NEED TO KNOW

LEGAL OR UNLAWFUL?

Americans can make up to 100 gallons of wine annually. If you’re married, you can double that. Again, this varies by state.

WILL IT KILL YOU?

Nope. “Spoiled wine won’t hurt you,” says True Brews author Emma Christensen. “The alcohol kills anything truly harmful, but it’s definitely not pleasant to drink.”

YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

You can’t make good wine with bad ingredients. “Work with ripe, in-season fruit or good-quality fruit juice,” says Christensen. And remember, grapes aren’t the be-all and end-all. “Wines made from any fruit are foolproof,” she says. “Mix fruit, water, sugar, and yeast, let it sit for a while, strain, bottle, wait a little longer, and presto, you have wine.”