There’s something supremely naughty about dark chocolate and rich, tart cherries, and even more so when you add alcohol to the mix! This decadent brew is well worth the work and the wait.
FOR THE WINE
3 lb (1.4 kg) frozen cherries, thawed
1 gal (3.8 L) water, divided
⅛ cup (20 g) raisins, chopped
2 tbsp (18 g) cacao nibs
1½ lb (680 g) sugar
½ packet (2.5 g) Lalvin K1-V116 yeast
FOR RACKING
1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise
1. Gather your ingredients and sanitize your supplies. You’ll need a straining bag, a 2-gallon (7.5-L) brew bucket, a 1- or 2-gallon (3.8- or 7.5-L) stockpot, a long spoon, a funnel, a strainer, a gallon (3.8-L) carboy, a racking cane and a bung and airlock.
2. For the wine, put the cherries in a straining bag and tie it closed. Set the straining bag in the brew bucket and mash it gently to release some of the fruit juices.
3. Heat ⅔ gallon (2.5 L) of the water in the stockpot with the raisins and let it come to a gentle, rolling boil. Add in the cacao nibs and stir. Boil the must gently for about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Cover the pot with a lid and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes.
4. Use the funnel and strainer to pour the warm must into the bucket over the cherries. Add the remaining ⅓ gallon (1.3 L) of water and stir the must. Seal the bucket with the lid and airlock.
5. When the brew bucket is cool enough to handle, pitch the yeast. First, sprinkle the yeast into the brew bucket and stir it in to add oxygen and mix in the yeast. Put the lid onto the bucket, making sure it is sealed, and then put the airlock in place. Label the bucket with the name of the brew and the date and set it aside somewhere out of direct sunlight for 3 to 4 days. Pick up the bucket and give it a gentle swish every day to help keep it mixed and to inhibit mold growth on the surface of the wine.
6. For racking day, put the vanilla bean in the carboy. Rack your wine from the bucket into the carboy. Seal it with a bung and airlock and let it work until you no longer see bubbles.
7. Bottle when ready, although this particular recipe takes a long time to clear because of the cacao. Be prepared to wait a few months for perfection, if you want your wine to be crystal clear.