All You Need to Know About Coffee Wine

Take the best thing you do in the morning and the best thing you do in the evening, put them together, and voila you get coffee-infused wine.

Coffee wine is a relatively new innovation that’s still on the fringes of the wine industry. Yet, this is an interesting niche that could be set to become big and perhaps become a household name one day. 

What Is Coffee Wine?

Alcoholic coffees are nothing new. Think of the whiskey-infused Irish coffee or the espresso martini.

However, now there is a new kid on the block ready to join them- coffee-infused wine.

Unlike the aforementioned beverages, the coffee beans are infused into the wine during the brewing process and is not a concoction of separate drinks mixed together by a bartender. If you were to add a tipple of red into your cup of coffee, let’s face it, it’s probably going to taste bad.

Coffee and wine have such rich flavors that if you were to mix them together as separate finished drinks then it will spoil the taste of both of them.

That’s why they must be joined together in the brewing stage so that the strong flavors of both of them blend and interact in a manner that they complement each other and don’t clash.

Later in this blog post, we will offer you instructions on how you can make your very own coffee-infused wine!

Where To Find Coffee-infused Wine?

The initial creators of this drink were Fun Wines, however, it seems their canned coffee-flavored wine was not a big hit and it has been discontinued.

1. Apothic Brew

Recently, Apothic winery started to produce their own line of cold brew coffee infused wine, making it their signature wine along with their range of Californian wines. The line known as Apothic Brew, is a cutting edge, innovative wine that’s looking to break a new mold in the way that we drink wine and coffe.

• Apothic Brew is a decaf wine, so it’s all about the taste of the rich mixture of flavors, not for having a pick-me-up when you feel a bit sleepy.

Apothic Wines describe their cold brew as having, “notes of red fruit and toasted oak combine with hints of cold brew for a well-balanced blend that captivates you from the first pour”.

• Like most wines, this one should be served at room temperature with the bottle opened a little bit beforehand to allow the wine to rest.
• The introduction of Apothic brew was well advertised so you may well have heard of it before. If not, now is the time to order yourself a bottle and to discover for yourself what all the fuss is about. 

2. Buckfast Tonic Wine

As aforementioned, Apothic Brew is a decaffeinated drink. If a caffeinated wine is something that appeals to you then maybe you can give Buckfast Tonic Wine a try! Unfortunately, it’s not available in the USA, but if you ever find yourself making a trip to the UK, then take note to try this drink that will get your heart pumping. 

 

How About Wine-infused Coffee?

Not only can you buy coffee-infused wine, but also wine-infused coffee!

1. Molinari Private Reserve

Molinari Private Reserve is a small artisan coffee roaster based in Napa Valley. Due to it being locally produced with a small scale production, for now, it is only sold in the owner’s café but you can also purchase online and subscribe for monthly delivery for a wine flavored morning treat.

• During the roasting process for both regular and decaf coffee, the beans are soaked in a house red wine and then dried and roasted. This process leaves behind an aromatic and wholesome coffee that contains notes of blueberries.  
• This wine-infused coffee can be prepared in whichever way you like – espresso, mocha, latte or with creamer. If you use milk with this coffee it shall make the wine flavors more noticeable.
• On the other hand, if you prefer making your coffee in a cafetière, the blueberry flavors will rise to the forefront of your palate. So if you love the taste of wine but wish for a non-alcoholic wine flavored beverage then this could be the product for you.

2. Jumping goat coffee

Georgia based Jumping goat coffee also offers its own range of wine-infused coffees. As opposed to one variety of coffee, they offer three. Not only is there a standard red wine-infused coffee but there is also a chocolate one, and sriracha chocolate flavored one, for that little extra kick! We recommend that you also give these guys a try as well as Molinari.

What All You Need To Make Coffee Wine?

Guess what?

This is a beverage you can make at home yourself. Due to it being a relatively new product, the selection is very limited. This is something that you may have to experiment with in order to find a beverage that you really enjoy.

Many of you may have already tried your hand at home brewing your own alcohol or wine.

• Luckily, when making home-made wine you don’t need to go the full way of crushing grapes and leaving it to age. All you need to do for the wine part of the process is to purchase wine yeast nutrient extracts.
• These can be found cheaply online in various flavors and types of quality. You’ll also need a large fermenting jug, that holds a gallon.
• Many of the home-brewing kits that you find online will contain all of the equipment that you need including the brewing caps. They are well worth the investment if it’s a hobby that you are interested in pursuing. The only other thing that you’ll need to purchase is the coffee of your choice. This can be either your normal go-to coffee for your morning espresso or it can be instant coffee. 
• The process of making your own coffee-infused wine is the exact same whether you choose instant coffee or freshly ground coffee wine. The only difference is that instant coffee will take around three weeks to ferment, whereas freshly ground coffee will take around four weeks.
• The tastes between the two types will also be distinct from one another. Also, likewise the tastes will be different depending on the strength, region, and quality of the coffee that you use. There are endless possibilities of the various types of flavors you can create by mixing the wine yeast extract with different types of coffee.

