Sour Cherry Wine: Intense, Characterful & Deep Red
Sour cherry wine – a gem among fruit wines
Morello cherries and other sour cherry varieties are famous for their acidity – exactly what makes them the perfect base for a characterful fruit wine. The finished wine has a deep ruby color and an aroma reminiscent of cherry liqueur.
Ingredients for 5 liters
- 2.5 kg sour cherries (pitted)
- 1.0–1.2 kg sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
- 3.5 l water
- 1 packet of red wine yeast or Burgundy yeast
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 Campden tablet
- Juice of one lemon
Preparation
Wash the cherries, pit them (important: the pits contain cyanide compounds and should not be fermented along). Lightly crush the cherries or blend them briefly.
Tip: Frozen, already pitted sour cherries give more juice thanks to the freezing – according to the BfR, freezing does not kill viruses, so heat frozen berries thoroughly before use (core temperature above 90 °C).
Fermentation
- Put the cherries, sugar water (cooled), Campden tablet and lemon juice into the fermentation bucket.
- Leave covered for 24 hours.
- Pitch the yeast, add it along with the nutrient.
- Primary fermentation: 6–8 days at 20–22 °C, stir daily.
- Racking: Press the pulp through a sieve, transfer the juice to a demijohn.
- Secondary fermentation: 6–8 weeks until clarified.
Aging & maturity
Sour cherry wine benefits enormously from aging time. Freshly bottled it's still rough and acid-forward – after 6 months it develops into a round, harmonious wine.
Adjusting sweetness: Only back-sweeten once fermentation has definitely finished – with sugar or cherry juice, plus sulphite (Campden). Otherwise residual sugar can re-ferment in the bottle and make it burst.
Serving suggestion
Serve slightly chilled (14–16 °C) as a dessert wine or digestif. Pairs excellently with dark chocolate and game dishes.
Sources
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Tiefkühlbeeren vor dem Verzehr besser gut durchkochen, accessed 5 Oct 2026
The sources support individual statements in this article. The organisations named have neither reviewed nor endorsed it.