The thing about country wines is that they are made based on what is available at the time. Right now, as we are entering springtime, I will soon be making spring wines such as lilac, rhubarb, and dandelion. In the summer, I will make blackberry, strawberry, blueberry and elderberry. In the fall, apple and meads from local honey are ones I like to experiment with.
Other country wines to consider are peach, honeysuckle, and rose. Some people even make beetroot, carrot, or parsley wines.
Country wines require that there be sugar added since the ingredients in these wines don’t have the high sugar content that grapes do. Some people prefer to use honey instead of sugar, making a mead rather than ‘wine’.
Unlike grape wines that have everything naturally occuring for fermentation, non-grape wines need to have yeast added to the mash to induce the fermentation process. You can use plain bread yeast if that’s all you have, but it tends to produces a rather “heavy” tasting wine. I prefer to choose a wine yeast that has been especially created for the fermenting of wine.
Some country wines also require you to add other additives depending on the type of fruit, vegetable, herb, or flower you are using. These additives might be tannin powder (or strong black tea), acid powder, or pectic enzyme. These added ingredients can help to improve the taste or flavor of the wine or create a non-cloudy end product.
Tip: If recipes require Tannin or Citric acid, you can substitute (respectively) a mug of strong black tea or lemon juice instead.
I basically do the same as you. I haven’t used a carboy with airlock. I have used a large balloon on my 5 gallon bottle and it will inflate. When it goes down (2-3 weeks), I will strain and put in my bottles with a smaller balloon again. If it doesn’t inflate, I’ll cork it up.
I have used this method as well. A good low-tech way to make country wine!