This turned out to be an Excellent wine. In fact it was so delicious the 30 odd bottles  that we made were quickly whisked away by friends and relatives. For basically the cost of the sugar, you can have a brilliant, slightly sweet and flavourful and strong white wine.

This is the recipe we used:

Elderflower Wine – 1 Gal

500ml Picked Elderflowers pressed lightly. Remove green stems.
1.5kg Sugar. White granulated to avoid changing the flavour
250g washed raisins
1/2 Mug Strong Tea
3 Lemons Squeezed
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp yeast nutrient
4.5L hot water

 

• Sterilise your equipment
• Dissolve the sugar in the hot water
• Place the flowers, raisins and lemon juice in the primary bucket
• Add the sugar water
• Mix thoroughly
• Allow the mixture to cool until it reaches around 21C
• Add yeast, Tea and yeast nutrient
• Cover and place airlock
• Keep in a warm dry place
• After 8 weeks, test the mixture with a hydrometer. Add sugar according to taste if it’s ready to bottle.
• Add a crushed Campden tablet to clear according to the tablet instructions and allow to settle
• Rack Off and then bottle!