Raspberry Wine: Fruity, Aromatic & Homemade

Raspberry wine – pure fruit in a glass

Raspberry wine is one of the most popular fruit wines you can make yourself. Its intense color, fruity aroma and pleasant acidity make it a real highlight.

Ingredients for approx. 5 liters

• 2 kg raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1.2 kg sugar
• 4 l water
• 1 packet of wine yeast (e.g. Red Fruit)
• 1 tsp yeast nutrient
• 1 Campden tablet (potassium metabisulfite)
• Juice of half a lemon

Preparation

Wash the raspberries and crush them in a large fermentation bucket. Boil the water, dissolve the sugar in it and let it cool. Mix the fruit juice with the sugar water.

Sulfiting: Add the Campden tablet, leave covered for 24 hours – this kills off wild yeasts and bacteria.

Pitching the yeast

After 24 hours, rehydrate the wine yeast in some lukewarm water (approx. 30 °C) and let it rest for 20 minutes. Then stir it into the must together with the yeast nutrient and lemon juice.

Fermentation

• Primary fermentation: 5–7 days at 18–22 °C in the open fermentation bucket (covered with a cloth). Stir daily.
• Secondary fermentation: Strain through a fine sieve into a demijohn, fit an airlock. 4–6 weeks at a cool room temperature.

Clarifying & bottling

Once fermentation is complete (no more bubbles), carefully rack the wine, avoiding the sediment. Clarify with bentonite or gelatine if needed.

Bottle in clean bottles and store for at least 3 months – the wine gets noticeably better with time!

Tips

• Frozen raspberries work especially well: freezing and thawing breaks down the cell walls, releasing more juice and aroma.
• If you want a dry wine, use less sugar (approx. 900 g).
• A splash of raspberry brandy at bottling intensifies the aroma.