The best brands of Isabella wine

These will be wines from a fairly affordable price sector, after all, these grapes have a bad reputation with Europeans (it was banned in almost all countries), and they are also made not far from our country (which also affects the cost). We will list the brightest representatives of table semi-sweet wines from the Isabella grape variety, which are ideal for lunch or dinner.

Lykhny

The absolute winner in popularity is the Abkhaz wine Lykhny, which has been on the market since 1962. And not in vain. After all, it has a rich, catchy and strong taste, which is so important for a reddish wine. Economical product of good quality. But these wines are often counterfeited, like, in general, all Abkhazian wines. Therefore, it is quite easy to end up with a bad product.

Cricova Isabella

This wine is created in Moldova. This rose wine was well received in Russia and loved, despite the fact that it is a rather young brand. So if you decide to get acquainted with Isabella wines, then this is not a bad cheap wine, it should definitely be next in line for tasting. Its smell is catchy, fruity and berry. It is recommended to drink it with beef, white meat and poultry. Cheese tenderloin also goes well with wine.

Isabella, Chateau Vartely

Château Vartely combines classical and innovative methods in the production of its own wine to achieve the best taste. The scent has obvious strawberry notes echoing cherry, vanilla and floral notes. Thanks to the good ratio of sour and sweet flowers, the drink has a balanced taste. Indulging in this nuclear fruity, strong and light wine Isabella from time to time is quite necessary! Excellent mixed with various sausages, salty snacks and salads.

Here we presented our and our customers’ favorite wines that have stood the test of time. Isabella is a very controversial grape, but it still has its own fans, and therefore exists on the market. Complex and multifaceted wines have not been made from it for a long time, but this only means that it has a different purpose. For example, highlight the dish you are eating, or relax during a pleasant conversation with friends.

Wine "Isabella" at home

Wine “Isabella” is named after the reddish grape variety of the same name, which is grown by almost all of our fellow citizens. Despite the fact that professional winemakers speak poorly of this grape, if you follow the production technology, you can get good homemade wine from it.

Isabella belongs to the table-technical varieties. These grapes are usually not consumed fresh; juice or wine is made from it. Isabella has become widespread in Russia due to its frost resistance and good yield in wet climates.

Isabella grape variety

Attention! Wine made from Isabella grapes is prohibited in the European Union, as it contains quite a lot of hydrocyanic acid and methyl alcohol, this is caused by the characteristics of the variety. In order not to harm your health, I advise you to drink no more than 200-300 ml at a time.

Ingredients:

grapes – 15 kg;
sugar – 100-200 grams per liter of juice;
water – 50-500 ml per liter of juice (in some variants).

Water is needed only to reduce acidity if the grapes grew in unfavorable conditions. In all other options, diluting the juice with water spoils the taste of the wine.

Recipe for wine from Isabella grapes

1. Harvest

Fruits of any size are suitable, the main thing is to remove greenish, putrid and moldy berries. Another fundamental note - grapes cannot be washed; very dirty fruits can be wiped with a dry cloth. The fact is that bacteria and fungi live on the surface of the grapes, which are natural yeasts that ensure fermentation.

2. Extracting grape juice

At this step, the grapes are crushed. This can be done by hand or by any other method. Any berry must be completely crushed, only then will it give juice. With all this, it is very important not to destroy the seeds, otherwise the finished wine will be bitter.

The result is grape slurry, which in the language of winemakers is called pulp. Every 6-8 hours, the slurry is stirred with a clean hand or a wooden stick, knocking off the “cap” of skin and pulp from the surface to prevent souring. 3-4 days after chopping the berries, the pulp should be strained through a colander (a huge sieve) or squeezed through cheesecloth.

Depending on the region where the grapes grow and weather conditions, the juice can be very sour. The usual acid content in wine is 4-6 grams per liter, but even in mature Isabella the acidity reaches 12-15 grams per liter from time to time. The problem is that it is impossible to find this parameter at home without a special device (pH meter).

If the juice tastes very stinging to the tongue or makes the cheekbones cramp, you should add 20-500 ml of water per liter of juice. You should not dilute the wort too much with water, since the acidity will also decrease when adding sugar.

