Red Table Wine (Vitis Vinifera)

Ingredients:

16-18 lbs Grapes (depending on variety)

Sugar, add if low to S.G. 1.090--1.110

Acid Blend, add if low to .65% Tartaric

1 Campden Crush

1 pkg Wine Yeast

Method:

Use grapes which are fully ripened and free of mold

Remove from stems, discard leaves and any foreign matter

For small quantities (5-10 gallon) crush by hand into primary fermenter

For larger quantities use grape press, do not fill primary to top

Allow at least 1/5 of primary for grape must to expand

Test sample of clear juice and adjust acid and sugar content if necessary

Stir in campden and cover primary

After 12 hours, add yeast, recover primary

Pulp raises to form a "cap"

Stir daily, keep cap punched down and wet and check S.G.

When ferment reaches S.G. 1.030 (about 5-6 days) siphon free-run juice into secondary

Strain pulp (or use press) and add this juice to secondary

When ferment is complete (S.G. had dropped to 1.000--about 3 weeks) siphon off sediment

into clean secondary, reattach lock

To aid clearing siphon again in 2 months and again if necessary before bottling

Red grape wines can benefit from the judicious use of aging in oak barrels or even oak chips