Perhaps you haven’t tasted blackberry wine. Maybe you haven’t heard about it as it isn’t produced in the same amounts as wine made from grapes. However, it is still worth tasting. It is a beautiful purple colour, is sweet, and is full of antioxidants, making it a healthy wine to drink in moderation.
What is Blackberry Wine?
There are 122 species of blackberries in the United States and there are many different varieties of blackberry wine made in different parts of the world.
Blackberries grow in thickets surrounded by thorns. They grow naturally in the countryside, but of course, if the wine is produced commercially there will be vineyards. It is not fun picking blackberries because of the thorns, but it is definitely worth the trouble.
You can get blackberry wine as a blend or in its own right. It is sometimes infused into wine made from grapes. Vintage blackberry wine is made only from blackberries and is tastier than a blend.
You can make wine out of all sorts of fruit such as pear or plum, and flowers and herbs can also be used. You may have heard about elderflower wine. However, in this article, we are going to look at blackberry wine, the health benefits it gives, and what it can be paired with.
Benefits of Blackberry Wine
In the 19th century, blackberry wine was very popular as there wasn’t much grape cultivation. Blackberries were chosen because people were used to using their leaves and roots as medicine for all sorts of ailments. Drinking a glass of blackberry wine each day can help to relieve such conditions as IBS. However, it should be drunk in moderation even though it has a low alcohol content. Too much alcohol of any sort can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Blood Clots
Blackberries are high in non-flavonoids which are antioxidants. You can also find them to a lesser extent, in wine made out of grapes. The non-flavonoid, Resveratrol, is powerful. It helps to reduce the risk of high cholesterol and it can also prevent blood vessel damage. It also helps to stop obesity and diabetes. It can reduce the risk of strokes by 50%.
Cancer
Blackberries are also rich in flavonoids which are also antioxidants. They help to reduce the risk of getting cancer and will help with your recovery if you already have cancer. In women, the risk of getting breast or cervical cancer is reduced and in men, they help to stop prostate and colon cancer. In addition, flavonoids reduce the risk of getting haemorrhoids and edema, which is water retention which results in swelling of certain parts of the body.
Carbohydrates
Blackberry wine can help to control the absorption of carbohydrates. This means that the risk of some illnesses such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases will be lessened. They are often triggered by certain foods like carbohydrates.
Cataracts
Blackberries can also stop cataracts from developing. This is generally a condition suffered by older people so drinking blackberry wine in moderation will help.
Cholesterol
Blackberry wine can reduce the risk of your cholesterol levels going through the roof.
Dementia
Both red wine and blackberry wine can halt the onset of dementia. The 2007 Journal of Gerontology states that either drink reduces the chance of dementia occurring by 34%.
Heart Disease
Blackberries contain procyanidin which reduces the risk of heart disease. People who drink blackberry wine are 30% less likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack. In addition, procyanidins help to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of artery damage.
Pain
Blackberries also contain salicylates which are natural pain relievers. You shouldn’t have a hangover when you drink blackberry wine. Rather, it helps with headaches and migraines.
Don’t Overdo It
Yes, blackberry wine has all these health benefits, but it’s not sensible to overdo it. Drinking any type of alcohol can bring on heart disease, high blood pressure, and can make you overweight. You could just eat blackberries instead as they have the same health benefits. If you do want to drink blackberry wine, it is recommended that you only have a 5-ounce glass a day,
A Recipe for Homemade Blackberry Wine
Blackberry wine is usually cheaper than wine made out of grapes. However, it is also quite easy to make at home and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are responsible for making a delicious drink.
Here’s a recipe for blackberry wine that you can try out. You could also use this recipe for other types of fruit.
Ingredients
- 3.78 litres blackberries
- 1 litre boiling water
- 907 gr. Sugar\
- 1 tsp wine yeast
Directions
- Put the blackberries in a large bowl or tank with the boiling water.
- Leave the mixture to stand for 24 hours, stirring every now and then.
- When the 24 hours are up, press the mixture through a cheesecloth.
- Add the sugar to the mixture and warm it at a temperature of 103 degrees.
- Add the wine yeast by putting it on top of the mixture.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave to ferment for about two months.
- The next step is to strain the mixture through a cheesecloth.
- Pour the mixture into bottles and cork them.
- Let the wine sit for a year as it tastes better than if you drink it straight after fermentation. However, this is totally up to you. If you can’t wait to try the wine, it is perfectly alright to try it straight after fermentation.
It can be difficult to know when the wine is ready to be corked. However, there is a way to tell if the fermentation is finished and that is to poke a small hole in a latex balloon. Put it on top of the bottle. You will see the balloon inflating with escaping gases. If it deflates on its own, the wine is ready.
You can make wine out of any type of fruit as well as herbs and leaves. If you are making wine out of herbs and leaves, add 1.36 kilograms of sugar otherwise the wine could be too bitter.
Pairing Food with Blackberry Wine
Blackberry wine is sweet so it is usually paired with desserts. However, surprisingly, it can also be paired with some savoury dishes. It’s a daring choice, but with the right food, you will get a delicious combination.
Acidity
Acidity is very important when pairing a sweet wine with a savoury dish. Blackberry wine does have some acidity and this is good because it has the ability to cut down on the richness in the food. It can also make the food taste less tart.
You can also contrast the food and wine. This means that you pair the wine with the food so that the wine adds something to the dish that is missing.
Alternatively, just pour your blackberry wine over vanilla ice cream. It makes a simple dish less like an everyday choice.
Sugar and Spice
Savoury meats are full-bodied, but they can still sometimes pair with sweet wines. After all, meats can be honey-glazed, for example, honey-glazed ham. Dry wines don’t go well with sweet sauces on your food, but sweet wines can cope very well.
