Coffee wine falls into the category of “country wines,” wines made from ingredients other than grapes. The concept is simple: brew coffee, add sugar to provide fermentable material, pitch wine yeast, and ferment. The result is a dry, full-bodied wine with rich roasted flavors that tastes nothing like any grape wine you have had. Coffee wine pairs well with chocolate desserts, aged cheeses, and barbecued meats. It also makes an excellent base for mulled wine during colder months. This guide covers the full process from choosing your coffee through bottling and serving.
Choosing and preparing your coffee
The coffee you start with determines the flavor profile of your finished wine. Roast level, bean origin, and brew method all influence the final product. The goal is a clean, strong coffee base without excessive bitterness or sediment.
Medium roast Produces a coffee wine with brighter acidity and more complex flavor. Expect notes of milk chocolate, toasted almond, and dried stone fruit in the finished wine. Medium roast retains more of the bean's origin character (fruity Ethiopian, nutty Colombian, earthy Sumatran), which adds layers of complexity. This is the best starting point if you have never made coffee wine before.
Dark roast Creates a bolder, more intense wine with smoky, caramel, and dark chocolate notes. The roasting process has already broken down many of the more delicate flavor compounds, so dark roast coffee wine tends to taste more uniform regardless of bean origin. The bitterness from dark roast can be assertive in young wine, but it mellows significantly with 6+ months of aging.
Light roast Produces the most delicate and fruity wine, but also the most challenging. Light roast coffee has higher acidity and less body, which can make the wine taste thin. If using light roast, consider blending it with 20-30% dark roast coffee to add body, or use a slightly higher sugar addition (2.5 lbs per gallon) to increase the wine's weight.
Hot brew (drip or pour-over) The standard method. Brew at normal strength (about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water) or slightly stronger. Hot extraction pulls the full range of flavor compounds, including some bitterness. Let the coffee cool completely to room temperature before adding other ingredients.
Cold brew concentrate Steep coarsely ground coffee in cold water for 12-24 hours (1 pound of coffee per gallon of water), then strain through a fine mesh filter or cheesecloth. Cold brew extracts fewer bitter compounds and more smooth, chocolatey flavors. Dilute the concentrate with water to reach your target volume. Cold brew produces a softer, less bitter wine.
Espresso base Not recommended for full batches due to cost and volume. However, adding 2-4 shots of espresso per gallon to a hot-brew base can increase intensity and body without excessive bitterness.
Ingredients and equipment for a 1-gallon batch
This recipe scales linearly. For a 5-gallon batch, multiply all ingredient amounts by five. Use the same process at any scale.
- 1Brew 1 gallon of coffee Use 8-10 tablespoons of medium or dark roast ground coffee to brew approximately 1 gallon (128 oz) of coffee. Filter thoroughly. Some sediment is fine, but large grounds will produce off-flavors during fermentation. Let the coffee cool to room temperature.
- 2Dissolve the sugar Add 2-2.25 pounds of white granulated sugar to the warm (not hot) coffee and stir until completely dissolved. This should produce a starting gravity of approximately 1.080-1.100, which will ferment to 10-14% ABV. Check with a hydrometer and adjust if needed.
- 3Add acid blend Add 1.5-2 teaspoons of acid blend per gallon. Coffee has some natural acidity, but it is not enough for a balanced wine. The acid blend (a mixture of tartaric, malic, and citric acids) brings the pH into the 3.2-3.6 range, which protects the wine from spoilage and gives it a proper wine-like backbone. Test with pH strips if possible.
- 4Add tannin and nutrients Add 1/4 teaspoon of wine tannin powder per gallon. Coffee has natural tannins, but supplemental grape tannin adds structure and a more wine-like mouthfeel. Add 1 teaspoon of yeast nutrient (DAP-based blend) per gallon. Coffee lacks the nitrogen and micronutrients that yeast need for a healthy fermentation.
- 5Add pectic enzyme (optional) Add 1/2 teaspoon of pectic enzyme per gallon. While coffee wine does not contain pectin in the way fruit wines do, pectic enzyme can help clarify the wine and break down any suspended plant material.
2-2.25 lbs sugar per gallon for 10-14% ABV
1.080-1.100 target starting gravity (OG)
3.2-3.6 target pH range for coffee wine
Equipment checklist 1-gallon glass jug or carboy, airlock and bung, hydrometer, sanitizer (Star San or similar), auto-siphon and tubing, wine bottles and corks (or screw-cap bottles), large pot for brewing coffee, funnel, and a thermometer.
