Make your own organic herb infused wine
The practice of infusing wine with herbs goes all the way back to ancient times, and today it’s still a fun and tasty way to enjoy and enhance the flavors of your favorite wines with the benefits of herbal extracts.
Organic white and red wine infused with herbs.
Herbal infused wines have a long history throughout the world. The Egyptians used wines as a carrier for herbal remedies. Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania analyzed ceramics from Egyptian wine containers and found herbal residues dating back to over 5000 years ago! The herbs they identified included lemon balm, coriander, sage and mint.
In tenth century Europe, Saint Hildegrad Von Bingen recommended herbal infusions in wine and vinegar for a variety of ailments from weak heart to congestion. Many contemporary North American Herbalists recommend wine infusions as a simple and enjoyable way to incorporate herbs into your diet.
If human beings made herbal infused wines for millenniums, we had to try it too! Infusing a wine is very simple. Harvest a small handful of herbs for each bottle of wine to be infused. Make sure the herbs are clean and dry. Roughly chop them and blend together. Place herbs in a clean glass bottle or jar and pour in the wine and close lid tight. Let sit for 5 to 14 days in a cool dark place. The wine can last for up to two weeks once infused.
The wine takes on the flavors and characteristics of the herbs very quickly. I recommend trying the wine after one day, and continuing to try it over the course of a few days to see how it tastes and how the concentration of the herbs increases over time. When the taste is right, strain out the herbs and enjoy. You can also pour off a portion of the wine and leave some in the herbs to extract more flavor. Don't overdo it with the number of herbs for each infusion. Keep it simple and find out what you like best.
After the wine has been strained you can store it in the refrigerator or a cool dark place. I think it’s best to drink the finished product within about two weeks of infusing.
It's simple, healthful fun and the results were wonderfully tasty! Below are more pictures of the steps we took.
The herbs laid out, ready for chopping up, and some fresh lemon zest.
Oregano and rosemary for the red wine, lemon balm and fresh lemon zest for the white wine.
Pouring Frey Biodynamic Cabernet Sauvignon into oregano and rosemary. Five days later, a tasty herbal infusion!