WineXpert Best true German Riesling kit?

[RiderEh]

Can anyone recommend their favourite Riesling kits? We are looking for something more like the German styles, not too sweet. We were thinking the Winexpert Californian but interested to hear your comments. Also we would prefer larger juice kits, and Winexpert or RJ Spagnols.

 

[WinoDave]

This isn't much help to you but I just received the Eclipse Riesling in the mail. It's suppose to be a dry Riesling. It had great reviews online.
I'm going to make mine sometime this week.

 

[Elizajean]

Can anyone recommend their favourite Riesling kits? We are looking for something more like the German styles, not too sweet. We were thinking the Winexpert Californian but interested to hear your comments. Also we would prefer larger juice kits, and Winexpert or RJ Spagnols.

The recent Winemaker Top 100 list has these Rieslings:
12. WE Vinterners Reserve Riesling
23. WE Selection Piesporter
28. Vineco Legacy Piesporter
70. WE Mosel Valley Riesling
Not sure about your definition of true German Riesling, but there were also two Gewurtztraminer
34. RJS Cru select German Gewurtztraminer
92. WE Selection LE Gewurtztraminer

I want to make a Riesling next, but prefer dry, such as the ones in the Finger Lakes. Not sure which kit I will make.

 

[rustbucket]

Last week, I opened a bottle of the WE Selection Piesporter I bottled in July. I like to sample my wines at about the 3 months point after bottle shock has dissipated. It tasted like a true Piesporter that will rival the one that my wife tasted in a restaurant before asking me to make it.

Based on this tasting, I recommend the WE Selection Piesporter kit.

 

[Elizajean]

Last week, I opened a bottle of the WE Selection Piesporter I bottled in July. I like to sample my wines at about the 3 months point after bottle shock has dissipated. It tasted like a true Piesporter that will rival the one that my wife tasted in a restaurant before asking me to make it.

Based on this tasting, I recommend the WE Selection Piesporter kit.

Is this dry?

 

[rustbucket]

Elizabeth,

The kit does come with an Fpac but I didn't find it sweet when I tested it. I would describe it as "off-dry", not sweet but not pucker dry either. The taste is on par with a commercial Piesporter, just enough sweetness to bring the flavor of the grape forward.

I don't like sweet wines so I would have noted an overly sweet taste in the tasting notes I made in the winemaking log I keep.

 

[Elizajean]

Elizabeth,

The kit does come with an Fpac but I didn't find it sweet when I tested it. I would describe it as "off-dry", not sweet but not pucker dry either. The taste is on par with a commercial Piesporter, just enough sweetness to bring the flavor of the grape forward.

I don't like sweet wines so I would have noted an overly sweet taste in the tasting notes I made in the winemaking log I keep.

Ron,
Excellent description. Did you add the fpac at the end? Will purchase a Piesporter to try and then decide whether to make one. Thanks

 

[rustbucket]

I followed the kit instructions; so yes, I added the Fpac at the end during the clarification stage.

 

[RiderEh]

I think the Mosel Valley Riesling must be discontinued, I can't seem to find it on the Winexpert site anyways, when I googled it it appears to be a LE14. The Piesporter's are a bit too sweet for me.

 

[salcoco]

if the wine has a f-pac you can add at the beginning of the fermentation. this will raise the specific gravity and the resultant abv, but the wine will ferment dry. then you can make a decision to back sweeten if to dry or leave as made.

 

[Elizajean]

Check out the RJS RQ Riesling 2018, with optional sweetener packet so you can make it as dry or sweet as you want.
http://www.finevinewines.com/XPListDet2.asp?MM_PartNumber=2018RQ4

 

[RiderEh]

Thanks, I'll definitiely keep that RJS in mind!

 

[GaDawg]

Winexpert does have an Eclipse Mosel Valley Gewurztraminer