Blueberry wine is a berry fruit wine that has dark red color, pleasant blueberry aroma, and may have a multitude of health benefits.
The later the blueberry is harvested, the higher the sugar concentration mainly in the form of fructose and glucose, which could reach up to about 13%.
The main steps of the blueberry fruit wine technology include the following: fresh or frozen fruit reception; fruit must extraction and preparation by crushing, pressing, clarifying, and amending; fruit must fermentation; conditioning and conservation; and aging.
During wine processing, the fruits are pressed to release the sweet juice used for fermentation along with their skins and seeds. Like red grapes, anthocyanins of blueberries are present mainly in the skins, while tannins and phenolic acids predominate in the seeds. During fermentation process, these compounds are transferred to wine and contribute to the color, mouthfeel, and antioxidant properties of the wine.
Alcoholic fermentation is the important step in providing best quality wine. Several researchers have reported that many factors, including fermentation temperature, pH, inoculums size, sugar concentration, type of fermentation can significantly influence the ethanol content of fruit wine.
Blueberry wines should be aged in a cellar at least six months and consumed within three or four years.
Blueberry wine is a unique product. Blueberries are sweet and tart at the same time, yielding a range of taste components that lend themselves to the production of a complex wine.
Production of blueberry wine
