Help/ideas needed for a blueberry wine.

My friend wants me to help her make a batch of blueberry wine. So far I have only made Apfelwein and some basic jail brew. I brew beer, wine is not my specialty. But... since she asked nicely I told her I would help any way I could. Farther down the page is a simple recipe (10lbs blueberries, 10lbs cane sugar, and a few other things I am sure I can find at the LHBS). But I have a few questions.

#1. Cane sugar or dextrose? Personally I prefer working w/ dextrose. Any ideas on which would be better?

#2. The recipe used Montrachete, what should I use if she wants a sweeter tasting wine?

#3. The recipe also used Energizer, Nutrient, Crushed Campden Tablets, pectic enzyme, and Acid Blend. Is this all necessary?


Thanks for your help on this. Its important that I have some sort of an idea on how to make wine when I go over to help her out.

As far as the sugar you would use that a matter if opinion. Cane sugar is used a lot becaused once it ferments out it has a neutral flavor (plus it's cheap). I'm not sure what kind of flavor dextrose will give you.

The best way to to get a sweeter wine is to let it ferment out to 1.000 or lower, stabalize with campden and potassium metabilsufite, and backsweeten a little at a time time you get the taste you want.

I would say that you will definately want to pectic enzyme 24 hours before you pitch. Same with campden (especially if you have doubts on the fruit). As far as acid, engergizer, and nutrient that is totally up to you. If you use some of your blueberries in the primary you'll get plenty of what the yeasties need.

Hope this gives you a starting point.