How to Make Rhubarb Wine: Tart, Sweet & Springy

Few homemade wines capture the essence of spring quite like rhubarb wine. With its distinctive tartness balanced by carefully added sweetness, rhubarb wine offers a uniquely refreshing character that commercial wines simply cannot replicate. Having evaluated wine competitions across four continents and studied indigenous brewing methods extensively, I’ve found that rhubarb consistently produces one of the most intriguing and versatile fruit wines available to the home winemaker.

 

What makes rhubarb particularly special is its high acid content and minimal sugar—characteristics that make it challenging to eat raw but perfect for winemaking when properly balanced. The resulting wine showcases brilliant clarity, a beautiful pale pink to amber hue, and a crisp, food-friendly profile that evolves wonderfully with age. Despite its relative obscurity in commercial winemaking, rhubarb wine holds a cherished place in home winemaking traditions across Europe and North America.

 

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through creating exceptional rhubarb wine that highlights the plant’s natural character while achieving perfect balance. Whether you’re harvesting rhubarb from your garden or sourcing it from local farmers, you’ll soon be crafting a truly distinctive wine that tells the story of spring in every glass.

 

Understanding Rhubarb as a Winemaking Ingredient

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) presents a fascinating paradox for winemakers:

 

• Extremely high in malic and citric acids (higher than most winemaking grapes)
• Very low in natural sugars (requiring significant additions)
• Rich in pectin (requiring special handling for clarity)
• Contains unique flavor compounds that develop complexity during aging

According to research from the University of Minnesota Extension, rhubarb varieties differ significantly in their acid content and color intensity. Victoria and Valentine varieties typically offer the brightest red color, while Mammoth Red tends to provide the best balance of flavor compounds for winemaking.

 

Harvesting and Selection

For optimal wine quality:

 

• Harvest rhubarb stalks when they reach full size but remain tender (typically April-June)
• Select stalks that are firm and crisp with vibrant color
• Avoid using any leaves (they contain toxic oxalic acid)
• Use stalks immediately or refrigerate for up to one week
• Choose redder varieties for more visually appealing wine

Essential Ingredients for Rhubarb Wine

For a standard 1-gallon batch of rhubarb wine, you’ll need:

 

Base Ingredients

• 5-6 pounds (2.3-2.7 kg) fresh rhubarb stalks: Provides primary flavor, color, and acidity
• 2-2.5 pounds (0.9-1.1 kg) granulated sugar: Creates necessary fermentable sugars
• 1 pound (0.45 kg) golden raisins (optional): Adds body, mouthfeel, and fermentation nutrients
• Water: Filtered or spring water free from chlorine and chloramine
• 1 teaspoon acid blend (may not be needed depending on rhubarb acidity)
• 1 teaspoon pectic enzyme: Essential for breaking down rhubarb’s high pectin content
• 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient: Provides essential nutrients for healthy fermentation
• ¼ teaspoon tannin (optional): Adds structure if desired
• Campden tablets (1 initially, 1 before bottling): Kills wild yeast and bacteria
• Wine yeast (1 packet): Lalvin EC-1118 or K1-V1116 work exceptionally well with rhubarb

At Brew My Beer, we’ve found that the addition of golden raisins significantly improves body and mouthfeel in rhubarb wine without interfering with its distinctive character.

 

Equipment Needs

• 1-gallon glass carboy or food-grade fermenter (plus a second for racking)
• Primary fermentation bucket (food-grade, 2-gallon capacity)
• Airlock and stopper
• Auto-siphon and food-grade tubing
• Hydrometer and test jar
• Sanitizer (Star San or similar)
• Nylon straining bag
• Wine bottles and corks (approximately 5 standard bottles per gallon)
• Corker (hand corker works fine for small batches)

Step-by-Step Rhubarb Wine Making Process

Follow these steps to create your batch of rhubarb wine:

 

1. Initial Preparation (Day 1)

1. Thoroughly sanitize all equipment that will contact your wine
2. Wash rhubarb stalks and trim ends
3. Cut rhubarb into 1-inch pieces (do not peel)
4. Place cut rhubarb in a nylon straining bag within your primary fermenter
5. Crush rhubarb gently with a sanitized potato masher or clean hands
6. Pour 1 quart boiling water over the rhubarb to help release juices
7. Add 1 crushed Campden tablet, stir, and cover loosely
8. Let sit for 24 hours to extract juice and eliminate wild yeasts

According to wine chemist Daniel Pambianchi in Techniques in Home Winemaking, this cold-water extraction method preserves delicate aromatics that would be destroyed by more aggressive extraction techniques.

 

2. Starting Primary Fermentation (Day 2)

1. Add pectic enzyme and stir gently
2. Wait 12 hours for the enzyme to work
3. Dissolve sugar in 2 cups of warm water and add to the must
4. Add golden raisins if using
5. Add acid blend (if needed) and yeast nutrient
6. Add filtered water to reach approximately 1 gallon total volume
7. Stir vigorously to incorporate oxygen
8. Check specific gravity with hydrometer (target: 1.085-1.095)
9. Check acidity with pH meter or acid test kit (target: pH 3.3-3.5)
10. Activate wine yeast according to package directions
11. Add activated yeast to must and cover with airlock

Winemaking expert Lum Eisenman notes in The Home Winemaker’s Manual that properly adjusted acidity is particularly crucial for rhubarb wine due to its naturally high acid content. Testing and adjusting pH before fermentation ensures balanced flavor development.

