Traditional fruit, flower, vegetable and herb wines — tested, practical recipes for the home winemaker.
25 recipes
Cherry plums are one of the earliest flowering and fruiting members of the plum family in the UK, often found in gardens, hedgerows, and ornamental plantings. The fruit is small but abundant, and varies widely in colo…
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Crabapples have long been used in traditional British country winemaking due to their abundance in hedgerows and ornamental planting schemes. While too sour and astringent to eat raw, they make excellent wine due to t…
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Cranberries are traditionally associated with colder climates and have long been valued for their sharp, refreshing acidity and distinctive flavour. While more commonly used in sauces and juices in the UK, they make a…
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Elderberries have long been used in traditional British hedgerow winemaking due to their abundance and deep colour. The elder tree has a strong presence in rural folklore, and its berries have historically been used f…
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Damson wine is a traditional British country wine made from small, deep purple wild plums known for their high tannin and strong, slightly astringent flavour. It produces a rich, dark wine with excellent structure, of…
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Gooseberries have long been a staple of British gardens and allotments, valued for their sharp flavour and versatility in cooking and preserves. Their high acidity makes them particularly well suited to winemaking, wh…
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Grape wine is unique among fruit wines because grapes naturally contain everything needed for balanced fermentation sugar, acid, tannin (in skins and seeds), and nutrients for yeast health. This is why grape wine has …
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Hawthorn has long been associated with British hedgerows and traditional countryside landscapes. While better known for its medicinal and folklore uses, the berries also make a subtle but distinctive wine when harvest…
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Mirabelle plums are traditionally associated with continental Europe, particularly France and Germany, where they are highly prized for preserves, liqueurs, and desserts. They are less common in the UK but can be grow…
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While not traditional in British hedgerow winemaking, orange wine has become a popular experimental fruit wine due to the availability of citrus fruit year-round in the UK. Historically, citrus wines were more common …
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Pear wine has long been a traditional country wine made from orchard surplus fruit. Because pears are naturally soft and aromatic but low in acid, they require more adjustment than apples or berries, but the results c…
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Plums have been used in traditional British winemaking for centuries due to their abundance in orchards and hedgerows. They offer a flexible base fruit that can produce anything from light, aromatic wines to deep, str…
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