3. Fermentation

First you need to prepare the container. It is better to use glass bottles of 5 and 10 liters, pouring grape juice into them. The containers must be completely clean and dry; they are filled with juice to no more than 2/3 of their size, leaving free space for fermentation.

Then a water seal is placed on the neck of the container with juice. The system is shown in the figure. Another option is a honey glove with a hole made with a needle in one of the fingers. Separately, you should take care of the density of the cork; it does not have to allow air to pass through, otherwise you will get vinegar instead of wine. To ensure sealing, it is better to seal the plug with plasticine.

Water seal designs for wine, mash and beer

The juice is transferred to a black room (or covered) at a temperature of 16-22°C. Fermentation will also occur at the highest temperatures (up to 30°C), but then I recommend filling the container only half the size, otherwise it may not withstand the gas pressure and burst.

The amount of sugar depends on the type of wine. The best option is from 100 to 150 grams per liter of juice. With all this, it is better to divide the addition of sugar into 3 steps. Before installing under the water seal, sweeten the juice 50% of the planned amount.

After 4-5 days, add another batch (25%). To do this, remove the water seal, pour 0.5 liters of fermenting juice per 1 kg of added sugar through a straw, and dilute the sugar in the juice. Pour the purchased syrup back into the wort, then install a water seal. After 4-5 days, repeat the function, adding the remaining 25% sugar.

The fermentation process of wine from Isabella grapes lasts 35-70 days. When the shutter finished releasing gas (the glove deflated), the wine became lighter, and a layer of sediment appeared on the bottom, which means fermentation was completed.

Attention! If fermentation continues longer than 55 days, it is necessary to drain the wine through a straw into another container without sediment, and again place it under a water seal for further fermentation, otherwise bitterness may appear from being on the sediment for a long time.

4. Flavor stabilization and aging

If the Isabella wine turns out to be very sour, you can adjust it with sugar (to taste). For lovers of fortified wines, I advise you to add 2-15% of vodka or alcohol based on the size of the drink. Fixed wine stores better, but it tastes harsher.

Pour the young wine into aging containers and seal tightly. If sugar was added for sweetening, keep it under a water seal for the first 7-10 days, then seal it later. It is better to pour wine to the top to minimize contact of the drink with air.

Transfer containers to a refrigerator or basement at a temperature of 6-16°C. Leave for at least 3 months to age. As sediment appears on the day (at first once every 10-15 days, later less frequently), pour the wine through a straw into another container.

5. Bottling

After 3-6 months, the prepared homemade wine from Isabella can be bottled, capped and stored in the refrigerator or basement. Strength - 9-12% (without fixing), if the temperature is maintained, shelf life - 5 years.

The development of manufacturing with diluting the juice half with water is shown in the video. This technique is only suitable for very sour grapes.

Wine Isabella – in the best traditions of home winemaking

The Isabella grape variety comes from America. At first it came to Europe, then to Russia. In our country, Isabella settled from the Black Sea coast to Siberia. This variety is considered universally suitable.

The fruits of this grape are quite tasty when fresh;
Isabella can be used to make juice;
Isabella berries are suitable raw materials for wine.

Why is Isabella better than the rest?

For those who like to grow grapes and make wine at home, this variety is simply a godsend.

The vine has good frost resistance. If she suffers from the cold, she quickly recovers.
The plant adapts well to various conditions (climate, soil composition, drought, or abundance of water).
Measured highest yields.
Berries contain many minerals and vitamins. Among them there are substances that suppress cancer cells.
Isabella fruits have a lot of juice and are quite sweet. This is excellent for wine raw materials.
Despite the black coloring of the berries, you can get reddish, pink, or snow-white wine from these grapes.

America and Europe abandoned wine from this grape variety. The reason was information about the presence of formic acid and a large amount of methanol in the drink. Later, these data were refuted, but the ban on creating wine from Isabella remained.

Traditional homemade wine recipe from Isabella

After harvesting, the grapes need to be sorted out as quickly as possible. It is necessary to separate the fruits from the clusters. Otherwise, the drink will be bitter.

