"I thoroughly enjoyed your web page and particularly its recipes.... However, I did not see a recipe for Yarrow wine. My fields are wrought with Yarrow. Have you any ideas on what the outcome of such a wine would be?" name withheld, Ontario, Canada
My references say that yarrow (Achillea millefolium) was imported from Europe and escaped into the wild. Considering it can be found almost everywhere in Canada and the United States, this is quite remarkable. It is easily recognized when in bloom by its large, flat-topped clusters of small white or sometimes pink flowers. It grows about 1½-2 feet tall with feathery, lacy leaves and is rather aromatic.
I have never made yarrow wine, but every year I look at the plants with intentions of trying it if I can just squeeze it in. The reason I have not been compelled to make it yet is because Leo Zanelli says it makes a "...reasonable but not exciting wine." Still, the recipes for it seem quite straight-forward.
Put water on to boil. Meanwhile, trim the larger stems from the flower heads and put the flowers in a primary. Add sugar and juice of the orange and lemon. Pour boiling water in primary and stir well to dissolve sugar. Cover and allow to cool to room temperature. Add activated yeast and recover primary. After 5 days, strain and discard flowers. Continue fermentation until specific gravity drops to 1.015. Rack to secondary and attach airlock. Rack, top up and reattach airlock after 6 weeks. Repeat after additional 6 weeks. Stabilize, sweeten to taste and set aside 2 weeks. Rack into bottles and age 6 months before tasting. [Adapted recipe from Leo Zanelli's Home Winemaking from A to Z]
My thanks to the Canadian of Ontario for this request.
