Oakbuds Texas is blessed with more types of oak trees than you can shake a stick at. With the exception of the Darlington oak, Evergreen oak, Laurel oak, Live oak, and Mexican blue oak, all are deciduous, and in the spring, they explode with buds. Thanks to C.J.J. Berry, we now know we can make oakbud wine. Although the wine is a good one in its own right, according to Berry it is most profitably used to blend with more insipid wines and give them zest.
Among the trees we can harvest the buds and fresh new leaves from are the Blackjack oak, Bur oak, Chinkapin oak, Cup oak, Durrand oak, Lacey oak, Mohr oak, Monterrey oak, Moss oak, Pin oak, Post oak, Sandpaper oak, Sawtooth oak, Shin oak, Southern red oak, Shumard oak, Spanish oak, Swamp chestnut oak, Texas red oak, Vasey oak, Water oak, White oak, and Willow oak. Gather the buds and new leaves as soon as the first leaves open.
Bring 6 pints water to boil, add the leaves, buds, and chopped dates and raisins, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the liquor onto the sugar and stir well to dissolve. Allow to cool to 70 degrees F. and add remaining ingredients. Cover well and allow to ferment for four days. Transfer to secondary fermentation vessel and top up with water. Rack after wine clears (2-3 months), again after two months, and bottle. Allow six months to one year. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry's 130 New Winemaking Recipes]
Bring 6 pints water to boil, add the leaves, buds, and chopped dates and raisins, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the liquor onto the sugar and stir well to dissolve. Allow to cool to 70 degrees F. and add remaining ingredients. Cover well and allow to ferment for four days. Transfer to secondary fermentation vessel and top up with water. Rack after wine clears (2-3 months), again after two months, and bottle. Allow six months to one year. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry's 130 New Winemaking Recipes]