Overripe, spoiled, or unripe berries are not suitable for wine. Rotten fruits will turn wine into vinegar. Greenish grapes will add extra acid to the juice.

It is not allowed to wash the collected collection. Water will wash away the natural yeast that lives on the surface of the berries. This yeast is necessary for the fermentation of wine.
The prepared grapes must be dumped into a wide container. Enameled, stainless steel, or wood utensils are suitable. The berries must be carefully mashed with your hands or feet to obtain juice. The bones should not be crushed. They can spoil the taste of the drink.
The juice together with crushed berries (pulp) should be placed in a warm space for about a week. Cover the container with gauze. The contents need to be stirred every day. This will saturate the juice with a large amount of coloring matter and yeast.
After the pulp has lightened, it must be removed from the water. Pour the juice into bottles or jars. The vessels need to be filled 2/3 full to leave room for escaping gases.
Add sugar and place under a water seal for fermentation. You can use a honey glove instead of a shutter.

You need about 200 grams of sugar per 1 liter of juice. But it is necessary to sweeten the wort in several stages. If you add all the sweetener at once, the yeast will not be able to process it. The result will be syrup.

First add half of the prepared sugar;
After 4–5 days, add another portion of the sweet sand. To do this, drain 1 liter of juice. Dilute the sugar in it and pour it back into the bottle. Place a water seal or glove on the space.

Once fermentation is complete, separate the young reddish wine from the grapes from the grounds. It is better to do this using a transparent tube. Do not shake the container or lower the tube into the sediment.
Try the resulting drink. If the taste is suitable, then bottle the wine. Seal tightly and send to ripen in a cold room (cellar, basement).

If the drink comes out sour, add sugar until the desired taste is obtained. Place the container of wine under the water seal again. (Wine can ferment after adding sugar). Wait 5 – 7 days. If fermentation does not continue, then you can send the drink to ripen.

Aging of reddish wine lasts for at least 3 months. If sediment forms in the drink, it must be removed. Pour the wine into a clean, dry container and send it out again for aging.

Snow white wine from Isabella

Making snow-white wine from grapes is a little easier than making reddish wine. Only juice is involved in fermentation. The skin and pulp of the berries are removed 3 hours after the grapes are mashed.

Because the coloring pigments do not have time to transfer from the skin of the berries into the juice, the wine comes out light golden. The taste of snow-white wine is less striking than that of a reddish drink. Otherwise, the process of making snow-white and reddish wine does not differ.

If fermentation lasts longer than 50 days, then the liquid is separated from the grounds. Pour into another container and install a water seal again. With prolonged contact with sediment, the drink may become bitter.

Dry wine

This product is characterized by sourness in taste. It contains no more than 10% alcohol. When producing dry wine, sugar is not needed. The juice must have enough sweetness for normal yeast work.

It is permissible to add a little sugar during wort fermentation if:

the wine ferments very weakly. The reason may be that the grapes did not receive enough sunlight during ripening. The fruits did not gain any sweetness and remained sour.

In this case, you can add up to 100 grams of sugar per liter of water to the wort. Thus, feed the yeast;

at the end of fermentation you are not satisfied with the taste of the drink. You can add sugar to reduce the acidity.

If you did not have to additionally sweeten the wort, then fermentation will last about 20 days. Then, the young wine can be sent for storage.

Grapes similar to Isabella

Isabella is popular not only among winemakers. Breeders willingly work with this variety. The varieties Seneca and Lydia, acquired from Isabella, have long been known.

Not so long ago, such types as:

Minsk pink;
Simone;
Alden;
Epoch;
Alwood;
Zilga.

Almost all of them have a short gestation period. What makes it possible to obtain harvests in the northern regions.

These varieties were inherited from Isabella:

higher productivity;
excellent taste properties of berries;
unpretentiousness in cultivation;
resistance to diseases and frost.

These types of grapes do not have the main drawback of Isabella - the slimy pulp of the fruit.

The Isabella grape variety remains one of the most favorite for producing various types of wine (reddish, snow-white, rose). Also for decorating gazebos and other structures.

