Plum Wine Recipe

It's almost 2 years since my attempt at feijoa wine. I have to say, I was not pleased with the results! It came out far too dry and thin. It smelled lovely, but I have continued to sample it at different stages of aging, and it has not improved. Perhaps I was too impatient with it? The more recent plum wine is a different story all together.

Today I bottled the Black Doris Plum wine that I started in March 2012. I had more or less left it to it's own devices in the hot water cupboard, occasionally checking up on it. But I must have done something right. Today I decided it had been doing nothing for long enough. I got the equipment sterilized and removed the airlock and had a taste.
WOW
It tastes like real wine! Like a slightly thin and slightly sweet pinot noir! Kind of sad now that I only made 5 bottles (and I'm 2/3 through the first one already!). I will definitely be giving this one another go come plum season! Here is the basic recipe, you will need to read between the lines, or read other fruit wine recipes to get the gist of what you need for sterilizing, making a yeast starter, racking, all that jazz.

Black Doris Plum Wine
Started mid-March, bottled end of November. Auckland temperatures!
1.7kg black doris plums, de-stoned and frozen for a few weeks (might have been 2kg to start with?) Thawed, weighed and put into sterilized primary fermenter bucket with 1 litre of water and 1 teaspoon of pectinase. Leave overnight, covered but not sealed. Also prepare 1 kg sugar dissolved in 1 litre water (hot) for mixing in tomorrow.
Next day; Add sugar syrup and 2 crushed campden tablets. Gravity reading = 1.111 (14% potential alcohol?) Wait 24 hours before adding yeast.
Yeast used; Vinters Harvest VR21 (asked for a yeast for a plum wine at the brew shop!)
Next day; Add yeast, or yeast starter (1tsp yeast, 1tsp sugar with lukewarm water, left in a warm place until frothy). My yeast was slow to start, probably due to temperature being low. Cover but don't seal (keep bugs out but allow gas to escape).
3 or 4 days after signs of activity (ie, crust forming and bubbly); Sieve through sterilized cheesecloth and funnel, into 1 gallon demijohn. Fit airlock (or cover with gladwrap and rubberbands) and put into hotwater cupboard or other slightly warm place.
2 months later, or when bubbling has slowed right down; Rack wine (transfer) into a new sterile demijohn, leaving sediment behind (use hose method). Add 4 tablespoons of sugar.
3 month later, or when bubbling slows again; rack again leaving sediment behind. Should taste fine, but young. Add more sugar if needed.
3 months later; Bubbling should have stopped, there should be no more sediment in the bottom of the demijohn, and wine should look clear. Tastes ready to drink! Sterilize 5 x 750ml bottles and bottle wine using sterilized funnel.
Drink within 6 months as not likely to improve with age! _________________________ I'm feeling quite drunk now. I estimate this one at between 13 and 14 percent. *Hic*