Beginner from Albany, New York

[davelochner]

Hello everyone,
Brand new beginner here. Just started primary fermentation two and a half days ago on a Winexpert "German Mosel Valley Gewürztraminer Selection Estate" kit. I got this kit with the deluxe wine making kit from Northen Brewer.

While I am working on this wine I am beginning to think about my second wine. My father is asking me to make a Shiraz so I am pretty set on what varietal I want to use. I guess Syrah or Petite Syrah would work just as well for him. However, What I am not set on is what kit I want to buy.

So, I have two questions:

What are the best "All juice" or Fresh/frozen must kits for a Shiraz/Syrah/Petite Syrah and where, if possible, can I order them? (I have a six gallon system by the way.)

Second, as far as oak goes what is the best option when it comes to quality to price ratio? I have a pretty discerning palate so I'd rather make table wine at home to save money for everyday drinking and then invest more into wine futures for the special stuff. I have heard that buying oak barrels won't bring my wine to a sufficient level for it to be worth the cost. Are infusion rods or chips a better route to go?

Cheers!
Dave

 

[Julie]

Hi Dave,

Welcome to winemakingtalk.

 

[Dugger]

Welcome, Dave, to a great forum. Sounds like you're getting right into it.
Is it just me, or are beginners these days starting off at much higher levels than when we did years ago?! Imagine, an Estate kit to start and talking about barrels from the get go!! Good on ya!
I don't do barrels, but from what I understand, they do greatly improve a red wine, mainly from the micro oxidation and not the oaking.
Good vinting.

 

[Flem]

Welcome to the forum, Dave.

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome aboard.

 

[ffemt128]

Welcome......

 

[ibglowin]

Welcome aboard!

You can get wonderful oaking with the chips or oak beans (cubes) that come in all of the kits these days. What you can't get from chips or beans (and why I now have (2) 6 gallon Hungarian Oak barrels) is the concentration through evaporation and micro-oxygenation of the wine that only a barrel can provide.

You can still make good wine without a barrel so no worries about needing to run out and buy one. They are not cheap but can be had for ~ $140 for a 23L one. The other drawback to a barrel is you have to keep it full all the time which is hard at first and gets easier down the road. When the barrel is "neutral" or all the oak has been effectively drawn out, you just add oak beans like the kits contain and still use the barrel for its two main purposes (see above).

Anyways enough for now on barrels. For a first red kit I would pick either a Cellar Craft Showcase line Syrah or Shiraz (Aussie juice) or a RJ Spagnols Winery Series kit. A lot of us get our kits from the Winemakers Toy Store which is a supporter of this site. Great prices and insanely great service!

 

[SRLFD448]

Welcome to winemakingtalk! I am also from Albany...thought I knew you but now that I think about it, different name.

 

[robie]

Welcome to the forum.

Ibglowin has told you straight about oak barrels (and Cellar Craft). The RJ Spagnol En Primer series of kits are very nice ultra-premium kits.

With barrels and some good experience, you can make wine like the pros, if you use fresh/frozen grapes. Kits can make some really nice wine, and they are an excellent way to start making wine. Do some kits, then move into fresh or frozen grapes if you like.

My favorite wine is Petite Syrah. The only PS kit, which I am aware of is a Mosti Mondiale All-Juice kit. What I have heard is that it is a little thin for petite syrah. A thin PS just defeats the purpose in my opinion. You might want to wait for fresh/frozen to make a good PS.

Good luck and let us know how things go for you.

 

[ibglowin]

I just bottled a Mosti AJ Petite Syrah I started 8 mo ago. I added a Cellar Craft Syrah grape pack on top and it spent 4 months in my Vadai barrel. When it came out it was amazing.

Mucho high hopes for this guy!

 

[robie]

I just bottled a Mosti AJ Petite Syrah I started 8 mo ago. I added a Cellar Craft Syrah grape pack on top and it spent 4 months in my Vadai barrel. When it came out it was amazing.

Mucho high hopes for this guy!

Good deal! Yep, that's what that kit needs. A grape pack (or two) and some concentration.

Last night I bought my wife a nice love seat that rocks AND lays back. After we got it home, out of the blue she did mention something like, "Now its time to buy you that wine barrel."
Score!!!!!!!!

She knows I have wanted one for quite awhile now.

Mike, how many times and with how much wine did you have to top that guy off? I know those small barrels can loose a lot to evaporation.

 

[ibglowin]

Be careful, they can multiply like carboys and cost 4X as much!

 

[davelochner]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome and the advice!

 

[Chateau Joe]

Howdy Dave from a brother New Yorker! I live up here in northern NY near Watertown.

Remember that a syrah and a petit syrah are two completely different birds so don't think they are the same thing. Right now I have a syrah going and its on oak chips. I got a pail of Chilean juice from my local distributer and they are available every spring. Coming soon in August local distrubtors will be putting out their list for pails of fresh California juice. If you are not in a hurry, ask around your local regional market or contact Regina and find out who is your local distributor. I get mine pails from Utica and have them delivered to me. Good luck and and if you have any questions just shoot me a PM.

http://www.reginagrapejuice.com/wine_making/index.html

 

[Midstreamrods]

Hi Dave and Joe from Utica, NY.
I'm a newbie only having one wine behind me so far and wishing I had the chance to learn from Grandfather and get his equipment. I'm adding wine making to my hobbies and expect it to consume me as custom rod building has in the past. If any of you are in my area, let me know and we'll meet. Always willing to take advice when offered. Feel free to email me any time.
[email protected] Glad I found this site!!!!
Ray

 

[Brian]

Hi Dave welcome.. I am a native NYer but now live in PA. My faimly all still live there in Bolton Landing... just north of Lake George. My sister lives close to you Albany! Sounds like you are doing great! Good luck, and again welcome!