Alexander's Sun Country Concentrates

[edenri]

Just wondering if anyone had any experience with these? Is it just like using a concentrated grape juice, but with more potential being from a wine grape?

 

[Wade E]

My brother-in-law did 1 and it came out nasty. It was a Chianti and he gave me a bottle and i took a sip and dumped the rest down the drain. He didnt like it either. It had 8 months in the bottle. I bought him a MM All Juice Pinot Noir for Christmas to make so he could make a good wine as he was a little discouraged.

 

[grapeman]

Do yourself a favor and get some kind of kit. You don't need a real expensive one unless you want one. You wont save much money buying the Alexanders over say the Mosti Vinifera Noble series. It takes 3 cans per 6 gallon batch of the Alexanders for decent body and full flavor. Then you need to buy all the ingredients and don't get good directions with them. If they are $25 per can that's $75 per 6 gallon batch and you can buy a kit for that price or less. Doing a kit also gives you directions to follow so you can get the routine down with guidance.

 

[Turock]

And then----we've had a different experience with Alexander's. We did a pinot noir and MLF'd it--turned out very good. We make their burgundy and blend it with concord--excellent. It's a good way to make wine from grapes that you can't get ahold of, or to use in the off-season. Alexander's is one of the concentrates that seems to turn out good every time and has good flavor if you use 3 cans to make 6 gallons.

 

[deboard]

I've made good and bad wines with Alexander's. On the whole, I think their white concentrates are a lot better than the reds, maybe because they tolerate the concentration a bit better.

I made a passion fruit riesling with Alexander's Riesling and 64 oz of passion fruit syrup, and it's very good. I've been told by more than one person that they would buy it if I sold it.

The key is no more than a 3 gallon batch with one can, and even then mix in some fruit or other juice to help out. I've used 2 cans for a 4 gallon batch and it turned out pretty good.

As far as the reds go, I have only had decent results with the Barbera. I mix it with cherries or cherry juice and make Cherry Barbera.

In most cases you probably would get better wine from a kit, but better than using frozen welches. The cool thing about Alexander's is that it's cheap enough to experiment with, and it's a good way to learn things like acid adjustment, hydrometer reading, clearing, etc without chancing messing up an expensive kit.

 

[Loren]

I also have made a Burgundy from Alexanders, wife loves it, especially after it reaches a year old. Also did a Reisling, was ok. Loren

 

[deboard]

I'll also say that if you prefer sweet wines, then your results will likely be better with Alexander's versus if you like dry wines. Sweetening covers a lot of faults.

The Cherry Barbera I make is dry, and for some reason it turns out pretty good. I've tried the merlot and cabernet sauvignon and both turned out pretty terrible dry. Just thin and not particularly flavorful, even after aging more than a year. I made a blackberry Pinot Noir with Alexander's and 20 lbs of blackberries that turned out ok, but nothing to rave about.

 

[badmario]

I started a Cabernet with Alexander concentrate about 6 months ago and I think it has shown excellent progress with body and taste. I feel like it will have comparable results to the Cabernet we made from vintner reserve. I did 3 cans for my 5 gallon batch, which cost only about $40.

 

[Polarhug]

I like adding 1 can to misc. fruit wines, it can really add complexity.

 

[Abrnth3]

I use thier Zinfadel and have made some very nice wines, the last one I oaked and it was exceptional. I use 2 cans for a 5 gallon batch wich is only $42 really nice and inexpensive wine.

 

[olusteebus]

I combined two cans of Cabernet with six jars of blackberry jam (longtrain's recipe) and it is fantastic.

 

[hollywood]

When you use the Alexander's and add jelly or fruits and things like that, when do you add them? I'm very new here.

 

[olusteebus]

Add them before you start fermentation

 

[1Adam12]

First timer

Ok so Im a first timer and I bought the Alexanders Zinfandel recipe for my first batch… I'm day 3 into it and I'm following the recipe as written on the can.

What my question is: From day 2 to day 3, mixing as it states, I also have been testing and recording temp, sp GR, PA and Brix.
Day 2 my readings were 72F, 84, 11% and 21
Day 3 my readings were 74F, 62, 8% and 15.5

Question being; in one day do things change that extreme or am I just freaking out for no reason?

 

[mrdillon5]

The only luck i have had is the chardonnay from Alexanders

 

[yanks4carolyn]

Alexander's Sun Country Concentrates

Have any of you used the Muscat juice? I want to make a Moscato-ish flavor.

 

[Amanda660]

I made a Alexanders Riesling. My GFs like sweet wine so I made 6 gallons of what a labeled "Insulin Required Riesling". 8 mos in the bottle and I entered one in Stone Hill Wineries (Hermann, Missouri) amateur wine makers contest and it won Grand Champion a few weeks ago. I don't embrace sweet wine but people seem to love it and my GFs are happy. 6 gallons cost me about $60 to make so I'm not complaining.