How to Make Muscadine Wine at Home - A Beginner-Friendly Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Muscadine Wine at Home: A Beginner-Friendly Step-by-Step Guide

If you've found yourself with a large harvest of muscadine grapes, why not try turning them into homemade wine? Whether you're a complete beginner or just looking for a simplified method, this step-by-step blog post will walk you through how to make muscadine wine using fresh or frozen grapes. Let’s dive in!

Supplies & Ingredients Checklist

Here’s everything you’ll need to get started. Initially it is a lot of supplies, but it can be used over and over to make wine. 

• Muscadine grapes - It takes 6 lbs of muscadine grapes to make approximately 1 gallon of wine. You can use fresh or frozen grapes. I froze my muscadine grapes in 1 gallon freezer bags until I was ready to make wine. A one gallon freezer bag full of grapes is approximately 6lbs. 

• Purified water - I purchased a few gallons of purified water. Avoid using well or city water because they can contaminate or alter the flavor of the final wine. 

• 2-gallon fermenting buckets - These buckets hold the grapes while they ferment. You need one 2-gallon bucket for every 6lbs of grapes.

• Airlocks - These airlocks plug the hole at the top of the bucket to allow gases out while the grapes ferment. They also indicate when fermentation is done. You need one airloc for each 2-gallon fermenting bucket.

• Five Star - Star San - Spray sterilizer used to sterilize everything that the ingredients, supplies, or wine will come in contact with. This is to avoid introducing bacteria or other pathogens that will contaminate the wine. 

• Potato masher - Helps to crush the grapes. 

• Campden tablets - Campden tablets are a sulphur-based product that are used to sterilize wine, cider and beer. It kills bacteria and inhibits the growth of wild yeast which will contaminate the end product. I did wash my grapes but I'm sure there is some wild yeast still on it so I have to use a Campden tablet. If your making wine from juice, as in not using fresh fruit, then you don't need to use Campden tablets. The standard dose is to add 1 tablet per gallon of wine. 

• Acid blend - This blend contains three natural fruit acids that help regulate the overall acidity in your wine. Acidity adds that crisp, bright “zing” you experience when tasting a good wine. Without enough of it, the wine can end up tasting flat or lacking in flavor depth.

• Pectic enzyme - Helps to break down the fruit's fiber or pulp. This allows more flavor and color to be extracted from whatever fruit is being used during the fermentation process.

• EC-1118 wine yeast - Wine yeast is required for fermentation. There are a few very popular strains of yeast and there seems to be much debate about which one is best for each type of wine. For muscadine grape wine, I found that the general consensus online was that EC-1118 yeast was best. The type of yeast used will affect flavor. And most people agreed that it complimented muscadine flavors better than others. 

• Yeast nutrient - Helps feed the yeast during the fermentation process. 

• White sugar - You will need 4 lbs of regular white sugar per 2-gallon bucket and a little extra for sweetening.

• Mesh strainer - Use a mesh strainer to help filter out the grape pieces after fermentation. 

• 3-gallon carboy -  Used to store the wine after its done fermenting and in the process of "racking" to remove sediments out of the wine. For this recipe, you need one 3 gallon carboy for every 2 gallons of grapes. 

• 5-gallon food-grade buckets - Will need a few food grade 5 gallon buckets throughout the process. 

• Siphon tube kit - Helps to quickly transfer wine in-between buckets during the racking process and to fill up wine bottles. 

• 750mL wine bottles with #8 corks - Use wine bottles made with dark colored glass. I used dark blue colored bottles. 

• Heat shrink caps & bottle labels - This is optional, but helps to seal the wine bottles and looks great if gifting. 

• Hydrometer (optional) - This is useful to help calculate when the wine is done fermenting and you can use it to measure the alcohol content of your wine. On average home made muscadine grape wine is about 10% alcohol.

• Extra #8 corks to fit on standard 750mL wine bottles
• Portuguese Double Lever Corker - This is optional but makes corking wine bottles so much more easier. 

