Fruit Wine vs Grape Wine: What’s the Difference?

TL;DR: Fruit Wine vs Grape Wine

• Fruit wine is made from fruits other than grapes — like berries, apples, peaches, or mangoes. It’s often lighter, sweeter, and more playful in flavor.

• Grape wine is made exclusively from wine grapes, prized for their natural balance of sugar, acid, and tannins. These wines are typically more complex and structured.

• Both use the same fermentation process, but fruit wines often need a few adjustments (like sugar, acid & nutrient adjustments) to achieve balance.

• When it comes to homemade fruit wine vs grape wine, fruit wines are more forgiving and creative, while grape wines stick to classic techniques and styles.

What is Fruit Wine?

Fruit wine — sometimes called “country fruit wine” — includes any wine made from fruit that isn’t a grape. Think apple wine, strawberry wine, blueberry wine, peach wine, or tropical flavors like mango and pineapple.

Flavor & Character

Fruit wines showcase the natural sweetness and aroma of their ingredients. Expect fresh, vibrant, and fruit-forward flavors — from juicy and floral to tart or tropical. These fruit wine flavors are often more pronounced and dessert-like than traditional grape wines.

Fermentation Needs

Unlike grapes, many fruits and fruit juices don’t naturally contain the ideal mix of sugar, acid, and nutrients needed for fermentation. That’s why when you learn how to make fruit wine, you’ll often:

• Add sugar to reach your target alcohol level (a process called chaptalization).

• Add anywhere from 0 cups to 2 cups of sugar per gallon when mixing your wine. This adds fermentable sugar (and ABV) to the wine.

• Adjust acidity with citric, malic, or tartaric acid for balance.

• If your fruit wine is a little dull after fermentation, add just a tiny pinch of one or more of these powdered acids. Wait 24 hours and taste. Adjust to your liking until the proper acidity is achieved.

• Use yeast nutrients to promote healthy fermentation.

• Add yeast nutrient to the wine when pitching yeast to provide them with nutrition for healthy fermentation.

Fruit wines ferment just like grape wines — yeast converts sugar into alcohol — but the recipe usually includes these small tweaks for balance and stability.

Who It’s Best For

Fruit wine is perfect for small-batch winemaking, creative experimentation, or using up seasonal fruit and local produce. It’s also one of the easiest and most affordable wines to make at home, even for beginners, because you can use bottled fruit juice as the base of your fruit wine.

Craft a Brew Tip: Our Fruit Wine Making Kit makes it easy to learn how to make fruit wine from real fruit juice or frozen fruit. It includes ingredients to make up to TWENTY batches of wine, plus a recipe book with 11 wines to make if you’re not sure where to start.

What is Grape Wine?

Grape wine is the classic style you know from vineyards and restaurants — from bold Cabernet Sauvignon to crisp Pinot Grigio. All red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines come from Vitis vinifera grapes cultivated specifically for winemaking.

Flavor & Complexity

Grape wines offer incredible range and complexity. Depending on the variety and winemaking style, they can be dry and tannic, light and crisp, or sweet and aromatic.

Because wine grapes have the perfect balance of natural sugar, acid, tannins, and nutrients, they require fewer adjustments during fermentation. This is what gives grape wine its structured body and ability to age gracefully — something most fruit wines don’t achieve to the same degree.

Fermentation & Aging

During grape wine fermentation, natural tannins from grape skins and seeds give structure, while acids and sugars balance flavor. Many red wines also undergo malolactic fermentation, which softens acidity and enhances mouthfeel.

Who It’s Best For

Grape wine is perfect for traditionalists who want to explore classic wine styles, varietals, and aging potential.

Craft a Brew Tip: Our Classic Wine Making Kits include grape juices pressed from premium vineyard fruit — like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Moscato — so you can learn how to make grape wine that rivals what you’d find in a bottle shop.

The Difference Between Fruit Wine and Grape Wine

Which One Should You Make at Home?

The difference between fruit wine and grape wine can be boiled down to the fruit used, but it’s also a matter of technique and finished flavor.

• Make fruit wine if: 

• You want to experiment with seasonal produce, frozen fruit or bottled fruit juice

• You prefer sweeter or fruitier styles

• You enjoy customizing alcohol content and flavor

• You’re new to winemaking and want a forgiving, low-cost start

Craft a Brew’s Fruit Wine Kit includes everything you need to make delicious homemade fruit wines — no vineyard required. They’re designed for small-space brewing, easy cleanup, and guaranteed flavor success.

• Make grape wine if: 

• You’re drawn to classic varietals and traditional wine styles

• You want a balanced, structured wine with aging potential

• You’re ready for the next step in your home winemaking journey

Explore Craft a Brew’s Classic Wine Kits, which include real vineyard-pressed grape juice. Choose from reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, or whites like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio to learn the fundamentals of grape wine fermentation right from your kitchen.

Final Thoughts

When comparing homemade fruit wine vs grape wine, there’s no clear winner — just different goals.

• Fruit wines are approachable, fun, and endlessly customizable.

• Grape wines deliver tradition, structure, and depth.

At the end of the day, the best wine is the one that fits your palate and your creativity.

👉 Explore our Fruit Wine Kit and Classic Grape Wine Kits to start your winemaking adventure today — whether you’re after something fruity and fresh or classic and refined.