Cherry wine

[prison break fan]

Not sure if Iv'e just posted this, but if not I'll have another go! I have an unknown variety of cherry tree which has masses of fruit which the birds have pecked. Can I make wine with them? Any advice gratefully received. pbf.

[MKG]

Assuming that they're edible in the first place, yes you can. As the birds have been at 'em, you do need to sterilize, though. The preferred method is a long soak in a metabisulphite solution (two Campden tablets per gallon of water). Put the cherries in a bucket, just cover them with cold water, stir in the crushed tablets (or a tenth of a level teaspoon of sodium metabisulphite), cover and leave for 24 to 48 hours. If you do that, you then add yeast etc, directly to the solution, as the sulphur dioxide will have dissipated. The alternative is to boil the cherries - but that MAY alter the flavour (I don't know, never having made cherry wine).

Mike