Day 1: Prepare the Grapes

What is this step for? This step is to prepare the grapes by mixing with water so they can soften up. This will make smashing the grapes much easier. 

1. Sanitize all the tools, buckets, and work surface areas with Star San.

2. Add 6lbs of grapes to each 2 gallon fermenting bucket. It is ok if the grapes are frozen.

3. Add enough purified water to just cover the grapes in the bucket.

4. Add a lid and airlock that is filled with water to the line, to each fermentation bucket.

5. Let the grapes sit overnight in the bucket, in a cool, dry, dark spot.

Day 2: Crush & Sterilize

What is this step for? The grapes must be crushed so they can ferment and release their sugar content. The addition of a Campden tablet is to sterilize the mixture so no unwanted wild yeast or bacteria can grow. Wild yeast is usually found on the grapes (they pick it up while growing outside). Even if you wash the grapes, there is still some wild yeast on them that can compete with the correct kind of yeast (EC-1118 strain)  used to make wine, or spoil the entire mixture. 

1. Sanitize the potato masher.

2. Crush the grapes in the fermenting bucket with the potato smasher as good as you can.

3. Add 1 crushed Campden tablet per bucket. I squeezed the tablet in-between two spoons to crush.

4. Stir the grapes and Campden tablet with the sanitized masher. ***Please note that the color of the mixture might change slightly when you add the Campden tablet which is completely normal. It will change color and look more like wine once the fermentation process is complete. 

5. Cover each bucket with a lid and airlock that is filled with water to the line. Let this sit in a cool dark spot for 24 hours.

Day 3: Add Yeast To Start Primary Fermentation

What is this step for? Now that the mixture is sterile, we add a specific strain of yeast that will ferment the grape juice/sugar into wine. The yeast consume sugar and convert it to alcohol. The activity and growth of the yeast releases CO2 which can be seen as lots of bubbles in the mixture. CO2 bubbles means the mixture is still fermenting. When you no longer see bubbles, the yeast has run out of food (sugar), meaning all of the alcohol has been created, and the fermentation step is complete. 

Primary Fermentation VS Secondary Fermentation: When making wine, the mixture will go through two phases of fermentation. Primary fermentation is when the yeast is mixed with the crushed grapes and starts fermenting. This step is done in about 1-2 weeks, once you notice there is no more yeast activity, meaning no more release of CO2 bubbles. You can look at the airlock filled with water. If you don't notice anymore bubbles going through the water in the airlock, then primary fermentation is complete. At this point the grape matter is strained out of the wine, and "racked" or transferred into clean glass carboys to go through secondary fermentation. The wine sits in the carboy for a few more weeks to complete secondary fermentation which ensures that all yeast activity is truly complete. 

***Make sure you sanitize all of the bowls, stirs, cups, and work surface area with Star San before starting.***

1. Bloom the yeast: To prepare the yeast, bloom it first. Just like when making bread, the yeast is "bloomed" to activate it and make sure it is still good. If it does not bloom, the yeast has died and is not good for use. Sanitize everything. Mix 1 TBS white sugar with just enough room temperature purified water to dissolve. I mix it in a small glass cup so I can clearly see if the yeast has bloomed. Once the sugar is dissolved in the cup, sprinkle half a packet of EC-1118 yeast over the surface and DO NOT mix. Let the yeast remain on the surface. Let this sit for 5 minutes and then check if it has bloomed. If it has bloomed, the yeast will have expanded and look puffy. It is good to use. If it did not expand, it is not good to use, discard and use a new packet of yeast. Yeast are live organisms and can die from exposure to extreme temperatures and other factors. This is enough bloomed yeast for one 2-gallon fermentation bucket. If you have more than one bucket, bloom additional cups of yeast. 
2. Dissolve more white sugar to feed the yeast. Mix 4lbs of regular white sugar with 2 quarts of room temperature purified water. You will need to add this to each 2 gallon fermentation bucket. If I am working with four 2 gallon fermentation buckets of smashed grapes, I mix this four times, each in a seperate bowl so it is ready to pour into the buckets. 

