There is no better way to impress your family, friends (and yourself) than by making your own wine for everyone to drink. However, making rhubarb wine is bound to have people applauding. Not only is it tasty, but it looks decadent too. Thankfully, we have a few recipes that you can try your hand at!
The Wonderful Recipes of Rhubarb Wine
The Classic Homemade Rhubarb Wine
To Make 1 Gallon, You Will Need:
- 1360g (1.36kg or 3lbs) sugar
- 1-gallon rhubarb
- 84L (2-3quarts) water
- ¼ tsp winemaking tannin
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 packet of yeast
How to Make It:
1. Cut the rhubarb into ¼ inch slices.
2. Put it all into a big bowl/bucket/jar.
3. Pour the sugar over it.
4. Stir it together so all the rhubarb is coated.
5. Leave it to extract the juice for 2 or 3 days.
6. Now, there should be around ½ gallon of rhubarb juice (sometimes referred to as rhubarb syrup).
7. Strain it with a finely meshed sieve.
8. Measure the amount.
9. Wash the leftover rhubarb bits in water to make around 1 gallon.
10. Strain it.
11. Add the rhubarb water into the fermentation container, leaving a gap at the top for the leftover ingredients.
12. Put the winemaking tannin and yeast nutrient into it.
13. Stir until it is all dissolved.
14. Pour some lukewarm water into a bowl.
15. Add the yeast packet into it.
16. Let it bloom for around 5 minutes.
17. After this, add it to the fermentation container.
18. Leave the fermentation container at room temperature for 6 weeks.
19. Once the 6 weeks are over, utilise a siphon to bottle it up, ensuring sediment is left behind.
Please note that you can drink this straight away but try waiting a month and you’ll see a huge difference in quality!
Rhubarb, Ginger and Elderflower Wine
To Make 1 Gallon of Wine, You Will Need:
- 36kg (3lbs) rhubarb
- 54litres (1 gallon) cold water
- 36kg (3lb) white granulated sugar
- 50g ginger root (make sure you slice this)
- 10 elderflower florets (preferably freshly picked ones)
- 2tbsp prepared dried active baker’s yeast (use the instructions on the packet to make it)
- 2 gallon fermentation bin with an airlock
- 1 gallon glass demijohn with an airlock
- Syphon tube (this will draw out the wine)
- If you have one — hydrometer
How to make it:
1. Chop up the rhubarb.
2. Place into the fermentation bin.
3. Put the sliced ginger and sugar on top of this.
4. Leave it overnight. It will draw the juices from both the rhubarb and the ginger.
5. In the morning, stir it.
6. Add 1 gallon of cold water.
7. Stir thoroughly. Use the longest handled spoon you have to ensure you dissolve all of the sugar.
8. Here, if you have a hydrometer, take a bit of the liquid to check the gravity of it. Typically, it should be between 1.078 and 1.080. As long as you like dry, still wines, this is perfect!
9. Add the yeast at this stage. Normally, the fruits used in wine making should produce enough natural yeast for fermentation. However, since rhubarb is a stem vegetable rather than a fruit, you are better off adding yeast yourself to be 100% confident in the process.
10. Put the elderflower florets in.
11. Carefully stir it.
12. Attach the lid to the fermentation bin. Make sure you fix the bubbler airlock into the hole.
13. Leave it at room temperature. Keep checking on it to ensure it is bubbling and get rid of carbon dioxide.
14. At around 10 days, the bubbling will stop or slow down considerably.
15. Now, you can leave it (without checking on it) for up to a month to enhance the flavour.
16. Once you have left it for your desired time period, syphon it into the demijohn.
17. Afterwards, drain the rest of the fruit through a muslin cloth or filter bag so you can make an entire gallon. Do not squeeze the fruit when you do this, just let it drain otherwise you might have a cloudy wine at the end.
18. If you want to check a sample with your hydrometer, then do so now. You want it to be around 0.990.
19. Attach the airlock and bung to the demijohn.
20. Leave it for at least 6 months so it can settle and clear. If you have enough patience, let it be for a year so it will be as clear as possible.
21. Throughout this time, ensure you top up the water in the airlock.
22. Bottle it up when you are ready to start drinking and enjoy!
Rhubarb and Mint Wine Spritzer
To Make 12 Servings, You Will Need:
- 10 rhubarb stalks
- 240ml (1 cup) agave nectar
- Water
- 2 bottles of Pinot Grigio (750ml bottles)
- 1litre sparkling water
- 1 mint bunch
How to Make It:
- Put the rhubarb stalks, agave nectar and water into a saucepan.
- Boil it.
- Once it has reached boiling point, turn it down to a simmer and cook until it has thickened slightly. Remember to stir occasionally here.
- Take it off the heat and leave it to cool down for half an hour (30 minutes).
- Strain through a finely meshed sieve and press with a spoon to make sure you get all of the liquid out.
- Allow it to cool down completely.
- Put into a glass container.
This is the rhubarb syrup part made, it will keep for several weeks if you leave it in the fridge.
- In a pitcher, mix the Pinot Grigio and rhubarb syrup together.
- Add in a little handful of mint leaves.
- Use a spoon to crush the leaves into the sides of the pitcher (called muddling in bar terms).
- Stir very well.
- Add the sparkling water just before you serve it.
You can pour this into any glass, but our suggestion is a highball one filled with ice cubes and a touch of extra mint (especially in the summer!).
Now, go forth and conquer the world of rhubarb wine making!