WineXpert Best 4 month wine suggestions

[physics911]

I'm just getting started making kits on a regular basis, so I don't run out, which is the state I'm in now.

I would like recommendations for a couple decent dry to off-dry whites, and dry reds which would be pleasant by around May.

Thank you,
Chris

 

[calvin]

I'm just getting started making kits on a regular basis, so I don't run out, which is the state I'm in now.



I would like recommendations for a couple decent dry to off-dry whites, and dry reds which would be pleasant by around May.



Thank you,

Chris

You could always try some dragons blood or skeeter pee. I make sure I never run out of either. They are a little different then wines you may be used to but very good. Also a bit of an acquired taste. Skeeter pee really smooths out after a couple months.

The 2 white kits I have done are very good.

WE Vintners reserve Pinot Gris
And WE world vineyard California Trinity White.

I personally prefer the Pinot Gris over the trinity white.

I don't have any experience with early drinking reds. So far my favorite red kit has been a WE selection international Chilean Malbec/Shiraz. It's great after 6 months. Probably will be gone before the 1 year mark.

 

[bosco500]

I did a WE World Vineyard Chilean Malbec and it is awesome after 30 days in the bottle. I'm sure it will just get better.

 

[cpfan]

I'm just getting started making kits on a regular basis, so I don't run out, which is the state I'm in now.

I would like recommendations for a couple decent dry to off-dry whites, and dry reds which would be pleasant by around May.

Thank you,
Chris

I'm going to say that almost all of the decent kits will be "pleasant" by then.

The real question is what wines do you like? For example, I like Rieslings & gewurztraminers but don't like chardonnays. So I'll recommend Vineco's Ken Ridge Showcase German Gewurztraminer (we make it dry by putting the f-pack/Suss Reserve in the fermenter) rather than a chardonnay. Similarly, I don't like cabs that much so I'll say merlot or shiraz.

As I said, what do you like??

Steve

 

[GaDawg]

You ask for early drinker rec. As a general rule the less juice ( concentration) the less aging is required.

 

[physics911]

My "go-to" whites are usually semi-dry Riesling's and Pinot Gris, but I want to try to get away from just drinking the same stuff all the time. I'm not a big fan of Chardonnay, but I've had a few good ones here and there. So maybe one in my wheelhouse and one outside of it.

With reds, I enjoy most of them, though Cab Sauv is my favorite. Per GaDawg's point of less concentrate, what about a Pinot Noir?

Clearly I am not going to drink four batches of wine in May by myself. What I want to do is start getting some variety of inventory built, which is pleasantly drinkable by late spring, but will get better as the year goes on. Then I will make another batch every month or so to keep things going.

I'm thinking, at least this morning, of a Pinot Gris and a low oak Chardonnay, then a Pinot Noir and a big Cab Sauv.

 

[GaDawg]

For a quick white how bout a Liebfraumilch or Piesporter? As for a Pinot Noir, my favorite but have never made a 4 week kit. I would be very interested to know what others think of 4 week kit Pinot?

 

[bkisel]

My wife loves the RJS VdV Pinot Grigio I make for her. Taken off dry with two cups of sugar.

A red VdV series wine I really liked was the Italian Valpola tweaked with two cups of raisins in the secondary. Wife likes the VdV Pinot Noir back sweetened with two cups of sugar but I'm just okay with this wine.

I'm thinking that you might be at least okay if not thrilled with any of the RJS VdV wines assuming you like that particular wine in the first place.

 

[heatherd]

I'm just getting started making kits on a regular basis, so I don't run out, which is the state I'm in now.

I would like recommendations for a couple decent dry to off-dry whites, and dry reds which would be pleasant by around May.

Thank you,
Chris

I have made Chenin blanc and Sauvignon blanc that are good at six months and better at a year.

Reds are tougher. I really aim for a year of aging.

I second the skeeter pee and dragons blood notion.

Heather

 

[jsiddall]

Really no idea on the whites since I am just doing my first white kit now. Everything I have read says whites are generally ready much sooner than reds.

The only "early drinking" red I made was a WE Mezza Luna Red, which I can't enjoy yet after 6 months.

All the other kits I have made have been premium (16+ L) and the only one of those I have found I can drink before 12+ months is an MM Renaissance Amorosso I made a couple of months back. I was really surprised by that one. Still not great though.

Regarding the Pinot Noir, I recall reading that varietal is tough to get right in a kit, and since I am not much of a fan I haven't tried one yet.

