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Herb Infused Wine
How To Infuse Wine With Herbs
Herbal Wine Vs Herb Infused Wine
How To Explore Herbal Wines Today
Herbal wines are not new. In fact, they are part of our human history of medicine. But what exactly are they? We are
going to tackle that question in two parts: 1. Herbal infused wine and 2. Wines made with herbs.
HERB INFUSED WINE
Archeology has found clear evidence of herbs being used in grape wine since antiquity and evidence of them being
used as medicine eventually shows up in written records. It makes sense. Alcohol is still used today as our main
herbal medicine menstruum (solvent) for tinctures (extracts). Water is our primary for infusions, but these "teas"
should be consumed right away. Alcohol extracts are more concentrated and can be taken in smaller amounts. Because
the material is preserved in the alcohol, they can also be stored and taken over time.
People with alcohol sensitivities and those administering herbal remedies to children may choose tinctures that are
instead made with vinegar or glycerine, but the more potent extractor is still alcohol (note that sometimes herbal
remedies are made by combining both a water and alcohol extraction because some botanical constituents are more
soluble in one over the other).
Today, most tinctures are made with vodka or another high proof alcohol. Since high proof grain alcohol did not show
up until the 18th century (there is debate about this), wine was of course the available alcohol for thousands of
years (and meade, or honey based fermented liquid, is probably even older!). Whether or not ancient people had the
science to know the wine was extracting plant constituents is not clear. Ancient wines were not like our wines today
and herbs were likely first added for aroma and taste. But they at least understood by observation that herbs given
in wine had a different effect and the therapeutic knowledge eventually came. Also, there are recorded instances of
wine itself being used as a remedy for many ailments.
The oldest evidence we have of winemaking, according to National Geographic, is an 8,000 year old village in the
Republic of Georgia. They state, "In a paper published today in the journal PNAS, an international team of archaeologists has
conclusively shown what all those grapes were for. The people living at Gadachrili Gora and a nearby village were
the world's earliest known vintners—producing wine on a large scale as early as 6,000 B.C., a time when
prehistoric humans were still reliant on stone and bone tools."
According to the archeologists who discovered pot fragments dating more than 8000 years old in China, rice, honey,
and possibly grapes or hawthorn (an herb) fruit were being used in the fermentation process. So, we really don't
know for how long herbs were being used to ferment.
HOW TO INFUSE WINE WITH HERBS
To make herb infused wine, simply follow the same procedure as making a tincture - add herbs and leaves to your
grape wine and let infuse from weeks to months, depending on the plant. You can also fortify your herb infused wine
with a stronger proof brandy, port or sherry. Experiment! There are many herb infused wine recipes online to achieve
different results; although, you may first want to try with the less expensive wines until you find flavors and
aromas you enjoy. Some commonly used herbs for this purpose are
thyme,
rosemary,
chamomile,
lemon
balm,
mint,
lavender,
juniper,
and sage. Have fun with it! Do a quick internet search of "herb infused wine recipes" and you'll find a plethora of
examples. Just start with the wine and herbs you like.
HERBAL WINE VS HERB INFUSED WINE
When you look up the definition of wine in any source, it starts with wine being the alcoholic fermented juice of
fresh grapes. But then, some sources will continue on to include fermented juices from any fruit. Go on further and
it may say it's the alcoholic fermented juice of any plant product. As you explore the term around the world and
throughout history, it becomes clear that the definition can be less than absolute.
For our purposes, the main distinction of herb infused wine vs an herbal wine is that an herbal wine is an alcoholic
fermentation of the herbs themselves whereas herb infused wine is made by adding herbs to already finished wine.
When fermenting herbs with our grapes or other fruits, it becomes its own distinct drink. To make an herbal wine,
you simply combine herbs with either a lot of sugar, dried fruit and fruit juices, or honey, choose your yeast
source and then ferment.
When discussing wines made by fermenting with the herbs we might look at several alcoholic beverages, aside from
just grape wines, that may have their own distinctive categories, but are regulated as wines:
- Mead - a fermented alcoholic beverage sometimes referred to as "honey wine" because it is made using yeast and
water diluted honey as the primary sugar.
- Melomel - mead made with added fruits
- Metheglin - mead that's made by adding spices and herbs
- Pyment - mead made with grapes or wine
- Hydromels - mead with a lower alcohol content
Herbal wines are as easy to make as home-brews and are fun fermentation explorations as well as unique gifts! Common
herbs used to make wine are
dandelion,
elderberry,
red
clover,
rose,
tusli,
and
melissa (lemon balm).
HOW TO EXPLORE HERBAL WINES TODAY
Whether for sheer enjoyment or as a wellness booster, herbal wines can be a fun pursuit. If you are going for
wellness, look for (or make) wines that are without additives and that are organic or without pesticides and other
chemical residues. These may be harder to come by, but the "natural" or organic alcoholic beverage industry is
growing.
You can find many companies making a spectrum of these with any number of herbs and wines. If you are going to give
winemaking a whirl, remember to do your homework and find beginner recipes that work best for your end goals. As for
sourcing your herbs
for beverages, Monterey Herb Co. has been providing bulk herbs to a variety of beverage and spirits companies
for decades. They also supply small quantities for experimentation and small-batch home making as well. View their
full catalog of organic and conventional herbs and spices
for inspiration. Most importantly, enjoy the process with all the trials, errors, and successes!
