# Tell me about dandelion wine **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** wine\ **Created:** [May 1, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964 "2010-05-01T14:40:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/1 "2010-05-01T14:40:34Z")
I searched and found a handful of references to Dopers making it or liking it, but not much description. My husband is interested in trying to make some. We’ve never made wine at all, though I used to ferment hard cider with a carboy and airlock and all that (though I lost most of the equipment in a move). What does dandelion wine taste like? Is it easier or harder to make than grape wine? How similar is the process? Any online how-to reference recommendations? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/2 "2010-05-01T17:17:41Z")
I’ve never had it myself, but when family members have made it, they didn’t use any fancy equipment, just a balloon stretched over the opening of a bottle. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/3 "2010-05-01T17:34:34Z")
It tastes like the milky fluid from the hollow stems of dandelions, which most of us sampled when we were kids. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/4 "2010-05-02T01:48:17Z")
Great book. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/5 "2010-05-02T02:21:35Z")
It’s a long time since I made any but I do remember it needed a relatively long period of maturing for a country wine. we opened a bottle too soon and it tasted like bad whiskey. As far as I remember it took a year to become palatable and then it was very nice indeed. The actual flavour was quite subtle, mellow and not really comparable to anything else. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/6 "2010-05-02T03:04:16Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Great book. Really? I recall that was the one book our entire 8th grade class unanimously voted as the worst of the summer reading books. It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I do recall just not enjoying it then because it was too fractured and confusing… Was it really a good book? O\_0 ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/7 "2010-05-02T04:07:11Z")
> [@ToeJam](#): > > Really? > > I recall that was the one book our entire 8th grade class unanimously voted as the worst of the summer reading books. It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but I do recall just not enjoying it then because it was too fractured and confusing… > > Was it really a good book? O\_0 I’ve never read it, but my impression of it from others’ comments is that it’s a good book that’s being wasted on school children unappreciative of what it offers, assigned to read it because they happen to be the same age as the protagonists. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/8 "2010-05-02T04:21:53Z")
I made it once. Tasted like perfume. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/9 "2010-05-02T05:17:57Z")
I used the first recipe from [here](http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/dandelio.asp). I’ve made it a couple of times and it turned out quite nicely. Of course I’m not a wine aficionado or anything. It’s a nice, light wine, lovely golden color. Unfortunately I’m not very good at describing taste, sorry about that. The wine definitely benefits from aging a bit. And I didn’t have the patience to pull the petals off the dandelions. I used the whole heads but did pull off all of the green stuff. (Make sure your dandelions haven’t been sprayed of course or are growing too near a busy roadway.) ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/10 "2010-05-02T12:29:20Z")
What book are you guys referencing? ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/11 "2010-05-02T12:38:12Z")
[Dandelion Wine](http://www.amazon.com/Dandelion-Wine-Ray-Bradbury/dp/0380977265/), by Ray Bradbury. It’s a science fiction classic. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/12 "2010-05-02T14:36:37Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > [Dandelion Wine](http://www.amazon.com/Dandelion-Wine-Ray-Bradbury/dp/0380977265/), by Ray Bradbury. It’s a science fiction classic. :smack: Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/13 "2010-05-02T15:45:53Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > [Dandelion Wine](http://www.amazon.com/Dandelion-Wine-Ray-Bradbury/dp/0380977265/), by Ray Bradbury. It’s a science fiction classic. Is it Science Fiction? I thought it wasn’t… but I haven’t read it. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/14 "2010-05-02T16:22:21Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Is it Science Fiction? I thought it wasn’t… but I haven’t read it. Well… sorta kinda. Arguably not. It usually gets shelved with sci fi, anyway. End self-hijack! I wanna hear about the liquid stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/15 "2010-05-02T18:34:47Z")
Huh, my cultural reference for it is the song, not the book. _Dandelion wine will make you remember The first days of Spring in the middle of December_ ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-dandelion-wine/537964/16 "2010-05-02T19:15:14Z")
When I was a kid dandelions were one of the things that made you piss the bed. I suppose that they’re a kind of diuretic, but still heh.