Danger Dave’s Dragon Blood Wine: A Sweet & Tart Summer Favorite
Looking for a refreshing and fruity wine? Dragon Blood Wine is the perfect summer drink that’s quick to make and even quicker to disappear once your friends try it! This sweet-tart blush wine combines raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries with a hint of lemon. It ferments fast and clears quickly, making it possible to bottle within just two weeks.
Ingredients for 6 Gallon Batch (adjust for larger/smaller batches):
- 1 bottle (48 oz) of 100% Lemon Juice
- 20 cups of white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp tannin
- 3 tsp yeast nutrient
- 1 tsp yeast energizer
- 3 tsp pectic enzyme
- 6 lbs of Triple Berry Blend (frozen)
- EC-1118 Yeast (1 packet)
- Potassium Metabisulfite, Potassium Sorbate, Sparkolloid (or other clearing agent)
Steps for Making Dragon Blood Wine:
- Prepare Primary Fermenter: Add lemon juice, water, sugar, and yeast nutrients. Stir well, test SG for 1.075, and add thawed berries in a nylon bag.
- Add Yeast: After 12-24 hours, sprinkle yeast into warm water, let sit for 15 minutes, and add to the primary. Stir vigorously.
- Daily Stirring: For 7-10 days, check SG, temperature, and squeeze fruit pack.
- Rack & Stabilize: Once SG is below 1.000, rack into carboy, add stabilizing agents, and clear with Sparkolloid.
- Sweeten: After wine clears, rack again and adjust sweetness to taste with sugar. Let sit for another week.
- Bottle & Enjoy: When wine is clear, bottle in clear bottles and enjoy!
Tips & Variations:
- Experiment with different fruits like strawberries, peaches, or cherries.
- Try oak or raisins for added flavor complexity.
- Adjust the sugar for your desired sweetness level.
The Pressing Method is an innovative way to ferment fruit without a press. Squeeze the fruit bag daily for flavor extraction—easy and effective!
Get creative and make this wine your own! You won’t regret it.
I’ve been making a variation of this that uses both white and brown sugar and also Nellie and Joe’s Key West lime juice. It ends up with kind of a margarita flavor. I make a batch of this every summer, will be starting one soon!
I have made Skeeter Pee several times, this is my first time making Dragons Blood, the only variation I do to your directions is to let the mix sit 48 hours in a bucket and use my drill and wip about every 12 hours, before adding the rehydrated yeast, with that, I always get the fermentation started within 12 hours.