The Isabella grape is considered a table-technical variety. It is not very sweet, has a specific smell and a dense rind. But it makes delicious home-made wines.
The Isabella grape is famous for its unpretentiousness. It tolerates frost easily, is resistant to pests and always gives a rich harvest. Thanks to this, the culture is spread throughout the CIS, from Siberia to the southern coastal cities.
There are at least two ways to make Isabella wine. One of them requires less effort and time, and the second is more laborious. Domestic winemakers are divided: some believe that the result is the same, while others believe that the result (quality) is directly proportional to the effort.
The first method is more laborious
To implement it, you will need to carefully sort out the berries, select ripe and clean ones. We discard the leaves and twigs, but the ridges can be left - they will add astringency to the wine. You cannot wash the berries, because on the surface of the grapes there is the so-called wine yeast, due to which fermentation occurs.
Next, pour the selected berries into a wooden barrel. If not available, you can use enamel or cast iron cookware. You can crush grapes with your hands or feet, like the heroes of Italian films.
It is not recommended to use a wooden grape crush for crushing grapes, because crushed seeds can significantly affect the taste of wine.
The resulting mass is called pulp. Its primary fermentation takes 3-4 days. Place the dishes in a warm place and cover with a piece of cheesecloth folded in 3 layers. The pulp should be stirred every day.
When the pulp has surfaced and a "cap" has formed, it is necessary to drain the juice through cheesecloth. Add boiled water to the juice at the rate of 40% by weight of the pulp and cap. To improve the taste of wine, it is advisable to add sugar (0.2 kg per liter of juice).
After stirring the sugar, pour the juice into a bottle. To prevent the wine from turning into vinegar due to the ingress of oxygen into the container, we cover the bottles with a water lock. You can put a medical glove on the neck, but do not forget to make holes in it with a needle.
The bottles should not be completely filled with juice, leave room for fermentation. In a 10 L bottle, leave 1.5-2 L empty.
At this we stop work for 2-3 weeks, while the second fermentation takes place. After this period, we decant the young wine into another, clean bottle and put it in the cellar. Since the fermentation is not yet fully completed, you can also install a water seal here.
The wine will be ready to drink in 3 months. Even visually, it will be seen that it has become clearer, lighter. Isabella wine should be stored hermetically sealed.
The second way is for the lazy
We take at the rate of 5 kg of berries: 3 kg of sugar and 10 liters of boiled water. For cooking, grapes are crushed, mixed with sugar and left for a week. Then add water and let stand for another month. Next, it is poured through cheesecloth into bottles and placed in the cellar.
If you do not have time to make wine, but really want to get home from the cellar in winter and remember the taste of summer, you can follow the second method. But this drink is grateful to those who put their souls into its production, so if you want to surprise your friends with excellent homemade wine, try to follow the basic rules of winemaking.
