Easy Mango Wine Recipe

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This recipe is from back when summer was still here. Mangoes that didn’t go in the ice cream or mango cheesecake would find their way to the refrigerator after a few weeks. And if they get forgotten a bit longer, they’re fair game. I’d take these mangoes, scoop out the pulp and add it to the barni for wine.

There’s something so simple about turning a single ripe mango into a bottle of homemade wine. Like every wine on this site, this one is also made completely from scratch at home — no wine base, no shortcuts, just fruit, sugar, water, and time doing the work.

Mango and glass of mango wine placed on the table. — Homemade mango wine

The mango wine recipe follows the same basic method as my ginger wine and potato wine — ferment for seven to ten days, then strain and bottle. But the mango gives the wine its own character: fruity, a little tropical, and a lovely golden colour once it’s strained. It actually reminds me of the bottles of mango flavored soft drink called Rasna that mom used to make when we were kids. There were other flavors too, kala khata, orange, etc, but mango Rasna was the best bit of summer.

Anyway, if you’re thinking mango wine might be too sweet, note that I’ve only used one mango here; so the flavor is very faint. (We can add more mangoes for a more fruity flavor.)

Sometimes we add a chilli or a squeeze of lemon for a little extra kick or tangy zestiness, so I’ve left both in as optional. This wine can be consumed as soon as it’s ready, or you could let it rest for 3 to 6 months, so that it’s flavor gets really mellow and it turns into a wine you can appreciate.

Ingredients

1 kg sugar
3 litres water
250 grams dried raisins or currants
1 tsp yeast
1 mango, deseeded and cut into pieces (You can use organic mango pulp instead of fresh mango if you prefer.)
Optional: 1 chilli, for a bit of heat
Optional: 1 lemon, for a bit of tangy brightness

How to make Mango Wine at Home

Start by adding the sugar, yeast, raisins and mango pulp to a barni or demijohn. Throw the mango seed out. The pulp can be squeezed by hand or cut into pieces. Either way works.

mango, raisins and sugar added with a ladle to the barni. — Mango, raisins, yeast, and sugar in a barni

Mixing with the ladle, mango floats to the top in the barni. — The mango floats to the top

You can also add the optional green or red chilli or lemon juice now. The chillies can be cut or broken into pieces. Cover with about 3 litres of water, and stir well.

Strained Mango wine in a vessel. — Mango wine looks like Rasna syrup

Cover the jar/barni/demijohn with a clean cloth and then loosely with the lid. This allows the CO2 and other fermentation gases to escape.

Stir once a day for one week while it’s fermenting.

Once the fermentation has slowed and the liquid has turned cloudy, strain out the mango pieces and any sediment, and let it rest for a few days (2 to 3 days). Sometimes we let it rest for a week before bottling.

3 bottles filled with mango wine. — Bottled cloudy mango wine

Glass of mango wine and ripe mango placed on the table. — Mango wine gets clarified after a few months

Notes

It’s completely normal for homemade mango wine to look cloudy rather than crystal clear for the first few weeks. That’s part of the character of a naturally fermented wine, and it settles more the longer the bottles sit.
The chilli and lemon are both optional. The wine is lovely on its own, but either one is an easy way to change the flavour up.

Glass of mango wine and mango placed on a cloth. — Clarified mango wine after a few months

FAQ

Can I use this same base for a different fruit?
Yes — this sugar-water-yeast base is the same one I use for raisin wine, pineapple wine, rose petal wine, and black or green grape wine. Swap in the fruit and adjust the quantity to taste.

Why is my mango wine cloudy instead of clear?
Cloudiness is normal in a homemade, unfiltered wine like this. It’s not a sign that anything’s gone wrong. If you leave it alone for a few months, the dregs will settle and the wine will become more clear. But it’s still okay to drink as is.

How strong is homemade mango wine?
We do not measure specific gravity or anything else. And it depends on the fermentation time and conditions, so I can’t give an exact number here.

Can I make this mango wine spicier or zingier?
Yes, you can. There are times I’ve added two whole lemons (sliced in rounds) or about 10 to 12 chillies in a barni/jar with two mangoes. You’ll feel more spice than mango in the wine. If you want to lean all the way into that, my green chilli wine and red chilli wine skip the mango entirely and go full heat.