RJ Spagnols Citrus Ice Sauvignon Blanc

[batavia]

I am about to start on an Orchard Breezin Citrus Ice Sauvignon Blanc. This is my first fruit wine kit, meant to tie me over while myWE NZ Sauvignon Blanc and WE Lodi RachCab are aging.I'm thinking about upping the abv to about 10 to 11% by intiallyadding sugar and half the F-pack at the beginningas others have recommended.To what degree will that impact the "immediate" drinkability?I don't mind sticking to the original instructions either, butsince this is my first "mist-kit", I don't know what to expect in terms of sweetness, since I would like for it to tast fruity, but not (too) sweet.To dabble or not to dabble, that is thequestion....

BTW, great forum! Lots and lots of helpful info.

 

[PeterZ]

Welcome to the forum.


Upping the ABV will impact the immediate drinkability. I made a Green Apple Riesling and upped the ABV to 11% and for the first three months it tasted like rocket fuel. I recommend that you add half the F-pack to the primary, but no additional sugar. That should put you in the 8-9% range, and should have minimal impact on early drinkability. Most of the fruity flavor will be retained.


That's what I would do, but I typically start a batch of this kind of wine in the fall for drinking in the spring and summer. YMMV.

 

[Jack on Rainy]

Peter,
You continue to teach me new 'stuff'! I had to google YMMV to figure out what you meant. Thanks.
batavia, I made the WE Lodi cab in spring of '07. Stashed a case from myself and found it lurking in the cell last week. It was great! Not a hint of KT; itactually had bouquet like cab. I recommend lots of time on that one.

 

[batavia]

Thanks for your advice! I know I will be back for more!

Never thought winemaking could be so addictive !

Do you recommend to use the other half of the F-pack to backsweeten to taste at the appropriate time (after clearing and stabilizing, if I remember correctly)?

 

[PeterZ]

batavia, exactly. My taste is for drier wines, and I find that the OB kits with the entire F-pack added at the end after stabilizing are too sweet. Using half for sweetening suits me just fine.

 

[robie]

I have never tried an ice wine, although I have read up a little on them.

I enjoy a good New Zealand Sav. blanc. Is the ice version of a Sav blanc a sweet Sav blanc?

For this ice wine, if you leave out the sweetener, what do you get?

 

[cpfan]

DancerMan:


The Citrus Ice Sauvignon Blanc is not an ice wine. It is a mist or cooler wine.


For this kit, if you leave out the flavour/sweetening pouch you will have a low alcohol sauv blanc. Not sure what it would taste like, as I have never tried it like that.


Steve

 

[robie]

Thanks

Guess I misunderstood the meaning of the word 'ice' in - The Citrus "Ice" Sauvignon Blanc.

My wine making equipment and first two wine kits should arrive from George today!!!
Fed-Ex says it's in town and ready for delivery.
I am VERY excited; like a kid in a candy shop. It should be a fun-filled weekend for me.

 

[Pablo]

I made this last year. I added 4lbs of corn sugar to primary fermentation and made the kit per instructions after that. I have 4 bottles left. Not overly sweet.

 

[joeswine]

I HAVEN'T MADE THIS PARTICULAR KIT ,BUT I HAVE MADE ISLAND MIST KITS FOR MY SELF AND FRIENDS,BOOTING THE ABV,TO 1.010 IS NOT A PROBLEM ,THE FPAC IS VERY STRONG AND CAN HANDLE IT,NO PROBLEM,IN THE END THE WINE HAS MORE OF A WINE TASTE AND WHAT EVERY THE MAIN TASTE IS SUPPOSED TO FINISH LIKE,STILL A GOOD EARLY DRINKING PARTY WINE BUT WITH A REAL FINISH,THE BODY IS THIN BUT AT ROOM TEMP,THESE WINE KITS ARE TASTE...........ENJOY

 

[admiral]

Thanks

My wine making equipment and first two wine kits should arrive from George today!!!
Fed-Ex says it's in town and ready for delivery.
I am VERY excited; like a kid in a candy shop. It should be a fun-filled weekend for me.

I had to smile at your post. It brought back the memory of waiting for my first shipment from George. But, as I thought about it, I realized that I still feel the same way today as I wait for my latest shipment and think about the weekend. I hope you had a great weekend.

 

[batavia]

I started the Orchard BreezinCitrus Ice Sauvignon Blanc on January 24 with a SG 1.075 (added half the F-Pack up front) and it has been fermenting away... However, I haven't seen any visible fermentation for the last couple of days and SG is at 0.998 as of today.If my SG reading doesn't change (will take another reading tomorrow), should I wait and rack according to instructions (day 14 = February 7) or should I go ahead and rack to the carboy tomorrow?

Thanks!

Oh, and temp has been steady around 72-73F.

 

[IQwine]

the hydrometer is your friend -- days are just an estimate

 

[cpfan]

I started the Orchard BreezinCitrus Ice Sauvignon Blanc on January 24 with a SG 1.075 (added half the F-Pack up front) and it has been fermenting away... However, I haven't seen any visible fermentation for the last couple of days and SG is at 0.998 as of today.If my SG reading doesn't change (will take another reading tomorrow), should I wait and rack according to instructions (day 14 = February 7) or should I go ahead and rack to the carboy tomorrow?

Thanks!

Oh, and temp has been steady around 72-73F.

Batavia:


I can't recall the results for that specific kit when I ran a Ferment on Premise (over 2 years ago); however, OB kits usually finished around .995 .


Steve

 

[PeterZ]

You could rack today or wait until Sunday. The wine will come out the same either way. Itis currently supersaturated with CO2 so it is protected from oxidation.

 

[Pablo]

I started another batch of this. I think I got the last kit. George said it may be discontinued. I don't see it on the site anymore.

 

[Guest]

Hello,everybody.
I am a newer here.