The University of Manchester Library holds the records of the Grey family, Earls of Stamford. Amongst the documents, a recipe for ginger wine: here is a modern version, but the original document belongs to the papers of the Earls: somewhere between 1291 and 1974...
Ginger wine
12cm root ginger5 litres of water1.4kg sugar4 lemons500g raisins1 sachet of white wine yeastYeast nutrient
In a fermenting bucket, place finely slice the ginger, lemon zest, the chopped raisins, and pour over 2.5 litres of boiling water. Cover and leave for 24 hours.
After 24h, add another 2.5 litres of boiled and cooled water, the sugar, the lemon juice, and the yeast nutrient. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Cover and leave to ferment for 3/4 days, then transfer into a sterilised demijohn. Leave to ferment for about 90 days, then pour into a clear demijohn. Leave until the liquid gets clear, then bottle.