Pear wine has been around for centuries, dating all the way back to the ancient Romans. There are two types of pear wine, traditional and mead. Traditional pear wine is made with pears, raisins and sugars, and mead is made of pears and honey. If you're considering making some pear wine, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Sterilization
First, sterilize the fruit by washing it in sterilizing fluid. Chop the fruit up before placing it in the primary fermentation container with sugar (or honey for mead), boiling water and citric acid. If making traditional pear wine, add raisins at this point as well. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Cool the mixture to room temperature and then add the pectic enzyme. Use about 1 gallon water, 5 pounds of very ripe pears, 1 pound of raisins and 2 pounds of ultra-fine sugar.
Fermentation
After adding the pectic enzyme, the mixture should be allowed to rest for a day before adding the yeast and yeast nutrient are added. Use about ½ teaspoon pectic enzyme, 1 teaspoon yeast nutrient and 1 package wine yeast. After adding the yeast, the container should be covered and placed in a warm, dark place. The mixture should be stirred daily for seven days and then switched to an airtight secondary fermentation container. It should be kept in the secondary container for three months and then put into bottles. You should allow the bottles to rest for at least a year.
Pairings
While good to drink on its own, pairs nicely with cheeses because of its mild, sweet and fruity flavor. Try pairing pear wine with a creamy brie. This wine also goes well with light dishes.
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