20-01-2016, 04:13 PM
Winemaking most likely began in the Neolithic Period (8500 to 400 b.c.), and early archaeological evidence places winemaking at a site near Mesopotamia (ca. 4000 b.c.) and another in what is now Georgia (the former Soviet state, not the home of Atlanta) between 5000 and 7000 b.c. The Old English word wyrt, which evolved into wort, described a liquor made from mashing and fermenting plant leaves. Plainly, we humans have been at this business of turning herbs into wine for a very long time. If our ancestors could do it, you can too.
Easy Alchemy
Making wine from herbs is simple once you understand the basic principles. Sugar, yeast and water are the main actors in turning plants to wine. Yeasts consume sugar and water to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. Herbs provide micronutrients to the yeasts and give the wine its flavor.
The more sugar yeasts consume, the more alcohol they produce, until finally they produce so much alcohol—around 14 to 18 percent of the volume—they can no longer survive. Any remaining sugar contributes to the wine’s sweetness. Three pounds of sugar to one gallon of water makes a very sweet wine; two pounds produces a dry wine.
The best wines use specialty yeast strains cultivated over centuries by vintners and available at home-brewing shops. Some folks rely on wild yeasts naturally present in the air, but this is a risky approach because exposing wine to air usually attracts spoilage microbes (especially vinegar-producing Acetobacter) in much greater proportions than alcohol-producing yeasts. To further prevent contamination by wild microbes, simmer or steep herbs in boiling water, and sterilize any equipment with which the cooled brew comes into contact. Soak equipment in a solution of 2 tablespoons chlorine bleach in a gallon of water for 10 minutes. Rinse, air dry and use immediately. Alternatively, sterilize nonplastic equipment by boiling for 10 minutes.