The simple wine that takes us all back to a very specific time in our youth. Just remember the line. “I remember when 30 was old.” The recipe is as simple as it gets, no additives, just basic, natural ingredients, and let science do the rest (please see note about Campden tablets and other additives at the bottom).

You’ll need:

• Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast, half packet
• 4lb frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1.73-2  lbs of sugar (I couldn’t live without my kitchen scale.)
• 1 bubble airlock (I use these ones) 
• 1 gallon carboy
• Sanitizing liquid

Super basic steps:

1. Sanitize everything you are using (spraying counter, soaking spoons, buckets, etc.) I use StarSan to dilute and soak everything I use.
2. Gently simmer the strawberries and raisins on low in about 1 gallon of filtered water for 25-30 mins. 
3. While strawberries are cooking, mix ½ yeast packet with ¼ cup of warm water and allow it to sit and activate about (10-25 mins). 
4. Once strawberries are done, allow to cool to below 100 degrees. I do this by placing the pot in the sink full of ice water, and letting it sit until it is about 80 degrees. If this mixture is too warm, it could negatively impact (kill) your live yeast mixture! Pour the mixed and cooled liquid into 1 gallon carboy or 2 gallon brewing bucket with bubbler lid.  
5. Add in the sugar and mix or shake well (depending on if you using a carboy or bucket).
6. Next pitch the yeast. Mix well again (stir 2-5 mins with stainless steel or plastic long spoon.
7. Allow this mixture to ferment for a week, while stirring daily to keep any fruit that rises to the top from going bad (it needs to stay moist and mixed in). To separate them, I run the liquid through a mesh strainer and moved the strained liquid to a glass carboy with the airlock. It should start bubbling up in your airlock over the next 24 hours.
8. After another week (now two weeks total of fermenting), rack the liquid from the lees at the bottom and into a sanitized carboy and allow liquid mixture to ferment another week. I love my auto siphon, but you can get away without it with careful pouring, or a simple tube. There should be a total of two weeks of fermentation before bottling. This mixture stayed rather bubbly for me, even when the hydrometer was at .99. So I let it sit another week and then added 1/2 tsp of potassium metabisulfate to be safe, before bottling.
9. Bottle. If you are getting technical, check your hydrometer reading to be sure it is between .992 and .996, and clear. You do not want to bottle cloudy (or bubbly/fizzy) wine (you don’t want bottle explosions!)
10.  Allow wine to age at least 6 months and up to 2-3 years.

I offer additional home fruit winemaking tips on my Prickly Pear Cactus Wine recipe.

NOTE: This blog includes affiliate links, which means I may receive a nominal commission when you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. I have not been paid for my opinion and any commentary on the efficiency of a product is solely my own opinion and experience. Please use your own research and discretion when making food and wine products. Eliminating the use of Campden tablets and other additives is optional.