Wine from Isabella grapes at home - 5 simple recipes with step-by-step photos

The Isabella grape variety is perfect for making homemade wine. It is collected before the first frost and the freshest, unspoiled fruits are picked. Every winemaker has his own secrets for making this divine drink. Let's look at several options too. And remember, alcohol should be enjoyed, not abused!

Wine and grapes usual recipe

Cooking time is a certain number of days.

Servings – 7.5 liters.

The absence of all additives when making homemade wine is one of the main guarantees of success. If the acidity of the grapes is high, then it is permissible to add little water. And so – only berries and sugar. Like in this recipe.

Ingredients

Manufacturing process

Wine made from grapes according to a traditional recipe

If you follow all the technologies described below, then it will be absolutely easy for you to prepare a high-quality and tasty drink.

Wine from Isabella grapes with added water

This recipe is suitable for both the most acidic harvest and for those who are not interested in degrees, but volumes are more important. In other words, this recipe will produce more wine, but the strength will be lower.

Ingredients:

Grapes – 5 kg.
Sugar – 750 gr.
Water – 3 liters.

Manufacturing process:

We sort the berries and put them in an enamel pan or basin. Add one and a half liters of water and sugar (at the rate of 40 g per 1 liter of consistency).
Mix the ingredients and leave to ferment away from light for 5 days. Stir the grapes with a wooden spatula a couple of times a day and remove the foam.
Then strain the pulp through cheesecloth. Mix the purchased juice with the remaining water. This will be the right must.
We pour it into unstained bottles, filling 1/3 of each. We seal the neck with cotton wool so that air can pass through.
After the fermentation process has decreased, you need to install a water seal on the cotton wool space. It is comfortable to use a glove for these purposes.
Let the wine steep until it turns light and sediment appears. To get rid of sediment, pour the wine into the remaining bottles.
Add sugar to each container at the rate of 200 grams per 1 liter of wine.
We age the wine for 30-40 days at a temperature of 10-15 degrees. If sediment appears, pour it back into the remaining bottles.
Store the finished wine in a cool place.

Wine from Isabella grapes with yeast

This recipe uses yeast to keep wine for the longest time. In this case, you can wash the grapes.

Ingredients:

Grapes – 5 kg.
Yeast – 100 gr.
Sugar – 1 kg.

Manufacturing process:

We sort and wash the berries. We take only ripe and whole grapes. We crush them into pulp. This needs to be done with a wood mortar or by hand. Pour it into a saucepan and put it on low heat. Heat to 75 degrees, without boiling. Remove the pan and let it sit for three days.
After this period has expired, add yeast to the pan. We pass the mass through a press and filter using a sieve.
Then add half of the sweet sand and mix everything well.
We install a water seal and send it to ferment at room temperature for several months. The wine needs to be stirred from time to time. We do this with a wood spatula.
In order to get rid of unnecessary sediment, pour the wine into the remaining containers. This function can be repeated a couple of times.
Add the second half of sugar and mix.
Pour into bottles and close them tightly.
Store in a cool place. Serve chilled.

Dry wine from Isabella grapes at home

This wine is made only from grapes without adding sugar or water. Ready dry wine can be stored for at least 3 years.

Ingredients:

Grapes – 20 kg.

Manufacturing process:

Select grapes from dry branches and bad berries. Crush it into a paste using your hands.
We transfer the resulting mass into a large container and leave it to stand for 4 days in a warm place.
We need to stir our mixture every day so that it does not sour. The pulp will constantly rise to the surface with foam.
Strain the pulp using a sieve and gauze. Squeeze out the pulp and pour the juice separately.
Pour the liquid into bottles, filling them two-thirds full. We install a water seal on the neck.
We send it to ferment at room temperature (from 20 to 26 degrees) for a period of more than a month.
Once you understand that the fermentation process is complete, remove the water seal. Pour the wine into a clean container and seal tightly. Place in a cold space for a period of 3 to 6 months. If sediment appears, pour the wine into other unstained containers. This way you can create the required number of times.
It is recommended to enjoy dry wine chilled.

The best brands of Isabella wine