John Meyers, a winemaking teacher, stirs peaches, strawberries and blueberries as he demonstrates the process of home winemaking.

Although many winemakers buy kits or begin the process with specialty grape juice, many opt to begin with fresh or frozen fruit.

A multitude of recipes exist, but these steps outline the basic process.

• Equip yourself with the right supplies: a food-grade fermenting bucket with cover, air lock and stopper, glass carboy for secondary fermenting, hydrometer, siphon hose, acid test kit, strainer bag, corking tool, corks, bottles and sanitizing cleanser.

• Ingredients besides fruit will include sugar, a special acid blend, pectic enzyme, tannin, yeast nutrient, potassium sorbate and sulfite.

• It generally takes 10 to 15 pounds of fruit to make 5 gallons of wine. Fruits can come from the grocery store, farm or garden and include anything from berries, apples and peaches to watermelon, dandelions and tomatoes.

All equipment should be sanitized, and fruits should be fresh and free of blemishes.

• Place fruit inside the strainer bag and place in the fermenting bucket. Boil water and sugar and add it to the fruit; add other ingredients and let cool before adding sulfite. Tie strainer bag to contain fruit during fermentation.<BR></BR><BR></BR>• Use the hydrometer to check the water density which is an indicator of the sugar and potential alcohol content of the finished product. Too much alcohol will dominate flavor; too little will increase risk for spoilage.<BR></BR><BR></BR>

• Test acidity, which acts with sweetness and alcohol content to create a well-balanced wine. Add acid blend, then sulfite to kill unwanted yeasts. Add a yeast nutrient to feed desirable strains. Let sit 12 to 24 hours before adding pectin enzymes, which will bond with fruit pectins, helping them fall out of the fermenting wine.<BR></BR><BR></BR>• Allow wine to ferment in the bucket with fruit for about one week. Then remove the bag of fruit (don't squeeze the fruit bag, let it drain) then "rack" the wine, or siphon it into the glass carboy. Once siphoned, allow the wine to continue fermenting about 30 days, then rack into clean carboy. Rack again at 1.5 to two months.<BR></BR><BR></BR>• Rack into another carboy when sediment begins to settle and darken. Darkening sediment signals decomposition, which compromises taste. Once clear, leave in this carboy for about six months to bulk age. Wine can then be bottled.<BR></BR><BR></BR><I>SOURCE: John Meyers, winemaking teacher at Porter House Brew Shop in Portersville. To learn more about wine, visit Meyers' blog at http://frugalwinemaking.com. For more information on supplies and classes, go to www.porterhousebrewshop.com.</I>

Fruit is being tied up in a strainer bag after adding boiling water and sugar.

It is important to check the acidity to create a well-balanced wine.