🍓 How to Make Homemade Mixed Berry Wine (~12–13% ABV)

A vibrant, fruity wine made from a mix of berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Medium-dry and beginner-friendly, this recipe highlights the rich colour and aroma of summer berries.

🍷 Ingredients (1 Gallon / 4.5 Litres)

1 kg mixed berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
2 kg apples or pears (roughly chopped, cores removed, skins on)
700 g white sugar (split across two stages)
1 tsp pectic enzyme
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 Campden tablet (optional)
1 sachet of red wine yeast (RC212 or EC-1118 recommended)
Water to make 4.5 L

🥄 Method

Step 1 — Primary Fermentation (Days 0–7)

Crush berries and apples/pears into a sterilised fermenting bucket.
Dissolve 400 g sugar in hot water, pour over fruit. Top up with cold water to ~3.5 L.
Stir in pectic enzyme, yeast nutrient, and Campden tablet if using. Cover and leave 12–24 hours.
Take a hydrometer reading. Target OG: 1.065–1.070.
Pitch yeast and cover loosely. Stir daily with a stirring spoon for 5–7 days.

👉 Checkpoint: When SG drops to 1.020–1.030, strain fruit and move liquid to a demijohn.

Step 2 — Secondary Fermentation (Week 1+)

Dissolve remaining 300 g sugar in cooled water. Add to the demijohn.
Top up to 4.5 L with water.
Check hydrometer again. Target OG: 1.085–1.090.
Fit airlock & bung and allow fermentation to finish.

👉 Final Gravity (FG): ~0.995–0.990 for medium-dry mixed berry wine.

Step 3 — Clearing & Bottling

Rack off sediment every 2–3 months.
Use finings if needed.
Bottle with bottling equipment & caps once stable.

Ageing: 6–9 months minimum for smooth flavour.

💡 Tips for Success

Monitor sugar and ABV with hydrometer.
Split sugar feeding keeps yeast healthy.
Clean, ripe berries give the best aroma and colour.
Sterilise all equipment (fermenting bucket, demijohn, airlock & bung).

🍷 Final Thoughts

Mixed berry wine is vibrant, aromatic, and beginner-friendly. Proper fermentation and patience create a beautifully balanced medium-dry wine with rich berry flavour.