 

3. Managing Primary Fermentation (Days 3-7)

1. Stir must daily, gently pressing rhubarb bag to extract flavor and color
2. Monitor fermentation activity through airlock bubbling
3. After 5-7 days, when fermentation slows and specific gravity drops below 1.030, remove fruit bag
4. Allow the fruit to drain naturally (avoid squeezing, which can extract harsh components)

4. Secondary Fermentation (Weeks 2-4)

1. Once primary fermentation slows significantly, siphon wine into a sanitized glass carboy
2. Attach airlock and move to a cool, dark location (60-65°F/15-18°C ideal)
3. Let ferment until bubbling stops completely and wine begins to clear, typically 3-4 weeks
4. Check gravity readings—fermentation is complete when readings remain stable for three consecutive days (typically 0.996-1.010)

5. Clarifying and Aging (Months 2-4)

1. Once fermentation completes, rack wine off sediment into clean carboy
2. Add 1 crushed Campden tablet to stabilize
3. Consider fining agents if wine remains cloudy:
   
   • Bentonite works particularly well for rhubarb’s protein haze
   • Sparkolloid can address persistent cloudiness
4. Age for at least 3 months, racking every 30-60 days if sediment accumulates

Research from the American Wine Society indicates that rhubarb wine often undergoes dramatic transformation during its first six months, with harsh acidic edges softening and fruit character becoming more integrated.

 

6. Finishing and Bottling (Month 5+)

1. Take final gravity reading and assess taste
2. Consider back-sweetening if desired:
   
   • Add potassium sorbate (½ teaspoon per gallon)
   • Allow to sit for 24 hours
   • Add simple syrup made from 1 cup sugar dissolved in ½ cup water (cooled before adding)
   • Stir gently to incorporate
3. Allow wine to sit for 2 weeks after sweetening to ensure stability
4. Sanitize bottles, corks, and all bottling equipment
5. Fill bottles, leaving appropriate headspace (½ inch for corked bottles)
6. Cork bottles and store upright for the first week
7. Store horizontally in a cool, dark place thereafter

Flavor Profile and Aging

Young rhubarb wine (3-6 months) typically presents:

 

• Bright, pronounced acidity
• Clear rhubarb character
• Noticeable crispness
• Light to medium body

With extended aging (12+ months), expect:

 

• Softened acidity
• Developed complexity with subtle vanilla notes
• Enhanced mouthfeel
• Deeper color

According to a study by the Journal of Food Science, rhubarb wine continues developing complexity for up to three years due to the slow esterification of its abundant organic acids.

 

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Excessive Acidity

• Cause: Natural high acid content of rhubarb
• Solution:
  
  • For prevention: Use less rhubarb or dilute must
  • For correction: Add calcium carbonate (follow package directions carefully)
  • Consider malolactic fermentation to soften malic acid

Persistent Cloudiness

• Cause: High pectin content in rhubarb
• Solution:
  
  • Ensure adequate pectic enzyme during initial preparation
  • Add additional pectic enzyme during secondary fermentation
  • Consider bentonite fining for protein haze

Weak Rhubarb Character

• Cause: Insufficient rhubarb or overcorrection of acidity
• Solution:
  
  • Increase rhubarb quantity in future batches
  • Consider adding small amount of rhubarb juice at stabilization (carefully stabilized)

Food Pairing Suggestions

Rhubarb wine’s unique profile pairs exceptionally well with:

 

• Soft ripened cheeses (brie, camembert)
• Poultry dishes with creamy sauces
• Spring vegetables like asparagus and peas
• Light fish dishes with butter sauces
• Strawberry or vanilla desserts (especially when wine is back-sweetened)

Variations and Enhancements

Consider these variations on the basic rhubarb wine recipe:

 

• Strawberry-Rhubarb Wine: Replace 1-2 pounds of rhubarb with strawberries for classic flavor combination
• Rhubarb-Ginger Wine: Add 2-3 ounces of fresh ginger during primary fermentation
• Sparkling Rhubarb Wine: Bottle with priming sugar for natural carbonation (requires champagne bottles)
• Vanilla-Infused Rhubarb Wine: Add a vanilla bean during secondary fermentation

Final Thoughts

Creating rhubarb wine connects you to a wonderful seasonal tradition while producing a truly distinctive beverage. The transformation from extremely tart vegetable to elegant wine demonstrates the remarkable alchemy of fermentation and aging. Though it requires patience—particularly during the clarification phase—rhubarb wine rewards your efforts with a refreshing, food-friendly wine impossible to find in commercial bottles.

 

As you refine your technique, maintain detailed notes about your process, measurements, and aging observations. These records will prove invaluable as you develop your signature style. Remember that the best rhubarb wines balance their natural tartness with just enough sweetness to create a harmonious whole—finding that perfect balance is the art that makes home winemaking so rewarding.

 

May your fermentation be vigorous and your rhubarb wine sparkle with the essence of spring!