METHOD:

These highly colored blue-black berries take a little effort in picking but the resulting "Chianti" type wine is very popular. They also make an excellent "Port" type wine by increasing fruit to 4 1/2 lbs., add another 3/4 lb. sugar and use Sherry or Port yeast.

1. Strip from stems, when fully ripe. Wash, sort out blemished and moldy berries, and drain. Using nylon straining bag (or with press) mash and strain out juice into primary fermentor. Keeping all pulp in bag (with dried berries put in with chopped raisins), tie top, and place in primary.

2. Stir in all other ingredients EXCEPT yeast. Cover primary.

3. After 24 hours, add yeast. Cover primary.

4. Stir daily, check S.G., and press pulp lightly to aid juice extraction.

5. When ferment reaches 1.030 (about 5 days) strain juice lightly from bag. Siphon wine off sediment into glass secondary. Attach airlock.

6. When ferment is complete (S.G. has dropped to 1.000 -- about 3 weeks) siphon off sediment into clean secondary. Reattach airlock.

7. To aid clearing, siphon again in 2 months and again if necessary before bottling.

Using 1/4 oz of oak chips per gallon of wine will benefit this wine with an "aged-in-oak" flavor.

VARIETIES:

American Elder (Sambucus canadensis) is the most popular. These fast growing, wild looking shrubs yield clusters of black 1/4" round berries perfect for pies, jellies, and wines. In the wild and some nurseries also: Red-berried Elder (S. racemosa) and Blue Elder (S. glauca).