO NOT fasten it or the jar will burst during the fermentation process). Keep it for 21 days stirring once a day.
3. After the time is up, open the jar and strain out the grapes using a muslin cloth (or bairas) into a steel vessel. Reuse the grapes to make more wine.
4. Leave the strained liquid for 2 days for the sediment to settle down. After two days slowly pour into a bottle and place the cork loosely over it. Leave it for a week
5. Repeat the process of straining the residue grapes again and pour it back into the bottle for another 8 days.
Making the Caramel
Place a heavy bottomed vessel over a slow flame and add 1 tbsp sugar. Do not add any water. It will slowly melt and turn brown. Do not allow it to burn, turn off the flame, remove.
6. Pour the wine into a steel vessel and mix the caramel into it. Stir well so that all the caramel is incorporated.
7. Add 2 tsp rum or brandy which acts as a preservative.
8. Pour the wine back into the bottle, fasten the cork & store.
9. Enjoy a glass of wine with some great food & great company!
Note: Make sure you use sterile jar (which is washed well & dried) and vessels. The last thing you want is Mr. Bacteria (Acetobacter) to infect your wine & turn it into vinegar.
What good is this post if I don’t come to my favourite topic? Health benefits ofcourse! Despite many debates, recent evidence shows that moderate consumption of wine may actually benefit you. While Red wine contains much higher levels of antioxidants like reservatrol than White wine, drinking either type of wine will increase the HDL or good cholesterol.
However….here’s a STATUTORY WARNING!!!
Too Much Wine……..
Can Kill….!
Yummy!!! Shir send me some….
And photos are just amazing!!
Just can't take my eyes off them..mmmm good job dear!!
Thanks a ton Rink!! Will send u some 🙂
Ha Ha Shwez, loved this particular entry. The snaps are absolutely wonderful. U have captured the taste of the wine in those snaps. I loved the last bit. Did u actually break that glass! or did Yuhan help you?
Thanks Pepu 🙂 Haha, i told u the story…just used the broken glass…maybe that was its destiny 😉
Hello Shireen,
can we prepare this wine without Rum? I have no access to rum where I live 🙁
@ Anonymous: Rum helps act as a preservative actually. You may skip it. Ensure that the wine is prepared very hygienically
Hi Shireen
Please post some home made vinegars! I am into making ginger wine in a day or two, my rice wine is getting ready for decanting. Can't wait to raise a toast!!!!!!! Ramola
Hey Ramola! Great to hear that…cheers to a good wine!! I haven't tried making vinegars yet, but when I do, I will definitely post the recipe 🙂
Thank u shireen for sharing this recipe becoz i was searching for this recipe
Hi Shubha! Hope you were able to try this wine
Looks amazing dear… I surely wanna try. just wanted to knw if you used somethin for the colour or is it natural?
Looks amazing. I would love to try it. just wanna check with you if the colour was natural or should v add somethin for that kind of red colour
Hi can yeast can be used. Did u use fresh yeast or instant yeast? I hav instant yeast. Is that OK to use?
@ Mavreen: Yes you can use instant yeast. I use active dried yeast (regular dried yeast) when I made this wine. Active dried or instant can be used. I am not sure about fresh yeast though – never tried so can't say
Hi Shireen -I have been making grape wine for last 20 years similar recipe from grand ma, I put a handful of wheat, cinnamon and cloves a few, yeast, Cherry wine also comes good. Caramel syrup for color. Will try ginger wine from your recipe. Good job.
I should call you Ruchik Shireen for making our lives Ruchik Thanks a lot. Allwyn n Lavitta Toronto
Hi Shereen,when you say pan to mash the fruit and sugar do you mean steel or a ceramic coated pan. Im a little confused as to what are the right utensils to be used.
Thanks !!
love all your recipes. 🙂
Hi Sheeren,when you say pan to mash the fruit and sugar,should be a steel pan??
Thank you for posting this recipe,eagerly waiting to try.!!
@ Ashlesha: Sorry for the delayed response. You can use any pan to mash the fruit & sugar. I used steel or indoleum 🙂
Comment as
Just need a couple of clarifications:
1. Do we need to use seedless grapes? Or if seeded, do we need to deseed them?
2. Do you have a recipe where we could start off with a readily available grape juice?
Going to make your ginger & rice wines in a couple of days 🙂
Hi Jackie,
It doesn’t matter if you use grapes with our without seed as you are going to strain them anyway. I don’t have a recipe that calls for readily available grape juice. Not sure if it will work as store bought juices may have preservatives added to them. Good luck with the ginger & rice wines 🙂
hi shireeen,
please give me some more clarification on point 5!
how does one go about making more wine from the
residue? Sorry for being a tubelight but did you mean
strain it twice?
out of curiousity, why does the residue
need to be kept for one more extra day (8 days)?
Which is a better option – rum or brandy?
pl reply – thankyou
Hi Maria,
Replied above
hi shireen,
pl give me more claification on pt 5.
Did you mean strain it for a second time?
how so? there would be only dregs right?
why is the stained residue kept for one more
extra day (8)?
which one is better- rum or brandy ?
Hi Maria,
My grandma generally makes it this way. She would first strain the grapes and then the remaining grape skins – she would add more water to them (about 1/2 the quantity the second time) and keep that also to ferment. If you wish you can skip this step and discard the grapes/dregs.
