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I originally suggested Vintner's Reserve and Cru International but from what you've added about reds, I'm confident Vintner's Reserve is the way to go. Reds generally require more aging than whites but Vintner's Reserve will easily be ready to drink in your timeframe. You'll give up much of...

You don't give an indication of what you'd like so I'll offer a twist on the earlier comments. I agree to look in the $80-100 range for what you may think of as midrange kits. These kits make 23 liters / 6 gallons in 5-6 weeks, finished and ready to drink although aging for weeks or months...

One way to deal with sweetness is to blend with another dry red wine. Doing so involves experimentation (creating small samples) until you make a blend you like then adding dry at that ratio. I'm not a big fan because I'm a purest but, as your wine is a blend already, tweaking makes sense...

I believe the rule of thumb on expiration is 12-18 months from packing date. Typically, it's on the longer end for lower volume (less expensive) kits due to the higher brix. I've haven't purchased an outdated kit because I've never been efficient at wine making so it takes a lot of work and...

Bryan, thanks for the suggestion. I'm trying to stick with varietals I can identify or figure out so I can compare the finished product to what I think it should be so this won't work for me right now. At any rate, while searching for Verdicchio I came across your website which I quickly...

Thanks for responding. My stock is close to empty. I'd prefer not to do a wine that takes 12-18 months at the start. Instead, I'd like to start with a wine I can drink in under a year, then build a cellar with more variety. I suspect I'm over reaching and should be going for wines with a...

For several years into 2013, I was very into wine making and did numerous kits, primarily Winexpert and RJS, but others as well. Coming back into the game I'm finding a lot has changed in the way of brands and selections but for right now I want to stay with those two. I want to start with a...

I know 6 months is the rule of thumb but I've had it last over a year. And the potency is pretty easy to figure out.

You say you used food grade containers. What do you mean? If any plastic was used, you must make certain it's safe for wine - not just food. The distinction is that alcohol and/or acid in wine can soften some plastics.

If you buy corks from a reputable source and store unused corks properly, there's no need to go to extreme measures. I don't buy in very large numbers and keep bags sealed. Sanitizing for several days with K-meta then handles anything that got past me.

If you're confident SG is at .990, there is no benefit to waiting. Go ahead and continue to step 3 or wait 5 more days as you prefer. Waiting for more sediment to drop out isn't beneficial given that it's stirred back into suspension, anyway. Johnd said he wasn't familiar with VR instructions...

I'd like to mention something you didn't ask about. K-meta has a tendency to absorb moisture and may harden. It's best to store it sealed, in a cool dry place, particularly if you aren't planning to use it frequently.

I'd like to build on what others have said, particularly Johnd. The fact is that wine making is part science and part art. There are aspects of the process that call for steps to be taken at certain points for a reason. For example, primary fermentation requires oxygen for the yeast to thrive...

Sure. I'd prefer to sanitize bottles then put them away and bottle at another time. But, I don't think I've ever sanitized bottles then waited to use them. So why haven't I done it; because after going through the effort to sanitize I want to avoid the potential for problems. All I'm...

Not to sound paranoid, but I don't leave bottles upside down directly in cartons. Even overnight, I'd lay down a piece of aluminum foil for them to rest on.

I mix my sanitizers (StarSan and K-meta) with tap water from a well. For that reason I do one quick rinse with bottled water, just putting some in the first bottle then carrying that through all the others.

Just a guess: assuming the bung popped off because of pressure from gas in the wine, that gas is CO2. The CO2 is heavier than air and should protect the wine for a period, but not indefinitely. In the short term, I'd put the bung back on but with an airlock.

There's probably only two possibilities: the corks or you. Given your number of posts, you've obviously done this before. So that leaves the corks. Are these the same corks used in the wine marked "P"? I suspect they've dried up but I haven't seen it before.

Sorry, Bill but (seeing your quote) I have to do it. As Bill said, "Oops! Welcome to the forum!".

Temperature is far more important during fermentation and of less consequence during bulk aging, which is where I think you are. The ideal temperature is around 55F. I believe you can be very successful at 68-72F and can even go slightly above that range. Anything under 68F -i.e., closer to...