I will also echo what others already said: if you want to experiment try Dragon Blood. While not a red (sorta blush I guess, if only in color), it is inexpensive, easy, and decent in a couple of months:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f2/dangerdaves-dragon-blood-wine-41825/

Bottom line: it depends on your taste. I may be overly critical, so take this with a grain of salt, but as a general rule I wouldn't expect reds to be decent in 4 months. By decent I am thinking $8+ bottle commercial equivalent.

 

[physics911]

I ordered an Angel Blanco and a World Vineyard Australian Chardonnay.
We'll see how those turn out.

I'll get a couple of reds soon too, but I want to get the whites going as that is what I drink the most of in the summer.

Now to buy more carboy's.

 

[heatherd]

I ordered an Angel Blanco and a World Vineyard Australian Chardonnay.
We'll see how those turn out.

I'll get a couple of reds soon too, but I want to get the whites going as that is what I drink the most of in the summer.

Now to buy more carboy's.

I say all the time: more carboys can solve most problems!

 

[heatherd]

Really no idea on the whites since I am just doing my first white kit now. Everything I have read says whites are generally ready much sooner than reds.

The only "early drinking" red I made was a WE Mezza Luna Red, which I can't enjoy yet after 6 months.

All the other kits I have made have been premium (16+ L) and the only one of those I have found I can drink before 12+ months is an MM Renaissance Amorosso I made a couple of months back. I was really surprised by that one. Still not great though.

Regarding the Pinot Noir, I recall reading that varietal is tough to get right in a kit, and since I am not much of a fan I haven't tried one yet.

I will also echo what others already said: if you want to experiment try Dragon Blood. While not a red (sorta blush I guess, if only in color), it is inexpensive, easy, and decent in a couple of months:

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f2/dangerdaves-dragon-blood-wine-41825/

Bottom line: it depends on your taste. I may be overly critical, so take this with a grain of salt, but as a general rule I wouldn't expect reds to be decent in 4 months. By decent I am thinking $8+ bottle commercial equivalent.

I have two pinots and both are good/ the LE Oregon and the British Columbian one. They are different from one another but both good kits.

 

[Dhaynes]

The WE World Vineyard California Moscato is a great kit and would likely be drinkable early. We bulk aged our for 6 months before we sampled it so I never tried it at 4 months. It might be a little sweeter than you are looking for but it is very good.

Our favorite WE Vintners Reserve kit is the Coastal White. It's great. We made it 4 times. Unfortunately the US distributor stopped selling it for some reason. If you happen to be in Canada it is still sold there grab as many as you can.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

 

[Brian55]

The WE World Vineyard California Moscato is a great kit and would likely be drinkable early. We bulk aged our for 6 months before we sampled it so I never tried it at 4 months. It might be a little sweeter than you are looking for but it is very good.

Our favorite WE Vintners Reserve kit is the Coastal White. It's great. We made it 4 times. Unfortunately the US distributor stopped selling it for some reason. If you happen to be in Canada it is still sold there grab as many as you can.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making

The coastal white is ok in the short term, beyond the one year mark it becomes a nice cooking wine... I picked up a two for one deal back in early 2013. The batch I made in early 2013 is now gone, a lot of it given away in it's prime, but the batch I made in august of 2013 has since lost it's luster, and is now relegated to de-glazing and cooking duties..

 

[olusteebus]

I made a merlot/blackberry blend that was a quick drinker. I used a half gallon of Home winery merlot concentrate and 5 jars of smuckers seedless blackberry jam. I will look at my records and see how long it was before I drank it.

IT is, in my opinion, very good.

 

[Floandgary]

Most recent good/early drinkers were Sauvignon Blanc and Montepulciano.

 

[fabrictodyefor]

I made a WE Select Pinot Noir and it was good right after bottling...start to finish about 2 months. I plan to leave it sit for longer, but there are a couple bottles that have managed to get opened and drunk up!

 

[ehammonds]

Never thought I'd making anything like Dragons Blood. But, after reading so many raves about it, think I'll give it a shot. Sounds like a great summer drink and early drinker. 1-2 years is a long wait for this newbie.

 

[heatherd]

Never thought I'd making anything like Dragons Blood. But, after reading so many raves about it, think I'll give it a shot. Sounds like a great summer drink and early drinker. 1-2 years is a long wait for this newbie.

That is the tough part about wine making, in general, you are really making next year's wine much of the time. The first year of work may not yield much in the way of fine wine. So you can either drink wine prior to it's prime, or make things that are ready earlier.

Obviously, there are always exceptions! Some reds are good early like a Beaujolais nouveau. Some whites are good at 3-6 months.

Dragons blood, skeeter pee, mist kits, hard cider, orchard breezin kits are all great for faster consumption.

Heather