Of course, you are unlikely to get an amazing taste of coffee-infused wine if this is your first attempt at it. Yet after a few attempts and failures, you will eventually be able to create a splendidly tasting drink that you can enjoy with your friends.

If you’re not cracking open a bottle of your very own coffee-infused wine at a dinner party you’re hosting, then take it round to a friend’s place with one of our fashionable tote bags. 

Coffee Wine Recipe

1. Firstly, choose a coffee brand of your choice.
2. Take 90 grams of coffee granulates and 200 grams of white sugar and place into a large jug. Pour 500ml of hot water followed by 500ml of cold water on top of the coffee and sugar.
3. Shake the bottles well to dissolve all of the sugar and coffee granulates.
4. After this top up each bottle with a further 750ml of cold water, shake them again and then take a temperature reading (if the temperature is higher than 85°F  then wait until it drops to this level).
5. Once the temperature is at that level put in 1/8th of a teaspoon of your yeast.
6. Place the brewing caps on top of the bottle and store the bottles in a dark yet relatively warm room or cupboard and leave them to sit for 30 days (you can also leave it for a few days less if you prefer a sweeter taste, however, sugar can always be added after the fermentation process).
7. The next step is to pour the wine from one bottle to another, taking care to leave the yeast residue behind in the bottle you made it in. Store this bottle in your fridge for 24 hours in order to make the wine clear of the muddy color it currently has.
8. Pour out 160ml of cold water into a measuring jug and add a teaspoon of gelatine powder (make more or less accordingly depending on how many bottles you are making, 30ml is required for each bottle). Leave this to sit for around half an hour so that the gelatine can absorb into the water.
9. Now microwave the gelatine and water mixture in brief doses until it reaches 150°F. Pour 30ml into each bottle and give it a soft stir with a swizzle stick. Now return the bottles back into your fridge. The gelatine solution will take about a week to bond with all the particles.
10. After a week take the bottles and pour the wine through a filter cone – you likely have some set aside if you’re a big coffee fan!

Homebrewing can be a messy process, so make sure that you protect your favorite shirt with one of our fabulous aprons! 

When To Drink Coffee Wine?

1. In the evening when you’re snuggled up on your sofa watching the latest Netflix release you are perhaps more inclined to reach for a smooth hazelnut hot chocolate, or a rich red wine to settle yourself down, relax and release yourself from the stresses of your day. This is the perfect time to enjoy a coffee-infused wine. The rich and perhaps fruity flavors that come with your cold brew coffee make it the perfect beverage to relax in the evening.

You may be thinking that coffee is the last thing you want to help you unwind after a long day, and will instead be setting up for a night of restless sleep. You may then be pleased to know that coffee-infused wine is decaffeinated. This means that you won’t be hopping about doing summersaults half-drunk around your living room. Instead, you’ll be relaxed, and reflective.

2. It’s also the ideal beverage to surprise your guests when you have friends over for a dinner party, this is something that they have unlikely heard of. It should come as a fascinating surprise to them and will give your dinner party a niche edge.

Remember, coffee wine is certainly not a drink to serve alongside the delicious meal you have prepared. Instead, choose a good red or white depending on the dish being served.

(If you need advice on what wine to serve with what dish, then you can refer to and download our free food and wine pairing guide.)

3. Coffee-infused wine can also be served as a digestif. Traditionally, coffee is served after a meal and then a digestif such as a sweet wine.

Coffee Wine Serving Tip: When it comes to serving coffee wine, pour it out into a typical stemware wine glass. No special type of glass is required, and the ones that adorn your cupboard or wine cabinet are suitable for serving it.  

 

Final Verdict:

Cold-brew infused wine is a method of combining deeply rich flavors that are only just starting to break ground. Although there is currently only one mainstream producer of this it is something that can be foreseen to grow over the coming years once word of its taste starts to spread.

The curiosity of wineries and the general public towards such a merge of strong flavors, which are often many peoples’ two favorite drinks, means that the range of variety shall expand once people start to get a taste for it. As previously discussed its the perfect way to get one last taste of coffee as a nightcap before you hit the hay.

As well as this it’s also a great way to round off a dinner party with friends. This particular type of wine is more suited to being a nice smooth winter drink, much like a mulled wine as opposed to being a summer drink that you sip upon your veranda.

Now is the time to order yourself a few bottles, try it for yourself, and introduce this radical drink to your friends and family.

From this point, those of you who are mavericks may feel inclined to start experimenting by making this drink at home by yourself. Although it will take a bit of practice and trying out a few different coffees it is something that if you manage to nail, you’ll have a good supply to last you the winter.

Keep a sharp eye out for other wineries releasing their own coffee wines. This blog post certainly won’t be the last time that you hear of it!

Bonus tip: While you’re at it, check out this simple, home-brewed recipe on how to make your own coffee wine!