Washington Winemaker

And you thought tomato wine sounded strange! Years ago I started an oregano bush from seed. Each year I harvest a little for cooking, but it’s huge and most of it goes to waste. What’s a winemaker to do? Use this recipe from Terry Garey’s Joy of Home Wine Making, my first winemaking book. It’s a great way to start - it’s how I got started - making your own wine.

Ingredients

4-6 cups (1-1.5 liters), packed lightly, of fresh herbs
1 gallon (3.785 liters) water
3 lb (1.4 kg) sugar or 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) honey
1 tsp (5 grams) yeast nutrient
0.125 tsp (0.3 grams) tannin
3 tsp (15 grams) acid blend
sulfite to 50 ppm (equivalent to 1 campden tablet)
wine yeast

Equipment

Today, I’ll need a fermenter, a hydrometer, a thermometer, a stirring spoon, measuring spoons, and a couple of pots. Later, I’ll use a gallon jug, a racking can, some siphon hose, and pH papers.

Procedure

I always start by sanitizing my clean equipment by immersion in boiling water or sanitizing solution. Earlier, Marsha and I harvested 6 cups (about 1.5 liters), lightly packed, of oregano. The next step is to remove dead leaves and any other plants that have gotten mixed in. After a quick rinse in cold water, I placed the oregano in a 2 quart (2 liter) saucepan, added 1 quart (1 liter) water, and brought it to a simmer. As soon as it started simmering, I took it off the heat and let sit for 1-2 hours. In the meantime, I dissolved the sugar in boiling water.

I strained the oregano and infused water, which gave off a pleasant, but unexpected mint aroma. After that, I added the sugar water. Next, I dissolved the tannin, nutrient, and 1 tsp of the acid, in water and added that to the fermenter. I’m waiting until fermentation is complete before adding the rest of the acid because I’m afraid the pH could drop too far and inhibit the yeast. Finally, I added 1 tsp of sulfite solution (equivalent to 1 campden tablet).

Always take a hydrometer reading, before pitching the yeast. I recorded the specific gravity as 1.108 @ 82 Fahrenheit (about 28 Celsius). Since my hydrometer is calibrated to work at 60F (15.5C), I adjusted for the higher temperature. The adjusted SG is 1.110, which means the potential alcohol is 15%. I thought it might turn out to be high, but I like to follow recipes closely the first time. I’ll probably cut the sugar and aim for and SG of 1.090 (12% alcohol) the next time.

I’ve never made a wine from herbs, and I’m excited to find out how this one turns out!

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