Making Berry Fruit Wines:Tips from the Pros

Country wines come in all different styles and varieties, but berry wines are perennial favorites. Summertime brings with it a bevy of fresh, ripe berry options to craft some fine berry wines. Two berry wine experts share some winemaking advice. Sandi Vojta, Winemaker at Prairie Berry Winery in Hill City, South Dakota. Sandi is a fifth generation winemaker. She is the chief fermentation officer at Prairie Berry Winery. We make many different wines using both domestic and wild berries. My great-great-grandmother started making these wines when she emigrated from Moravia, Czechoslovakia to the Dakota Territory in 1876. She utilized the wild prairie berries she found growing on their homestead because that was all she had available to produce wine. The tradition of making berry wines has been passed down for five generations to me. It is such a strong part of my heritage. The style of wine I produce really depends on the type of fruit or berry, and of course the growing year. Some fruits are flexible and can be made into many styles while others tell you how