WineXpert Best WE Whites?

[mdtroyer]

I have completed two white kits from WE and have liked them both:

VR Riesling was great, but I fermented completely dry and did not back sweeten. It is a great wine, but imo it is missing a lot of the flavors I was expecting. Think more of a pinot grigio mouth feel and profile. Probably could use some additional sugar.

Selection Viognier was fermented dry as well but retained a very pronounced peach/stone fruit flavor that I absolutely love. Definitely the best white I have made so far. We will see of the catawba can match up down the road.

My questions are as follows:

Is the difference in flavor going to be due to varietal alone or is there something to be said for the 16L vs 10L kit size? Insight on this point in particular will be very helpful as it will influence my purchases from here on out.

What other white kits from WE (easiest to find in my area) have a very floral/fruity ending taste while still tasting dry or off dry? Any kit size or price is fine, just looking for another kit that will produce a wine as good (as determined by me) or better than the selection viognier.

Semi related to the first question: Will starting with fresh juice generally lead to a "better" result than a kit?

 

[geek]

I saw posts saying that the Gewurztraminer is VERY floral with great smell, off dry.
Never tried it though.

 

[SouthernChemist]

The Selection Viognier (back when it was 15L) was the first white I ever made, and it just as you described. Very well received by everyone who tried it, especially considering many people have never heard of Viognier. The kit is now 16L, though it probably does not make that much of a difference.

The only other WE whites I've tried were the Eclipse Gewurtztraminer and the LE 2012 Torrontes. The Gewurtztraminer is intended to be off dry, but you could ferment it dry. It's definitely floral/fruity/spicy. The Torrontes was similar to the Selection Viognier, though it was not quite as good in my opinion. The dryness of the wine came through a little more, I think.

I've never made a 10L kit, but I think you will notice a difference between a 16L kit and a 10 L kit. The difference in a white wine may not be as great as in a red, though. In fact, it might be more easily noticed if you started with larger kits and then made a 10L kit. This is not to say that you won't get a good wine from a 10L kit, though.

In general, I think people would say that wine from fresh grapes will be superior to a kit wine provided that the grapes are of decent quality. Kits are a great starting point for some and for others the only option they really have...particularly for red wines given the extra effort involved.

 

[codeman]

I saw posts saying that the Gewurztraminer is VERY floral with great smell, off dry.
Never tried it though.

I'm bottling my Gewurzt this weekend and agree with what you posted.

 

[geek]

I'm bottling my Gewurzt this weekend and agree with what you posted.

How's the flavor? Semi sweet, off-dry?
Did you measure the SG after adding any f-pack (assuming it comes with an f-pack to back sweeten)?

 

[codeman]

It's off dry. The F pac is about 2 cups. The aroma is wonderful! Right now it seems to taste better around 70* degrees. Definitely more flavor than at 55*.
I'll measure the sg this weekend, it was. 0.992 before the F pac.

 

[geek]

Thanks, which kit did you get?
Looking for another semi-sweet white for the wife, I'm currently aging an RJS Cru Muscat 12L kit I bought for $85. I think the SG came up to around 1.006 after fpack.


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[Putterrr]

VR Riesling was great, but I fermented completely dry and did not back sweeten. It is a great wine, but imo it is missing a lot of the flavors I was expecting. Think more of a pinot grigio mouth feel and profile. Probably could use some additional sugar.QUOTE]

Did this kit come with an F-pack? If it did and you chose not to use it for back sweetening, you may have omitted some flavouring in your final product. Just a thought

cheers

 

[mdtroyer]

No f-pack in the kit. Probably too low end to have that included. I will have to try a higher end riesling kit with an f-pack and see if it makes a difference.

 

[Putterrr]

I thought that the En Primeur German Riesling Gewürztraminer was perhaps the best white I have done. It is off dry and we usually like dry red and whites. The eclipse Riesling is very good as well.

cheers

 

[codeman]

How's the flavor? Semi sweet, off-dry?
Did you measure the SG after adding any f-pack (assuming it comes with an f-pack to back sweeten)?

Just an update (like I said I would) my Gewurz SG after the F pack was .997

According to the instructions that cane with the kit it should have been .998

 

[geek]

Just an update (like I said I would) my Gewurz SG after the F pack was .997

According to the instructions that cane with the kit it should have been .998

Hmmm, a bit low for me for a white, would prefer around 1.006 or so.


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[geek]

I think I will get the WE Selection soon.


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[UglyJohn]

I made the Eclipse Sauvignon Blanc last year, and the Eclipse Gewurtz this year - bottling in April. Both are great! The SB is dry, with a great complexity. I don't drink it very often, trying to save it. I will definitely be making another of these kits.

I've only popped one bottle of the Gewurtz so far and it really surprised me being drier than I expected. It was a bit rough when I first opened it since it is only a couple months old, but after a couple hours it became really excellent. Nice complexity, with the expected spicy nose. Really looking forward to seeing how it changes over the next couple months. I'll probably make another of these kits somewhere down the road, especially since I don't like sweet whites.

 

[funjoh]

WE VR Chardonnay

This is my very first attempt at wine making. Five weeks into the process and it tastes fantastic. Much better than the level of commercial wine we buy (KJ, etc). Beautiful medium amber, crystal clear, crisp hint of fruit, medium oak and dry. The ABV is 14.5%. Today I racked after completing the stabilization and clarifying stage. Now it will age for another 50 days prior to bottling.

The only modification to this kit was stirring the lees daily during the secondary fermentation. This is a form of battonage and is meant to bring the buttery flavor as the wine ages. So I have read!

There is no doubt that we could bottle and drink now...however, wait...wait...wait.

I have the WE VR Cabernet Sauvignon clarifying alongside the Chardonnay.

You have all helped to get me this far...thanks!