3. Add to each 2 gallon fermentation bucket of crushed grapes:

   • 1 tsp Acid Blend

   • ½ tsp Pectic Enzyme

   • 2 tsp Yeast Nutrient

   • 4 lbs sugar dissolved in 2 quarts warm water

4. Pour in the bloomed yeast. Stir everything very well.

5. Replace lid and airlocks filled to the line with water onto every 2-gallon fermentation bucket. Put all of the buckets in a cool, dry, dark spot to ferment.

Day 4 (and up to 2 weeks): Stir The Grape Mixture Everyday

What is this step for? You must open and stir each fermentation bucket every day. This helps to release the grape material, sugars, and juices and gives you the opportunity to visibly check if fermentation is done. At the beginning you will notice lots of bubbles rise to the top. Towards the end, you will notice a decrease in the amount of bubbles which is an indicator that primary fermentation is done. 

• Stir once per day to break the cap (grape skins that rise to the top).

• Watch for airlock bubbles to stop, signaling fermentation is done. The time it will take for primary fermentation to complete depends on many factors such as the vigor of the yeast, available sugar, fruit being used, and ambient temperatures. My wine took 1 week to complete, but sometimes it can take a little longer, up to 2 weeks. 

• Use a hydrometer to confirm it’s done (SG ~0.990). This is a great way to test if fermentation is done if your not sure by just looking at the amount of bubbles. Follow the directions to test with a hydrometer. If you get a specific gravity value of 0.990, then its ok to move onto the next step.

• Once you notice barely anymore bubble formation OR you tested with the hydrometer, it is time to move onto the next step which is straining out the grapes, and racking or transferring the wine into clean glass carboys to start secondary fermentation. 

Another 2 weeks: Rack The Wine Into A Glass Carboy & Start Secondary Fermentation

What is this step for? The grape matter is strained out of the wine and discarded. The wine is then siphoned into a glass carboy to remove sediments. The wine sits in the glass carboy for 2 more weeks to make sure all yeast activity has stopped and to allow more sediments to settle at the bottom.

1. For this step you will need a fine mesh strainer, siphoning tube kit, a few 5 gallon buckets, and clean glass carboys with airlocks. Sanitize everything, including the work surface with Star San.  
2. Strain all of the liquid out of each 2-gallon fermentation bucket by passing it through a fine mesh strainer. This is where I used 5 gallon food grade buckets to catch the filtered wine. Discard all of the grape/fruit matter.
3. Use the siphon tube kit to quickly transfer the wine in the 5 gallon buckets into a 3-gallon glass carboy. Fill to the top shoulders of each carboy. Avoid siphoning sediment into the glass carboy. 

4. Add sanitized airlocks (filled with water to the line), onto the top plug of each carboy. Place the carboy into a cool, dry, dark spot to continue on with secondary fermentation. This last fermentation will help ensure all the yeast is no longer active and gives a chance for sediments to settle at the bottom. This is the last setp before bottling the wine.

5. Let sit for 2 weeks before going on to the next step.

Rack/Transfer The Wine Again

What is this step for? The wine is siphoned out of the glass carboy, into a new one in an attempt to remove any remaining sediments. This helps to ensure the final wine is clear. 

1. Use the siphon tube kit to siphon the wine out of the glass carboy and into a clean and sanitized 5 gallon food grade bucket.
2. Rinse out and sanitize the glass carboys.
3. Siphon the wine back into the glass carboys. 
4. At this point the wine should be pretty clear and most of the sediments removed. If you still have a lot of sediment, let the wine sit for another 2 weeks and repeat this step again. 

The wine is drinkable. This wine is not very sweet and is more on the "dry" side. The next step is to sweeten the wine with more sugar water. This is how moscato or sweeter, less dry wines are made. Or if you like the current flavor, skip to bottling. 

Also, allowing the finished wine to "age" or sit for a few more weeks, or even better 6 months, makes the flavor better and "smoother". 

