Other Anyone tried the Fontana kits from Amazon?

[HappyFermentations]

So I found these on Amazon and decided to pick up a kit of Shiraz.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I4ZS0G4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I figured for $40 they can't be too awful. I'm brand new to winemaking, but have been playing with ciders and mead for a little while.

The reviews on Amazon seem to be really positive, and most say to age for several months. I'm getting married next June and really like the idea of making my own wine for the reception - with 8-9 months of aging might this be an option? The price of less then $2/bottle is definitely right since I need to make so much!

If these arent any good, any other options that will be ready to go by next June and are Aldo simple enough for a novice to make?

Thanks!

 

[DoctorCAD]

I just today bottled my Amazon cab blend. It isn't the Fontana brand, but I think it is a Paklab kit. I added a grape pack and let it go 120 days before bottling. It tastes OK. Ill give it 6 months to a year before I judge it.

My kit was 10 liters plus the added grape pack, I wouldn't expect a 5 liter kit to be very flavorful.

 

[barbiek]

You take the chance of it being oxidized with a cheap kit like that and I wouldn't recommend you take a chance on such a big day. When I make a cheaper kit I swap out the yeast and all chemicals. And I have no experience with that kit. But you might also reconsider the type of wine a cab is heavy and dry you might consider a lighter fruitier wine. You might end saving some money but having a lot of wine left over that isn't even worth your effort. George at The Winemakers Toystore is having an October special check that out hope this helps

 

[geek]

Talk to @Joeswine and he'll rave on that kit...
He makes cheapo kits to taste like more expensive kits with all his 'tricks' under his sleeve....

 

[cpfan]

Fontana Wine Kits are from a company called ABC Cork. They have been around for several years now (more than eight). I have not made any of them.

HOWEVER, this kit looks like it is based on a 5.5litre bag of concentrate. IMO, there are MANY MANY kits that will be better than this kit, especially if started now for June consumption.

Steve

 

[DoctorCAD]

How does the cheapness of the kit give it a better chance of oxidation? Oxidation can ( and does) affect all wine of all prices due to technique.

 

[HappyFermentations]

HOWEVER, this kit looks like it is based on a 5.5litre bag of concentrate. IMO, there are MANY MANY kits that will be better than this kit, especially if started now for June consumption.

Steve

Anything in particuar you'd suggest? I'm fairly new to all of this so I'm hesitant to drop a ton of $$, but I definitely want something of decent quality.

Also, would dropping the yield down from 6G to 5G give a better end result?

 

[sour_grapes]

I would suggest upgrading a little bit for the occasion. I would choose a wine kit that does NOT have a grape pack, but one that is more upmarket than the one you chose. Something like this:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/winemaking/wine-kits/winexpert-vintners-reserve-coastal-red-wine-kit

 

[knockabout]

I agree with Paul. I had a similar kit to the one he linked to and we added some tannins in the begining, a square of bitter chocolate and some perppercorns and let it age... after 6 months it was very good. After 1 -1 1/2 years it might be our favorite wine we have made I also ave done the Orchard breeze kits for a friends wedding, they are relatively inexpensive and on the sweeter side but that's what the happy couple liked so thats what we made them and many people there raved..

 

[barbiek]

I thought of Joe too but happy wanted simple but happy do look at joeswine and @ DoctorCAD I was into making cheap kits good for awhile that is until I received one that was oxidized at the get go. I tasted the juice and the off color gave it away to begin with I made it any way for marinating. I don't want happy to be confused by all the tweaks it would take to make a good wine from a cheap wine kit was just thinking of the newbie. And @HappyFermentations is there a supply store near by? Check their kits out first so you don't have to pay shipping or check to see if they order from a wine kit supplier if you order through them you might not have to pay shipping

 

[HappyFermentations]

I would suggest upgrading a little bit for the occasion. I would choose a wine kit that does NOT have a grape pack, but one that is more upmarket than the one you chose. Something like this:
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/winemaking/wine-kits/winexpert-vintners-reserve-coastal-red-wine-kit

Great! How long should I plan on aging a kit like this?

I ask because I'm thinking I'll go ahead and make the Fontana kit since I already ordered it and it's so cheap - and more importantly it will give me a chance to get my feet wet.

If I start one of the Winexpert kits in early November or December will it be decent by June? (7-8 months). Or should I go ahead and pick out another kit now and get started.

