Pear Wine Recipe: How to Make Wine from Ripe Pears

Made with ripe pears, sugar, lemon juice, and wine yeast, this homemade pear wine is light, refreshing, and delicately fruity. It is a wonderful way to preserve an abundance of ripe pears and enjoy their flavor throughout the year.

My first batch of pear wine began as an experiment. A friend with a large orchard gave me several kilos of ripe pears, and I needed to find creative ways to use them. After grilling the pears, baking them into a cinnamon pear cake, and making pear butter, I decided to turn the remaining fruit into wine.

I had already surprised my family with homemade kiwi wine and rosehip wine, so pear wine seemed like the perfect next experiment. The result was a fragrant, gently sweet wine that captured the delicate flavor of ripe pears.

What is Pear Wine?

Pear wine is a fermented alcoholic drink made from ripe pears, sugar, water, and wine yeast. As the mixture ferments, the yeast converts the natural and added sugars into alcohol while preserving the fruit’s delicate flavor and aroma.

You can make pear wine from chopped pears, as in this recipe, or from fresh, preservative-free pear juice. It is a lovely way to use a large pear harvest and a simple introduction to making fruit wine at home.

If you enjoy experimenting with homemade fruit wines, you may also like my quince wine recipe.

How does homemade pear wine taste?

Pear wine has a light, fruity taste with gentle hints of flowers and honey. Its flavor will vary depending on the type of pears you use, how ripe they are and how long you let the wine ferment.

It can be crisp and slightly tangy or sweeter with a stronger pear flavor. Like most homemade wines, it becomes smoother and tastes even better after a few months of aging.

Ingredients for pear wine (to make one gallon)

Pears

Use fully ripe, aromatic pears for the strongest flavor. They should feel slightly soft around the stem but should not be mushy. Avoid pears with mold, rot, or a fermented smell, as damaged fruit can spoil the entire batch.

You can use almost any pear variety. Sweeter, more fragrant pears create a fruitier wine, while firmer or slightly tart varieties produce a crisper flavor. If your pears are still hard, leave them at room temperature for a few days to ripen.

There is no need to peel the pears. The peel contributes flavor and body to the wine. Wash the fruit thoroughly, remove the cores and damaged areas, and chop the pears into small pieces.

Love homemade drinks? You’ll enjoy these easy fermented recipes too:

Sugar

Sugar feeds the yeast and helps determine the wine’s final alcohol content. Regular white granulated sugar is the best choice when you want the pear flavor to remain light and clean.

You can also use brown or unrefined sugar, but it will give the wine a darker color and a deeper, slightly caramel-like flavor. Dissolve the sugar in warm water before combining it with the pears.

Lemon juice

Pears have relatively low acidity, so lemon juice helps balance their sweetness and gives the finished wine a brighter flavor. The added acidity also creates a more suitable environment for fermentation.

For the most consistent result, use freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice.

Wine Yeast

Wine yeast produces a cleaner and more predictable fermentation than ordinary baking yeast. I use champagne yeast because it ferments reliably without overpowering the delicate pear flavor.

One packet is more than enough for a one-gallon batch. Follow the activation and temperature instructions from the manufacturer.

Pectic Enzyme (Optional)

Pears naturally contain a large amount of pectin, which can make the finished wine cloudy. Pectic enzyme breaks down this pectin and helps produce a clearer wine.

Add it according to the package instructions. The wine will still ferment without it, although it may remain slightly hazy.

Yeast Nutrient (Optional but Recommended)

Pear juice does not always contain enough nitrogen and other nutrients to support a strong fermentation. Yeast nutrient helps the yeast remain active and reduces the chance of fermentation slowing down or stopping too early.

Wine Tannin (Optional)

Tannin gives pear wine more structure and prevents it from tasting thin or overly soft. It can also help balance the fruit’s natural sweetness. Only a small amount is needed, as too much can make the wine taste bitter or astringent.

Campden Tablet (Optional)

You can also add a Campden tablet before fermentation to suppress unwanted wild yeast and bacteria. If you use one, crush one tablet into the one-gallon batch and wait approximately 24 hours before adding the wine yeast.

Campden tablets do not replace properly cleaning and sanitizing your equipment. Follow the directions supplied with the product.

Equipment you need to make wine.

Two gallon bucket wide mouth or fermentation vessels for primary fermentation

1 gallon glass Carboy – a fermentation vessel for the secondary fermentation with a narrow neck to hold the wine during the process. This usually comes together with a rubber stopper and water lock, which is a one-way valve that allows CO2 from the fermentation out but prevents anything from coming in to contaminate your wine.

