Wine is an inseparable beverage from Christmas and Christians across the globe appreciate this drink during the latter festival for biblical reasons. Although wine falls under the category of inebriating liquor, the Bible does not forbid the consumption of ‘fermented grapes’ in moderation. On the contrary, the scriptures proscribe the excessive indulgence of any intoxicating drink.
As mentioned in Luke (22:17-18, 20) during the last Passover meal of Jesus, cups of wine were shared among the disciples. Jesus broke bread and gave it to them saying, “ this is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me”. In the same way, after supper, Jesus took up the cup of wine and said, “ This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you in the forgiveness of sins”.
These biblical verses depict that Jesus had chosen wine to represent his blood. Believers across the globe feast on delicious food and wine during their festivals in adherence to the words of the Son of God.
Household winemaking is common during the festive season. Homemade wines are non-alcoholic and are healthy if they are consumed in moderation. As per biblical verses, drinking wine aids proper digestion. “Stop drinking only water, and use little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (Timothy 5:23).
This statement has medically been proven by modern-day research. Studies found that drinks made of fermented fruits and cereals such as wine, beer and sherry stimulate digestion.
Sri Lankan culinary tradition encourages the indulgence of aliments, yet in a healthy manner. A plethora of sweet, savoury and spicy dishes are prepared for feasting during their festivals such as Sinhala- Tamil New Year, Deepavali, Hajj, Ramadhan and Christmas.
Normally, people indulge in their favourite dishes during festivities without sparing a thought of their health. The uniqueness of Sri Lankan food tradition is that it has a set of food that negates the impacts of overindulgence of food during the times of merry making. The wisdom behind consuming Achcharu (pickle) during Sinhala- Tamil New Year and wine during Christmas is that they help digest uncontrolled intake of spicy, tart, sweet, oily and processed food. Proper digestion helps keep gastro-intestinal ailments at bay and is the key to a healthy life. Hence, a glass of wine during the festive season is recommended to ease digestion as people overindulge in their favourite dishes.
Apart from helping the digestive system break down the heavy, spicy and tart food, wine also helps warm up the body by stimulating the circulation of blood.
Wine also helps one to stay warm in this coldest season of the year. Homemade wine is healthy compared to store-bought ones as the latter is laden with chemicals such as preservatives and artificial flavours.
Homemade wine is purely made of fruits or other organic ingredients such as rice or milk. In Sri Lanka, Christmas is incomplete without homemade wine. There are unique family recipes for making and maturing wine that are sometimes not shared. Most of the Christian houses turn into mini wineries during December. Nevertheless, some commence winemaking three months ahead of the festival and some do a month ahead.
Expert winemakers, however, make their wine a year ahead and let them mature. It is a known fact that the more the wine is matured, the better its taste will be.
Ready to make homemade wine?
It is always a good practice to commence winemaking a couple of months ahead of the festive season and that is also the traditional way of making wine for Christmas.
There is no argument that matured wine the best. However, a good-tasting wine can be made ahead of two weeks which are comparably less intoxicating and are sweeter.
As per many expert winemakers, winemaking is a combination of art and science. One should have an understanding of chemistry when making wine as the chemical reactions (known in layman’s language as fermentation) transform the fruit pulp into liquor. Apart from the fruits, wine yeast, spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and wheat are the edible ingredients required for winemaking. There are other essential tools needed to be kept ready prior to commencing the process.
A large jar with a lid or preferably a porcelain one is required for fermenting wine. Although many use plastic vessels, they are not advisable to use as the liquid inside can react with plastic and micro plastic particles can be mixed with the liquid inside.
Researchers found that micro plastics carry carcinogenic or mutagenic chemicals. A muslin filter is required to obtain clear wine. Glass bottles are needed to store the finished wine.
Wine was made of grapes since ancient antiquity. Today, many wine enthusiasts make wine with different fruits. You can make a whole new difference this time by making wine with less popular fruits, flowers and leaves.
Here purple coloured wine is made using butterfly pea flowers and red wine is made with Pokuru Vada flowers while pink colour wine is made with rose petals. Although leaf wine are not popular, you can try making wine using endemic Heen Bovitiya leaves. Heen Bovitiya helps replenish damaged liver.
If you are adept at making wine and have prior experience, you can try these new recipes. They are healthy and tasty.
Recipe for fruit wine
(Star fruit)
Ingredients required
Well ripened Starfruit- 1 kg
Brown sugar- 1 kg
Wine yeast- 2 teaspoons
Cloves- 3
Cinnamon- one stick
Cracked wheat 75g
Method
For winemaking, use well-ripened juicy Star fruits for better experience. Wash Kamaranka (Star fruits), remove the outer and inner (white colour) ridges and seeds. Extract the juice by squeezing the fruits. Water is not required in making Kamaranka wine as the fruit contains a sufficient amount of water.
Pour into a glass or ceramic container, add wine yeasts and warm water. Close and let the yeast rise for about 15 minutes. Clean a ceramic jar with boiling water and sun dry it. Add sugar and risen yeasts to the ceramic jar. Add juiced Star fruit. Add cloves, cinnamon and cracked wheat. Using a wooden ladle, mix all the ingredients well. Leave this ceramic jar closed for about three months. Anaerobic respiration happens in yeast that produce carbon dioxide.
During this time, remove the lid and stir the mixture once a week.
After two months you can strain the mixture using an ordinary strainer to remove cloves and cinnamon.
After three months, you can strain the fermented liquid with a muslin filter to remove the sediments deposited at the bottom of the jar. Straining a couple of times using a muslin filter and then with a coffee filter help you obtain a somewhat clear liquid.
For the last two weeks, however, avoid disturbing the mixture as it helps sediments get deposited at the bottom.
Place a glass bottle in boiling water. Let it sun dry to complete the sterilisation of the bottle. The prepared Star fruit wine can be stored in that bottle.
Depending on the requirement and preference, you can strain the mix prior to three months such as after three or two weeks. Wine tastes better when they are matured.
Recipe for flower wine
(Pokuru Vada, butterfly pea and rose)
Ingredients required
Butterfly pea/ Pokuru Vada flowers 1 kg
Brown sugar 1kg
Sterilised water 750ml
Wine yeat 2 teaspoons
Cracked wheat
Method
Boil water. Steep the flowers (butterfly pea or Pokuru Vada flowers) for 15 minutes and strain the liquid. In a glass or ceramic container, add wine yeats and warm water. Close and let the yeast rise for about 15 minutes. Clean a ceramic jar with boiling water and sun dry it. Add sugar and risen yeats to the ceramic jar. Add flower extract. Add cloves, cinnamon and cracked wheat. Using a wooden ladle, mix all the ingredients well. Leave this ceramic jar closed for about two months. Anaerobic respiration happens in yeast that produces carbon dioxide. During this time, remove the lid and stir the mixture once a week.
Follow the instructions above in the fermentation process.
You can obtain blood coloured wine with Pokuru Vada flowers and purple coloured wine with butterfly pea flowers. You can also add some lime juice when making Pokuru Vada wine while the flowers are being steeped so that the colour will be enhanced.
Leaf wine
(endemic Heen Bovitiya wine)
To prepare Heen Bovitiya leaf wine, you need to first prepare the Heen Bovitiya juice. Wash and remove the leaves of Heen Bovitiya. For one kilogram of Heen Bovitiya leaves, add 500 ml of water in a blender and blend until you get a green liquid. Strain the green leaf juice.
Follow the fruit winemaking instructions to make Heen Bovitiya leaf wine.