 

[TemperanceOwl]

Great! How long should I plan on aging a kit like this?

I ask because I'm thinking I'll go ahead and make the Fontana kit since I already ordered it and it's so cheap - and more importantly it will give me a chance to get my feet wet.

If I start one of the Winexpert kits in early November or December will it be decent by June? (7-8 months). Or should I go ahead and pick out another kit now and get started.

You should go ahead and get the next kit started. All of theses benefit from aging, and 9 months will be significantly better than 6.

 

[joeswine]

Fontana 4 week kits

On the contra my friends if the bank will not allow a high end kit then make a low end kit your best everyday wine and it can be done,Kate and Tom can attest to that and the price is right . I started with Kate's white kits she bought and reds,the key is these are 6 gallon kits,but i also thought "hum" pure concentrate,what next so i started the volume at a 5 gallon mark knowing the concentrated levels would increase the flavors as well as BOOST the low abv. The original kit provided THE BASE PLATFORM TO WORK OFF OF then we made small tweaks to see what would or would not work.we found that the 5 gallon mark was the true place for these kits to start at and when finished 8/10 weeks /out their ready. THESE KITS ARE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WANT A WINE CELLAR BUT CAN'T AFFORD THE LARGE COST OF THE HIGH END KITS.you can create a better kit if you learn to THINK OUT SIDE THE BOX.IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ANY ON THE FLOWS LET ME KNOW.REMEMBER THIS IS WHAT STARTED" WHEN GOOD WINES GONE BAD."

 

[HappyFermentations]

Thanks for the reply Joe!

did you use the yeast/chemicals that came with the kit or did you go with something different?

Edit: just got home and the kit has arrived. Looks like ec-1118, which makes sense if it's a "one month" wine.

Think I'm gonna go ahead and make it as a 5G kit and see how it turns out. Heck, at only $40, it's barely more than the super over sugared welchs juice concoction I've got going....

Any other info you could pass along would be great.

Thanks!

 

[joeswine]

Used the yeast provide, would start this as a 5 gallon kit

 

[DoctorCAD]

Used the yeast provide, would start this as a 5 gallon kit

Adding a grape pack and using 6 gallons did a world of good. Anything that increases the solids count is going to make a difference.

 

[joeswine]

So far we have done 8 of these kits best results were reducing to a starting volume of 5gallons,6 gallon volume would make a weak batch ofj juice not wine.

 

[HappyFermentations]

So far we have done 8 of these kits best results were reducing to a starting volume of 5gallons,6 gallon volume would make a weak batch ofj juice not wine.

Besides reducing it to 5G are there any other major changes I should consider making to the kit directions?

 

[misteranthropic]

With a little work you may be surprised...

I have no experience yet(though I have their cabernet in a box in my garage) with the Fontana kits, but I had excellent success with the Vino Italiano wines from Amazon a few years ago, and I suspect the tweaks I used will be of benefit to the Fontana kits as well.

With the V.I. Barolo I added water to about the 5.33 gallon mark, added 1 1/2# of Zante currants, FT Rouge tannins and 4 oz. of French Oak cubes to the primary. I used BM4X4 yeast instead of the kit yeast and racked around 1.000SG. After reaching .995 SG I racked again added 1/3 tsp Kmeta and barrelled it for 6 weeks in a new Vadai Hungarian oak barrel and then bottled.

After 8 months in the bottle the wine was terrific and as I opened a bottle here and there my friends were always begging me for more.

My only regret was not ordering 7 kits in order to fill my 32 gallon Vadai barrel. I can tell you this, if the Fontana Cab is anywhere close to the VI Barolo in finished quality, I'm going buy 7 more and do it right.

 

[wineforfun]

After reading through this thread, for those of you that have made a $50 kit and a $150 kit, do you feel the $50 kit would ever rival the more expensive one? obviously it would have to be tweaked.

I am getting ready to purchase a kit(only my 3rd as kits are not my thing yet) and am looking at the higher end kits, similar to the two I have already done.

I can understand tweaking a low end kit to make it "drinkable" and decent, but not following how you can make it what higher end kits could be.

It would appear you can make the low end kit similar to a $7-$8 bottle of wine whereas the higher end kit could be similar to a $12-$15 bottle of wine.