Funnel

Strainer

sterilized wine bottles

Winemaking – fermenting pear wine at home

During fermentation, the yeast feeds on the sugar in the pears and gradually turns it into alcohol. As it works, you will notice bubbles and foam forming on the surface. This is a good sign that the fermentation has started.

The strongest fermentation usually happens during the first week. After that, it slows down, but the pear wine will need several more weeks to finish fermenting and become clearer.

How to Make Pear Wine

First step – Sanitizing all equipment.

Wash all the equipment thoroughly, rinse it well and sanitize everything that will come into contact with the wine. Use a food-safe winemaking sanitizer and follow the instructions on the package.

Clean equipment is important because unwanted bacteria can spoil the wine.

Second step – make the sweet water.

Pour 12 cups of filtered water into a large pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the sugar and stir until it has completely dissolved.

Remove the pot from the heat and leave the sugar water to cool to room temperature. It must not be hot when you add the yeast.

Third step – Prepare the pears.

Wash the pears and remove the stems, cores and any spoiled parts. There is no need to peel them. The peel adds extra flavor and body to the wine.

Chop the pears into small pieces and place them in the fermentation vessel. Pour the cooled sugar water over them.

Fourth step – Begin the First Fermentation

Add the lemon juice, yeast nutrient, pectic enzyme and tannin powder, if using. Make sure the mixture has cooled to room temperature before adding the yeast.

Prepare the yeast according to the instructions on the package. I dissolve mine in a small amount of room-temperature water and leave it for 10 minutes before adding it to the pears.

If you use a Campden tablet, add it before the yeast and follow the instructions on the package. You will usually need to wait about 24 hours before adding the yeast.

Cover the vessel and allow the mixture to ferment for seven days. Stir it once or twice each day with a sanitized spoon, pushing the floating pears back under the liquid.

Fifth step – Transfer the Wine to the Carboy

After one week, mash the pears with a potato masher against the side of the crock to extract as much juice as possible. I recommend using a brew bag to transfer the liquid to your fermentation container, leaving the sediment and fruit pulp behind. Make it as fast as possible to avoid excessive exposure to oxygen during the process. 

Place the lid and airlock on the fermenter, leaving enough space for the bubbles that will form. Next, find a cool and dark spot, like a cellar, and allow the wine to ferment. In the first few days, you’ll see a lot of foam and bubbles as it ferments vigorously. After about 10-15 days, the fermentation will start to calm down, but this may vary depending on the temperature. Let the mixture ferment for at least 4 weeks before trying it.

Sixth step – Rack and Taste the Wine

Once fermentation has finished, use a sanitized siphon to transfer the wine into another clean container. Leave the sediment at the bottom of the original carboy and try not to splash the wine.

Taste the wine. Young pear wine may taste a little dry or sharp, but it will become smoother as it ages.

If you prefer it sweeter, sweeten individual glasses when serving. Adding sugar or syrup to the whole batch can start fermentation again unless the wine is properly stabilized.

Seventh step – Bottle the Pear Wine

Make sure fermentation has completely finished before bottling the wine.

Use a sanitized siphon to transfer the wine into clean bottles without disturbing the sediment. Close the bottles with suitable corks or caps.

Store the pear wine in a cool, dark place for at least one to three months. The longer it ages, the smoother and more balanced its flavor will become. Once opened, keep the pear wine in the refrigerator and enjoy it within several days.

Pear Wine Recipe Variations.

• Add a cinnamon stick, a few cloves or one star anise to the pears for a gently spiced wine. You can also use it to make a Pear Cider.
• Add a small amount of freshly grated ginger for a subtle spicy kick.
• Split a vanilla bean and add it during fermentation to give the wine a soft vanilla aroma.
• For a deeper flavor, add a small amount of wine-safe oak chips during aging. Follow the instructions on the package, as too much oak can overpower the delicate pear flavor.

Tips and tricks.

1. Choose fully ripe and aromatic pears for the best flavor. Avoid moldy, rotten or badly damaged fruit, as it can spoil the whole batch.
2. Keep the wine at a steady temperature during fermentation. Check the yeast package for its recommended temperature range, as too much heat or cold can affect fermentation.
3. Stir the pears once or twice daily during the first seven days and keep the floating fruit under the liquid.
4. Give the pear wine time to age. It may taste sharp when young, but after a few months in a cool, dark place, its flavor will become smoother and more balanced.

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