Six months to drinking country wine
Written By: Harry Gilham
Creation Date: Saturday January 2nd 2010
Last Updated: Tuesday August 27th 2019
Harry Gillam is one of the EDWG leading maker, teacher and judge of country wines, and a well known and highly respected identity who along with his wife, Sue, has contributed much to the wider Eltham community. Harry, as a Life Member of the Guild has long promoted the crafting and consumption of country wines by running regular winemaking courses at the Eltham Living & Learning Centre over a number of decades, member tastings of his own wines at Guild meetings and through the judging of country wines in wine shows in various states.
The following are just a few ideas for the making of great country wines.
Sources of produce for winemaking
Fruit
Peach, pear, Greengage ‘wild’ plums, cherry, cherry and prune, quince, raspberry, redcurrant, rhubarb, rhubarb and beetroot, strawberry, banana, orange, apple.
Dried
Apricots, bilberries, figs, elderberries, mixed fruit, sultanas, apples.
Flowers
Dandelion, clover, cowslip, hawthorn, elderflower, honeysuckle, marigold, rose petal, hops.
Grains
Wheat, Barley. Rice.
Vegetables
Beetroot, carrot, parsnip, potato, broadbean, peapod, parsley, turnip
Others
Tea, coffee, clover, ginger
Wines for fortification with vodka
Elderberry port, barley, plum, apricot, elderberry, cherry, rice orange, blackcurrent, bilberry
Oak chips
Plum (two weeks)
Back to top