Optional: Back Sweeten The Wine To Taste

What is this step for? Sugar water is added to wine after racking in a process called back sweetening.  This step is typically done once fermentation has fully finished and the wine has been cleared of most sediments. During fermentation, the yeast consumes all the natural sugars, often leaving the wine dry. Back sweetening allows you to adjust the flavor by reintroducing sweetness, helping to soften acidity and balance out any tartness or bitterness, especially common in fruit wines like muscadine. This process gives you more control over the final taste profile, making the wine smoother and more enjoyable based on your personal preference. However, it’s important to note that if the wine still contains active yeast, adding sugar without stabilizing it first can cause fermentation to restart in the bottle, leading to unwanted carbonation or even exploding corks. 

***Taste a little bit of wine from the carboy. If you like the flavor - you can skip back sweetening the wine and go to bottling it up. If you prefer a sweeter and less dry wine, proceed with the below steps. ***

1. Rack or transfer the wine out of the glass carboys and into 5 gallon food safe buckets. It is easier to mix the wine and sugar water in a large bucket than in a carboy. Make sure everything is sanitized with Star San.

2. Mix equal parts of regular white sugar with purfied water, in a large bowl. The amount you are going to use is totally up to your preference. 

3. Add small amounts of sugar water (like 1 cup at a time), into the 5 gallon bucket of wine. Mix and taste as you go. Stop once it is sweet enough according to your preference. At this point, the wine is ready to be siphoned into wine bottles. 

4. Siphon wine into sanitized wine bottles.

5. Use corking tool to seal bottles.

6. Let bottles sit 24 hours before labeling/capping.

Bottle The Wine, Shrink Wrap The Cap, Label the Bottole, & Optional Aging

What is this step for? Bottling, shrink wrapping the bottle, and aging is all optional. Proper bottling and adding a cap help the wine last longer. Aging improves flavor. 

1. Make sure the wine bottles are clean and sanitized. Sanitize all of the supplies and work surface that may come in contact with the wine.
2. Use the siphone tube kit to quickly siphon the wine into wine bottles. 
3. Cork each bottle once full, leaving space at the top to fit in a cork. I like to use a corking tool because it is much easier to push the cork down into the bottle. 
4. Let the bottles sit for 24 hours before labeling/capping.
5. The next day, cap the bottles. I sit a small pot of water on my stove and bring it to a boil. I place a plastic wine bottle cap on the top of the bottle and dip it into the hot water. Then place a label on the bottle. I like to use Canva to design a label that I print.
6. The wine is totally drinkable at this point but you might want to age it for 3–6 months for better flavor. 

Why age the wine? Aging wine for 3 to 6 months allows the flavors to mellow and blend together, resulting in a smoother, more balanced taste. During this time, harsh or sharp notes—especially from alcohol or tannins—begin to soften, and any bitterness from fermentation can diminish. Sediments also have more time to settle, leading to a clearer wine with a cleaner finish. Extending the aging process to a full year deepens these benefits even further. Over 12 months, complex flavor compounds continue to develop, creating a richer, more refined wine with enhanced aroma, mouthfeel, and depth. Aging also improves overall stability, helping the wine mature gracefully and taste more polished when you're finally ready to enjoy it.

Homemade Wine

Making wine at home doesn’t have to be intimidating. The entire process may take a long time, but each step is very easy. I'm sure if you follow these steps, even a first-time winemaker can create a beautiful batch of muscadine wine. Whether you enjoy it dry or sweet, one thing is for sure—the flavor of homemade wine is superior than anything you can buy at the store. 

I grow my own muscadine grapes to make wine. However, you can probably find some local muscadine grape farms that sell it by the pound. 

Check out my website for muscadine grape starter plants.

Blanc Du Bois Grape - good for fresh eating and making white wine.

Southern Home & Delicious muscadine grapes - Both are dark purple muscadine grapes used for fresh eating, making juice, or red muscadine grape wine. 

Carlos muscadine grape - This is a bronze colored muscadine grape that makes a "white" muscadine grape wine. It can also be eaten fresh or used to make juice. 

Check out my tutorial on how to grow muscadine grapes at home for more information.