Packlab Costco wine kits

Rubberboots · Sep 3, 2015

Has anybody had any success with the costco kits? I have made 5 kits and only one tasted good. The Semillon by paklabs was decent. The chardonnay was passable. I also did a double whammy kit of Italians, there was a Multipulciano and something else I can't remember. Then there's the most recent one, a Reisling which tastes kinda how I would expect cheap perfume to taste like. Needless to say I won't be purchasing ANYTHING by paklabs ever again.

DoctorCAD · Sep 3, 2015

Kinda bought the lowest possible thing and then think that the whole company is bad. Not sure thsts a fair assesment.

Rocky · Sep 3, 2015

I don't think the Costco stores in the "colonies" sell the kits. At least, mine does not. It does not sound like we are missing anything.

Rubberboots · Sep 3, 2015

I bought what was available at the store. I tried the cheaper vino europa kits and I tried the more expensive International series. The riesling was the International series and it was the worse one of them all. I'm sorry if I'm passing judgement on cheaper wine kits but also not knowing that they make different kits until now, how would you feel? I just started a luna rosa kit by wine expert a little while ago and I just checked the sg and went onto the stage of adding the clearing agent, potassium sorbate and metabisulfite. When I tested the sg I tried a small taste and it tastes better than any of my other reds after aging.

cpfan · Sep 4, 2015

Rubberboots said:
I bought what was available at the store. I tried the cheaper vino europa kits and I tried the more expensive International series. The riesling was the International series and it was the worse one of them all. I'm sorry if I'm passing judgement on cheaper wine kits but also not knowing that they make different kits until now, how would you feel? I just started a luna rosa kit by wine expert a little while ago and I just checked the sg and went onto the stage of adding the clearing agent, potassium sorbate and metabisulfite. When I tested the sg I tried a small taste and it tastes better than any of my other reds after aging.

Personally I'm not surprised that the Luna Rosa (even though I've never tried one) tastes better than the Costco kits.

Steve

joeswine · Sep 4, 2015

Cheap wine kits

lets face it they are what they are ,how ever with these kits you really need to think outside the box and start becoming a MIXOLOGIST and have a plan of attack on the base wine,question:what is going to be my abv?what do i want to add to the base for enhancement,when or do i need tannins and if so when ?do i add oak and if so what style.you need to start being creative not just follow the instructions,anyone can do that,i mean really..you get out of these kits what you puts into it,no thought/ no effort/ no descent results.
TOM and KATE and I HAVE PLAYED WITH THESE KITS AND FOUND WHEN FINISHED OUT WITH A PLAN THEY ARE EQUIVALENT TO THE WINEXPERTS $60.00 VINTNER KITS,"REALLY"

Rubberboots · Sep 4, 2015

Well I did try adding oak and that didn't help, I haven't been making wine long enough to try experimenting as I am still learning. My dad has been doing it for quite some time and his wines have always turned out good until he tried the ones from costco. Maybe once I have a little more experience I will try changing things up a bit. Until then I just want to find a base wine that tastes decent enough that we can drink. I would also like to find some work so I can afford to experiment and not get upset after wasting money and time.