Peach Country Wine
Peach wine is one of the trickier fruit wines — peaches are pectin-heavy and slow to clear, and the delicate stone-fruit aroma fades during fermentation. Use the ripest fruit you can find and double the pectic enzyme. The finished wine is pale gold with a soft Viognier-like profile.
Ingredients
| 6 lb | Ripe peaches (pitted) |
| 2 lb | Cane sugar |
| 1 gal | Water |
| 2 tsp | Acid blend |
| 1 tsp | Pectic enzyme |
| 1 tsp | Yeast nutrient |
| 5 g | Wine yeast (71B or D47) |
| 1 tab | Campden tablet |
Equipment
- 2-gallon primary bucket
- 1-gallon glass carboy
- Airlock
- Hydrometer
- Straining bag
Steps
- Day 0
Pit and chop
Remove pits (cyanide concern with broken stones); chop peaches roughly into bag.
- Day 0
Add hot sugar-water
Pour hot sugar-water over fruit; cool to 70°F.
- Day 0
Add Campden
Crush Campden, stir in. Add extra pectic enzyme — peaches are stubborn.
- Day 1
Pitch yeast
Add nutrient and yeast.
- Day 1-8
Primary
Punch down twice daily 5-7 days. Expect haze.
- Day 8
Press + rack
Squeeze gently; rack to carboy. Pectin haze may persist for weeks.
- Day 8-50
Secondary
Ferment to dryness; allow 4-6 weeks for clarification.
- Day 50
Stabilize
Rack off lees; add k-meta + sorbate. Back-sweeten 1-2% if dry tastes thin.
- Day 90
Bottle
Bottle and rest 60+ days.