Traditional fruit, flower, vegetable and herb wines — tested, practical recipes for the home winemaker.
73 recipes
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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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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Gorse has long been one of Britain's most recognisable wild shrubs, brightening heathland, moorland and coastal paths with its vivid yellow flowers. Country winemakers discovered that these blossoms, with their distin…
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Few wines are more closely associated with British country winemaking than elderflower wine. Every summer, hedgerows throughout the United Kingdom become covered with fragrant creamy-white blossom, providing generatio…
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Lemon balm has been cultivated in Britain since medieval times for both culinary and medicinal use. Its sweet lemon fragrance has made it a favourite herb in cottage gardens for centuries, and traditional home winemak…
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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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Lavender has been cultivated in Britain for centuries, prized for its fragrance, medicinal uses and culinary qualities. Home winemakers soon discovered that, when used sparingly, its aromatic flowers could produce an …
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The sweet perfume of honeysuckle has been enjoyed in Britain for centuries, filling hedgerows and woodland edges during early summer evenings. Traditional home winemakers discovered that this remarkable fragrance coul…
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Heather has been part of the cultural landscape of Britain for centuries, particularly across the uplands of Scotland, northern England and Wales. Long before modern winemaking ingredients were available, rural commun…
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Fruit tea wines have become increasingly popular because modern fruit and herbal teabags contain concentrated fruits, flowers, herbs and spices that can produce surprisingly good wines. They're also available all y…
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Meadowsweet has been treasured in Britain since ancient times and was one of the sacred herbs of the Druids. Later, it became a favourite flavouring for mead, ales and country wines because of its naturally sweet frag…
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Magnolia trees are among the first ornamental trees to flower each spring, producing spectacular blooms long before many other garden plants awake. Their blossoms are not only beautiful but also surprisingly aromatic,…
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