Sloe Wine

The other side of sloe gin — these tart little berries make a tannic, complex wine that rewards long maturation. One for the patient winemaker.

Sloe Wine (4.5L / 1 Gallon)

Ingredients

• 1 kg sloes (after the first frosts, or frozen)
• 1.2 kg white sugar
• 100g sultanas
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 tsp acid blend
• 1 tsp pectolase
• 1 Campden tablet
• 1 sachet red wine yeast
• Water to 4.5 litres

Notes

Instructions

Day 1: Wash sloes and prick each one with a fork (or freeze them, which bursts the skin). Place in a bucket with sultanas. Pour over 2 litres of boiling water. Mash. Dissolve sugar and add. Top up. Add Campden tablet. Cover for 24 hours.

Day 2: Add pectolase, yeast nutrient, acid blend. SG aim 1.090. Add yeast.

Days 2–7: Stir daily. Ferment on the pulp for up to 7 days for maximum colour and flavour.

Day 7: Strain into demijohn.

Maturation: Sloe wine is one of the slowest to mature. At 12 months it's still quite tannic. At 18–24 months it develops a remarkable port-like complexity. Worth every day of waiting.

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