Have you seen those jaw-dropping photos of creative winemaking, or of fermenting goodness in jars? Do you know what I'm talking about?
Those undeniably stunning photos of people making wine... C'mon, you know the ones I'm talking about (if you don't, you are missing out my friend).
I honestly LIVE to see these photos, and I go to sleep dreaming about them (I'm not kidding). Soooo be careful, you might be too busy swooning over creative winemaking than actually making them!
(This one is for my nature-loving ladies out there!!)
I will give you the best creative winemaking ideas, best books, and tips and tricks to making creative wine so you can get inspired to dive in yourself!
This post is all about creative winemaking.
7 Exclusive Creative Winemaking Ideas
Alright, you might be wondering, "Ali, I don't even know how to make regular wine, creative winemaking seems a bit crazy..." And, I get it!
These creative winemaking ideas are here for you to swoon over and get inspired.
(The books can be great additions to your wine bar at home, but can also be great teachers if you want to test the waters of creative wine!)
Basically, what I'm saying is, don't worry too much about the nitty-gritty details and really just allow your mind to wander with inspiration and lust.
Trust me, it won't be hard!
Wild Fermented Wine
The first, most intriguing, creative wine idea is wild fermented wine.
It can be really intriguing because instead of using dried yeast, the winemaker uses wild yeast.
Side note: this is most likely the way humans fermented wine ages ago. They did not have access to commercially produced dried yeast... They used what was readily available to them in nature.
Wild fermented wine and natural wines overlap in the idea of using naturally occurring yeasts.
However... Wild fermented wines have a bit more play room in the definition. Unlike natural wines which I go into next.
For wild fermented wines, you make your own yeast starter instead of using commercially dried yeast packets. Essentially, you create your very own yeast population...
It is not as intense as it sounds! It is quite easy, actually. Yeasts are found naturally on ginger, apples, turmeric root, potatoes, and more! So, you can use a variety of fruits or vegetables to get your own bubbly baby.
(Bubbly baby = tiny jar of a yeast population that bubbles)
Check out how to dive into wild fermented wines, the best resources, and more below!
How Wild Fermented Wine is Like Taking a Hike & Why You Need to Know About It
Natural Wine
Which bring me to my next creative winemaking idea: natural wine!
Natural wines have a bit more rigid definition in the winemakers world. Natural wine specifically uses the yeasts on the grapes' skin.
So, technically, natural wine can be a kind of wild fermented wine.
A quick short story:
The winemaker I worked for in California wine country was a natural wine maker. She hand picked grapes, literally one by one, and carried them around like they were her babies.
When she got to the winery, she would gently place them in their own bucket away from alllll other grapes, like they were Holy Grapes needing their own little home.
This ensured no water would come in contact with them, no other grapes' yeasts would infect them, etc, etc.
The wines she created were top-tier (obviously, with that attention to detail my goodness!) and she could title her wine "natural wine".
Learn more about natural wine below!
Your NEW Guide to Natural Wine That Will Leave You Stunned (Because It's Stunning)
Herbal Wine
The creative wine photos that will leave you breathless are herbal wines... Wow oh wow.
I mean, mix herbalism with homemade wines and you get something really amazing. Even if you don't make it, the concept of bringing together such elegant crafts sparks beautiful intrigue.
And, intrigue can lead to inspiration (which leads to creation!)
For the ultimate spark of intrigue, a must-read is a book called Wildcrafting Brewer by Pascal Baudar.
He teaches the concepts of wild fermentation, crafting wines and beer from elements in your back yard, and his photos are *literally* to die for.
A beautiful book to add on the shelves of your wine bar, to create conversation, and to read while drinking a glass of wine. So lovely!
(If you couldn't tell, I could yell this from the roof tops, this book is that good).
This resource is such a great place to get inspired in creative winemaking (plus other crafty treats are inside as well).
RELATED POST: Why Herbal Wine is the Creative Hobby Every Nature-Loving Girl is Obsessed With
Fruit Wine
Many home winemakers already ferment fruit wine! It is very popular because you can be super creative and choose all sorts of fruits.
The only type of fruit wine I made (other than grape wine) was plum wine. It can be time consuming to process the whole fruit.
Sooo, to fix that, winemakers can use fruit juice instead of whole fruits which makes the process WAY easier (I go over this process a bit in my easy wine making guide).
Get inspired with some unique fruit wine recipes:
(Those recipe photos are also *to-die-for*)
Let me ask you this, do you live in a fruitful place? I mean, a place where there is an abundance of different fruits?
Maybe some we never heard of before? (Honestly I never heard of chokecherry until I saw that recipe above...)
If you do, man o man start making some wines out of them!
That is my dream, to live on land with my family and have endless amazing fruits that I take back into my fermentation studio and whip up crazy concoctions...
*Think vintage winemaking equipment, bubbly yeast starters in the corner, boho tapestries draped on the wall, and fruit galore*
Honey Wine
Don't you just love the name "honey wine"? It gives me sweet delicate vibes.
Honey wine is also known as MEAD! Which essentially is a fermented drink that uses honey as the fermentable sugar, where as fruit wines will use the sugars in the fruit (plus some added sugars, if needed).
Honey wine might be my more inspiring creative winemaking idea. If you are a health nut like me, then you appreciate products without added sugars!
Honey wine can have beautiful ingredients: wild foraged fruits, water, and local honey.
Emphasis on local honey, you know how good that honey is... Now imagine it fermented into wine! Wowza. I want to go make a honey wine literally right now.
Side Note: Some local markets can offer a variety of honey. Some from wild flowers, some from a specific plant, etc etc. These flavor varietals of honey can add an interesting flavor profile to your wine as well.
Mix and match honey wine, herbal wine, AND fruit wine for a mecca of creative winemaking.
Age in Mini-Barrel
The last two creative winemaking ideas are more about what happens after the winemaking process actually occurs.
How can we get creative with how we store, age, and drink our wines?
First, after fermenting your creative wine (have that be herbal wine, fruit wine, etc), place in a small gallon barrel to age!
You might be thinking, "Ali, I don't have a huge wine barrel to store wines... Let alone ANY room in my garage..."
Well, get ready because there is a barrel PERFECT for you: a one gallon mini-barrel. Yes, it's true and it is as adorable as it sounds...
Easily purchase on Amazon and age your creative wine in a barrel to get that oaky flavor! Leave in barrel for as long as you want, taste test at certain time intervals, etc.
Age Underground
Last, but not least! The most creative winemaking idea for that *primitive* wine making lover is to age your wine underground.
This creative wine idea allows you to work with your natural environment to help you make wine.
Now, some winemakers will say this is a terrible idea, and trust me I get that. It does not have 100% guaranteed temperature stability and blah blah blah.
Though, give it a shot. Learn about your land, the Earth beneath your feet, the trees, the sand, the dirt, the water, ALL OF IT.
Connect with it and allow the Earth to help you concoct some creative wines. Learn more about underground wine cellars here!
Creative winemaking, of course, looks different for everybody. But, we can start our creative wine journey through herbal wines, honey wines, wild fermented wines, natural wines, aging in mini-barrels, and aging underground.
Those are just the top ideas for creative wine, but the list is endless. So, get out there to your local fruit stand and pick up some produce to make a batch of some creative wine.
This post was all about creative winemaking.