To be honest, I don’t recall the 8 days part as I have only made this wine once in 2011 and immediately shared the recipe. It won’t matter if you plan to discard the dregs and stick to the original process (of not reusing the grapes).
Rum or brandy – I don’t recall which one I used but either one will work. The taste doesn’t matter as the amount is miniscule (2 tsp). Use the one you have handy at home. Rum is good for its colour and perhaps taste too (I always have it handy as I use it to soak fruits for Christmas and always have some leftover)
thanks shireeen–will get back to you with the verdict….;)
im just need to clear some doubts i have so please bear with me-
1. why is wheat not added?
2. can some whole spice be added?
try and reply if you can – thanks for you patience and time
Hi Maria!
Well, this is my grandma’s recipe. She didn’t ask for wheat to be added! Yes, you can add whole spices like cinnamon or cloves (ideally not both and not too much of either of them) to give it a new flavour!
thanks a whole lot!
will get back to you on this!
just wondered about the wheat thou! initially I
thought -wheat/ Yeast but what confused me was
a lot of recipes added both -In the end thought I’d
stick with you!!…:)
😀 Good luck Maria! I hope the wine turns out good. Waiting for your feedback 🙂
Hi Shireen,
Thanks for sharing a lovely recipe. Since I am planning to make wine and being the first time, need to clarify few pointers. Sorry if am being repetitive, kindly be patient with me. In point 4 – you asked to strain the wine into a steel vessel and leave it for 2 days. Should it be only steel or any other metal or ceramic will do? And should we cover the vessel for two days and how should it be – fastener or loose covering?
In point 5 – using residual grapes ( this will be the same process but with reduced quantity of water, sugar and yeast?). If I discard the dregs, then point 5 is not needed, right?. And will it be okay to add the dregs to the fresh batch, say on the same day I am making wine with fresh grapes and I can also add the dregs to it?
Your response is much appreciated and thanks in advance!
Hi Diana,
You can use containers made from any non-reactive metal, steel is convenient. Glass or ceramic (bharani as we call in Mlore) are the other options. Don’t use plastic/brass/bronze/non-stick pans. Yes you need to cover the vessel with a lid. Don’t fasten it as the gases build up when the fermentation process begins.
Point#5: My grandmas used to use the residual grapes. Yes, you can discard them actually. You can add the dregs to a fresh batch, the only thing that can ruin wine is using utensils that are not sterile and dry (for example if they are used with water residue)
Hope this helps! Pls feel free to ask as many doubts as you wish, I’ll be most happy to answer them 🙂
Hi shireen
I’ve tried this wine and it’s on fermenting stage now a few more days to go
I wanted to check how would you know if irs not turned out right or gone bad
Please help
Hi Genia,
If it has gone bad instead of a sweet fermented aroma you will get the aroma of vinegar. This will happen if there was any moisture in the pots & pans or the jar used to store the wine. Hope it turns out well. Keep me posted!
Hi shireen,
Thank you for the response I just moved it from bharni to steel vessel….it doesnt really smell like vinegar but is a bit sour..can we add more sugar? I had used 350gms in the beginning…I really want to salvage this wine somehow…please help.
Not giving up tho rice wine coming up next:)
Hi Genia,
How many days is it since you started making it. Actually I have never tried adding sugar later but if that’s your only option, then maybe you can go ahead…Hope it helps!
Hi shireen,
Its been 21 days and 2 days in a steel vessel…it doesnt smell bad or like vinegar but is sour which means it could be getting bad I dont know I’m soo confused coz it smells like fermented grapes and alchohol kinda smell…sorry about bothering you soo much
Hi Genia,
I am really not sure what went wrong. If it tastes sour but no smell of vinegar then it could mean that the grapes were not sweet to begin with and may have needed more sugar. Did you try adding some later? I am not sure if you were the one who asked me that doubt. Either ways, If it smells like alcohol but is only sour, you can add sugar syrup (not sticky one, just a light syrup) before serving. That’s perhaps the only way to salvage it. If taste is the only problem. However, if it has gone bad and smells bad there is nothing you can do – you can still use it in cooking though
Hi shireen,
Thank you soo much for patiently answering my queries….the wine turned out really good I decided not to add any sugar as the sourness was not that much maybe it was just me worrying too much
Thankyou for all d wonderful recipes I’ve learnt my manglorean cooking from you since I lost mum at an early age and never entered the kitchen while she was around…..:)
my rice wine is coming along beautifully and another grape wine batch in making..thankyou soo much
Hi Genia,
I am so glad to hear that!! It is a success if your wine doesnt turn to vinegar! 🙂 Happy happy!
Thanks for the kind appreciation too, I am happy that you were able to learn Mlorean cooking from my blog. No greater honour than this <3
Do let me know how the other wines turned out too!
Thank you Shireen, it’s because of your recipes that I have become a distinct expert in wine making. And also able to prepare some good
Traditional mangalorean cuisines, whenever I crave for it!
That’s wonderful to hear Chris! Thanks for the great feedback and kind words!
Thank you Shireen, it’s because of your recipes that I have become a distinct expert in wine making. And also able to prepare some good
Traditional mangalorean cuisines, whenever I crave for it!
Hello Chris, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! Glad to know that my recipes have helped you become a wine expert!
Hi Shireen .. May i ask which yeast u hv used to make this wine
Hi Bhagya,
I used regular instant yeast that I normally use to bake my breads