Light, fragrant, and utterly British — elderflower wine is one of the finest country wines you can make. Delicate floral notes with a hint of muscat. Ready in as little as 6 months.
Day 1: Place the stripped elderflowers in a sterilised bucket. Add the citrus juice and zest. Dissolve the sugar in 2 litres of boiling water, stir to dissolve, then pour over the flowers. Top up with cold water to 4.5 litres. Allow to cool to below 30°C.
Add 1 crushed Campden tablet. Cover with a clean cloth and leave for 24 hours.
Day 2: Add yeast nutrient and acid blend. Check the SG — it should be around 1.080–1.085. Sprinkle the yeast on the surface. Cover and leave.
Days 3–7: Stir daily. The must will start to ferment actively within 24–48 hours.
Day 7: Strain through a fine mesh bag or muslin into a clean demijohn. Fit an airlock. The SG should have dropped to around 1.030–1.040.
Weeks 2–4: Fermentation will slow and the wine will start to clear. Leave undisturbed.
When SG reaches 0.998–1.002: Rack into a clean demijohn, leaving the sediment behind. Add half a Campden tablet dissolved in a little water. Refit airlock.
Weeks 4–8: Rack again when a fresh sediment layer forms. The wine should be becoming clearer.
When clear: Taste. If you'd like it slightly sweeter, stabilise with a Campden tablet and potassium sorbate, wait 48 hours, then back-sweeten with a little sugar syrup to taste. Bottle.
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