Yeast selection for coffee wine
Coffee wine ferments best with a neutral, clean-fermenting wine yeast. You want the yeast to convert sugar to alcohol without adding competing flavors that fight with the coffee character. Bread yeast and beer yeast produce off-flavors and inconsistent results in wines.
Lalvin EC-1118 (Champagne yeast) The most popular choice for country wines. EC-1118 is a workhorse: it ferments cleanly from 50-86°F (10-30°C), tolerates alcohol up to 18%, and restarts stuck fermentations. It produces a very neutral flavor profile, which lets the coffee take center stage. The downside is that it can strip some delicate aromatics in fruit wines, but coffee is bold enough to hold up.
Lalvin K1-V1116 A great alternative to EC-1118. K1-V1116 ferments in the 59-86°F (15-30°C) range and tolerates alcohol to 18%. It preserves more aromatic compounds than EC-1118 and produces a slightly fruitier fermentation profile. Some winemakers find that K1-V1116 makes a more complex, aromatic coffee wine than EC-1118.
Red Star Premier Cuvee Another reliable, neutral fermenter in the same family as EC-1118. It works well in the 59-86°F (15-30°C) range and produces a clean, dry wine. If you cannot find EC-1118 or K1-V1116 at your local homebrew shop, Premier Cuvee is a solid substitute.
Watch for
- Do not use bread yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae from the grocery store). It produces harsh fusel alcohols, excessive off-flavors, and has low alcohol tolerance (typically stalls around 8-10%).
- Avoid high-ester ale or Belgian beer yeasts. The fruity and spicy esters they produce clash with coffee flavors.
- Rehydrate dry yeast in warm water (95-104°F / 35-40°C) for 15-20 minutes before pitching. Sprinkling dry yeast directly onto cold must kills a large percentage of the cells, leading to a slow or stuck fermentation.
Related calculator
ABV Calculator (Beer, Wine & Cider)
Estimate alcohol by volume from original and final gravity for beer, wine, and cider. Works with specific gravity or Brix, with attenuation and calories.
Fermentation process step by step
Coffee wine fermentation follows the same basic timeline as any country wine. The main differences are temperature management (coffee wine does best slightly cool) and the need for nutrient additions, since coffee provides almost no yeast nutrition on its own.
- 1Day 1: Pitch the yeast Make sure the coffee-sugar must has cooled to 65-75°F (18-24°C). Add the rehydrated yeast and stir gently. Seal the fermenter with an airlock. Primary fermentation should begin within 12-24 hours, visible as small bubbles in the airlock.
- 2Days 2-3: Active fermentation begins Bubbling increases to a steady pace. You may see a foam layer on the surface. Swirl the fermenter gently once daily to keep any settled sediment in suspension. Add the second half of your yeast nutrient on day 3 to prevent a stressed fermentation.
- 3Days 4-14: Primary fermentation continues The vigorous bubbling gradually slows. Fermentation temperature should stay at 60-70°F (15-21°C) for the cleanest flavor. Higher temperatures (above 75°F / 24°C) produce fusel alcohols that make the wine taste hot and harsh. Lower temperatures slow fermentation but produce a cleaner result.
- 4Days 14-28: Fermentation winds down Airlock activity slows to one bubble every 30-60 seconds or less. Take a gravity reading. When the gravity drops to 1.000 or below and remains stable over 48 hours, primary fermentation is complete. A typical coffee wine finishes between 0.996 and 1.002.
- 5Rack off the lees Siphon the wine off the sediment at the bottom of the fermenter into a clean, sanitized carboy. Try to leave as much sediment behind as possible without sucking up too much clear wine. This first racking removes dead yeast and coffee particulates that can produce off-flavors during aging.
Staggered nutrient additions Coffee provides almost zero nitrogen or micronutrients for yeast. Split your yeast nutrient addition into two doses: half at yeast pitch and half on day 3. For a more advanced approach, use Fermaid-O (organic nitrogen) instead of DAP, which yeast metabolize more smoothly. Total nutrient additions should bring YAN to at least 200 ppm.
Temperature control The 60-70°F (15-21°C) fermentation range produces the cleanest, smoothest coffee wine. A basement or interior closet often stays in this range naturally. If your space runs warm, place the fermenter in a tub of water with a frozen water bottle to bring the temperature down. Replace the bottle as it melts.
