What is your favorite wine recipe?

Hi,
My first batch of wine was an apple cider wine and I got the recipe in a book called, "The Joy of Home Winemaking" by Terry Garey. It's an excellent book for a straight up beginner (which I was). Here's the first recipe that she recommends:

1 gallon fresh pressed cider
1 quart water
1 1/2 lbs sugar or 2 lbs honey
1 tsp acid blend (1/2 tsp if the apples are tart
1/4 tsp tannin
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 campden tablet, crushed (optional)
1 packet champagne wine yeast

I'm looking at the book here and don't really feel like copying out the actual process of making the wine. I guess I'm posting this because this is the book that got me into making wine. Anyways, buy the book, make the wine. It's worth it.

Just out of curiousity, how important is it to use the Campden Tablet? I've never actually made a batch but I'm toying with the idea. Looking at getting the supplies and equipment.

They say that the tablets are optional, but not using them can get you into trouble. One mistake to avoid, if you crush the tablet, BE SURE to wait at least 24 hours before you add the yeast. I make that mistake, got to excited to see the fermentation, added the yeast before 24 hours, and the yeast died. I had to redo the whole yeast process. Not a big deal, but a waste of yeast and a wast of time. Plus, the wine will probably have some off tastes.

So in short, use the Campden tablets.

Just out of curiousity, how important is it to use the Campden Tablet? I've never actually made a batch but I'm toying with the idea. Looking at getting the supplies and equipment.

Definitely use them. Crush them up good. I even pre dissolve them in some wine before adding so they don't just settle at the bottom. This is because usually, when I am putting them in, it is just before bottling or racking, and I don't want to rack out the sulfite I just put in.
You can also get teh potassium Metabisulfite in powder form, (which is the same as a camden tab). The tablets are simply easier measure and store.

Definitely use them. Crush them up good. I even pre dissolve them in some wine before adding so they don't just settle at the bottom.

Thanks for the advice. I've crushed them up but never done the pre-dissolving. I'll do that on my next batch.

Fellow Vintners, I usually don't use the tablets/powder for the whole 5 or 6 gal batch. Just figure out how much we will drink in 6/7 months and put the tablets in the rest for storage longer than 1 year...Good luck...Tom...

i've used the tablets in some wines that i suspect might be a problem
(raw fruit or vegs.) but with the kits or concentrates i usually don't.
i've always had good wines both ways.

100% concord grape berry blend wine

6 gallons Sams 100% concord grape juice (Only has abosorbic acid as preservative)
1 12 ounce package red frozen raspberries
1 16 ounce package frozen black berries
12 cups white sugar
4 teaspoons bentonite
2 teaspoons wine tannin
3 teaspoons yeast nutrient
3 teaspoons pectic enzyme
6 campden tablets crushed
After 24 hours
3 teaspoons yeast energizer
1 packet Premier Cuv'ee yeast

This makes a very good berry blend wine

Blackberry is also my favorite wine. I think the only thing I may do differently is after the wine is on the fine lees I would rack every two months. You may be risking build up of SO2 leaving it on the fine lees for 3 months.

Commercial wineries have a process they call Sur-lie. They leave the wine on the fine lees for up to 6 months but they stir the fine lees gently every couple of weeks and measure the SO2. If left on the SO2 for too long a time the wine can spoil.