Sweet wines also go well with spicy food like curries. This should remind you about the saying, ‘sugar and spice make all things nice’. If you are eating spicy food with blackberry wine, the wine should help to cool down your palate.
Salty and Sweet
Blackberry wine can go well with salty snacks. It also goes well with edamame which are the pods of soybeans. Add some extra salt to the edamame. Salty jalapeno peppers are delicious with a sweet blackberry wine sauce. Here you’ll not only have salty and sweet, but spicy as well. Why not try a pizza with ham and pineapple, accompanied by a glass of blackberry wine.
Cooking with Blackberry Wine
If you make your own blackberry wine, you might end up with a lot of it and no idea what to do with it apart from drinking it. Wouldn’t it be fun to learn how to cook with it? A good choice to start off with is pork tenderloin in a blackberry wine sauce. Make the sauce out of the wine, blackberry jam, and balsamic vinegar. Pork tenderloin is a lean meat and it needs a bit of flavour added to it. In fact, it pairs well with most fruits, particularly apple sauce. Duck is often cooked with an orange sauce, but it would also work well with a blackberry wine sauce. Just make sure that you use a good blackberry wine. A lot of people often cook with a substandard wine, but you should never cook with anything you wouldn’t drink.
Maybe you are finding it overwhelming to cook with blackberry wine or serve it with a main course. If so, try serving it with salty appetisers and desserts. An idea is to serve it with grilled aubergines or courgettes. Cheese and pineapple also go with blackberry wine. It is also a good wine to serve before the meal with crisps and other snacks. If you are having a cheese plate after the meal, blue cheeses go well with blackberry wine.
If you find blackberry wine too sweet, you can add seltzer soda to make a spritzer. This drink would probably pair better with main courses as it wouldn’t be too sweet.
Recommendations
Perhaps you’re interested in knowing which blackberry wines we think are the best so we’ll list our top choices here.
Smith-Berry Winery Blackberry Wine
Smith-Berry winery is in Kentucky, USA. In both 2014 and 2016, their blackberry wine won the title of best fruit wine at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Festival. This winery has been making wine since 1981 so they have a lot of experience behind them. They have tasting rooms that you can visit so you can try out the blackberry wine before purchasing it.
This wine is a rich dark purple in colour. It has strong flavours and subtle tannins and complements cheeses.
Purple Toad Winery Blackberry Wine
Purple Toad Winery is in Paducah in Kentucky. They make a wine called Lauren’s Blackberry Wine and they use blackberries picked in Kentucky. The wine isn’t oversweet because the blackberries in Kentucky have a little tartness to them. The winery was founded in 2009 and is the largest and most award-winning winery in Kentucky.
Talon Winery Blackberry Wine
Talon Wineries are based in Shelbyville in Tennessee. There is a tasting house so you can try their wines before you purchase them. They have a 5-acre vineyard where they grow blackberries and other fruits. Talon Wineries are well respected. They have won awards at the Eastern Wine competition and at the Wines of the South competition. In 2014, their blackberry wine got a gold medal at the Kentucky Derby wine competition.
What Other Fruits are Used to Make Wine and Other Drinks
Many different fruits are used to make wine and other similar drinks. Take mead for example, which is a wine made with honey and goes back centuries. Cider is made from apples and perry from pears. None of these is considered an actual wine but they are still drinks similar to fruit wines. To become a wine, the fruit must be fermented and not pressed.
Other fruits and flowers that are used to make wine include strawberries, chokeberry, and dandelions. In Africa, the Philippines, and India bananas make a popular alcoholic beverage
The Different Types of Blackberry Wine
Sometimes blackberry wine comes as a blend with other fruits. However, if only blackberries are used you get a far superior wine.
Blackberry wine has a low alcohol content compared to wine made from grapes. This means that you are able to taste the flavours more.
Here are some wines that contain blackberries.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The best place to purchase cabernet sauvignon that has been infused with blackberries is California. Apart from the blackberries, you will taste and smell black pepper and tobacco. Because of the earthy flavours, this wine will pair well with plain pieces of meat which need a kick. Try it with pork or steak.
Bonarda
Bonarda is an Argentinean wine. It is a blend of Malbec and blackberries and has deep tannins and an earthy flavour/ Again, this wine could easily pair with meat, although it works just as well as a dessert wine.
Touriga Nacional
This is a Portuguese wine that is often blended with blackberries to produce a dessert wine. It has rustic and earthy flavours.
Dolcetto
Dolcetto is an acidic wine that is infused with blackberries. It is dark in colour, but refreshingly light. It is also slightly bitter and tart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to stir the wine while it is fermenting?
Yes, you should stir the wine at least twice a day while it is fermenting, even more, if you have the time. This is because stirring stops the pulp from becoming dry. If it does get dry, there is a possibility of mold and bacteria growing. A stirring paddle is a good tool to use when stirring your wine. It keeps the pulp at the bottom of the fermentation tank.
How long should I leave the blackberry wine to ferment?
Ideally, blackberry wine should be left to ferment for two months or so as this produces a better wine. However, if you are excited about trying your wine, it will be fermented within five to seven days.
Can I make wine with other fruit?
Wine is usually associated with grapes, but as we have seen, it can be made with other fruit. Why not try plums or apricots? Blending fruit is an option as you will get some unique flavours. An important tip is to follow a recipe exactly. If there isn’t enough sugar, the wine won’t ferment.
Can I eat red blackberries?
Blackberries are ready for picking and eating when they become black. Yes, you could eat red blackberries, but they are not ripe and will probably taste too acidic.
Why Not Try Blackberry Wine
We hope that we have convinced you that blackberry wine is delicious and worth trying. It has a lot of different flavours and aromas and has a beautiful dark purple colour. It’s quite easy to make and doesn’t take too long to ferment. All you need are a lot of blackberries.