Stabilizing and back-sweetening
Freshly fermented coffee wine is dry, tannic, and bitter. Many winemakers prefer to back-sweeten it for a smoother, more approachable result. You must stabilize the wine first, or the yeast will re-ferment any sugar you add, producing carbonation or even exploding bottles.
- 1Confirm fermentation is complete Take gravity readings on two consecutive days. If the readings are identical and at or below 1.000, the wine is done. Do not stabilize a wine that is still actively fermenting.
- 2Add potassium sorbate and sulfite Add 1/2 teaspoon of potassium sorbate per gallon. Sorbate prevents yeast from reproducing, which stops any remaining cells from restarting fermentation. At the same time, add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite (K-meta) per gallon (approximately 50 ppm SO2) to suppress bacteria and provide antioxidant protection.
- 3Wait 24-48 hours Give the sorbate and sulfite time to work before adding any sweetener. If you sweeten immediately, active yeast cells may begin fermenting the new sugar before the stabilizers take effect.
- 4Back-sweeten to taste Prepare a simple syrup (1 cup sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water, cooled). Add it to the wine in small increments, stirring and tasting after each addition. Start with 2 tablespoons per gallon and adjust from there. For a drier style, skip this step entirely. For extra coffee punch, use coffee-flavored simple syrup (dissolve sugar in strong brewed coffee instead of water).
Sweetness levels to target A dry coffee wine (no sweetening) has an intense, roasted, almost espresso-like character. An off-dry version (residual sugar around 1-2%) rounds out the bitterness and makes the wine more approachable. A semi-sweet version (2-4% residual sugar) tastes almost like a coffee dessert wine and pairs well with chocolate. Taste and decide based on your preference.
Aging, bottling, and serving
Coffee wine transforms dramatically with age. Young coffee wine (under 3 months) often tastes rough, astringent, and one-dimensional. Given time, the tannins soften, the roasted flavors integrate, and the wine develops a smoother, more complex character.
Bulk aging in a carboy After stabilizing (and sweetening, if desired), top off the carboy to minimize headspace and seal with an airlock or solid bung. Store at a stable 55-65°F (13-18°C) in a dark location. Rack off any sediment after 2-3 months. Continue aging for a total of 3-6 months before bottling.
Oak additions (optional) Medium-toast French or American oak cubes (1-2 ounces per gallon) add vanilla, caramel, and toast notes that complement the coffee flavors beautifully. Add the oak cubes during bulk aging and taste monthly. Remove them when the oak flavor is noticeable but not dominant, typically after 4-8 weeks. Over-oaked coffee wine loses its coffee identity.
Bottling Rack the wine one final time before bottling to leave behind any remaining sediment. If the wine is hazy, fine with bentonite (1/2 teaspoon per gallon dissolved in warm water) two weeks before bottling, then rack off the fining sediment. Bottle in standard wine bottles with corks or screw caps. Crown caps also work for short-term storage.
Serving temperature Serve slightly below room temperature, around 60-65°F (15-18°C). Too cold and the coffee flavors are muted. Too warm and the alcohol becomes prominent. A standard red wine glass works well because the wider bowl allows the aromas to develop.
Food pairing Coffee wine pairs with dark chocolate truffles, tiramisu, vanilla bean ice cream, aged Gouda, and smoked brisket. It also works as a dessert wine on its own.
Mulled coffee wine Heat gently (do not boil) with a cinnamon stick, whole cloves, orange peel, and a tablespoon of honey per cup. This is an outstanding cold-weather drink.
Watch for
- Do not bottle coffee wine before it has aged at least 3 months in bulk. Young coffee wine improves dramatically with time, and bottling too early locks in rough flavors.
- If you back-sweetened, make absolutely certain you added both potassium sorbate and sulfite before bottling. Sweetened wine without stabilizers will re-ferment in the bottle, producing pressure that can shatter glass.
- Store finished bottles upright if corked. Unlike grape wine, coffee wine does not need to keep the cork wet because you will drink it within 1-3 years.
- Avoid storing coffee wine in direct light. UV exposure degrades the roasted flavor compounds and can produce stale, cardboard-like off-flavors.
Coffee wine is one of the most rewarding country wine projects for home winemakers. The ingredients are inexpensive and widely available, the process is forgiving, and the result is a genuinely unique wine that surprises people who try it. Start with a 1-gallon test batch, dial in your preferred roast level and sweetness, and then scale up for your next round.
