WineXpert Eclipse Gewurztraminer

[GaDawg]

Have ya'll made this kit and how do you like it? Has anyone made a Gewurztraminer of 16+L from someone else? I have made some -16L Gewurztraminer kits and they turned out good. Are the 16+L kits worth the extra

 

[sideways2]

FYI...one guy who works at my local told me that he enjoys the lighter kits more than the Selection or the Eclipse when it comes to whites...he says you sacrifice some body but the flavor is still top notch...

I myself have not made a big white as I have thoroughly enjoyed every World Vineyard and Vintners I've made to a point where I don't think it's worth the extra expense...but that's just my opinion...

So even though we don't like the same whites...we seem to be in agreement on the kits...

Again...my humble opinion

 

[cpfan]

I have always enjoyed Vineco's Ken Ridge Showcase German Gewurztraminer. I have sampled and enjoyed the Cru Select German Gewurztraminer from RJ Spagnols. Both are 16 litre kits. I made them both as dry wines. I haven't made any of the bigger kits.

Steve

 

[GaDawg]

Thanks guys for the comments. I pulled the trigger on a Winexpert Selection California Gewurztraminer 16L Wine Kit. At $72 from Label Peelers I just couldn't resist. It may or may not be worth the extra money, but I had to find out. I agree sideways2 the World Vineyard and Vintners are enjoyable.

 

[richmke]

The Eclipse Gewurztraminer was one of my earlier kits. It was a little sweet for my taste. Other than that, it is great.

IMHO, when it costs $2.40/bottle vs $3.80/bottle, I would spend the extra $1.40/bottle. I see it as insurance for all the time and effort I am investing.

 

[ibglowin]

I have been adding 1/2 of the f-pack on all my Eclipse and WE LR kits to the primary up front. Saving the other half and adding it after the wine is finished and ready to be stablized and fined. This results with an ending SG of right about 1.000 which is the perfect amount of sweetness for this winemaker. Just enough that you know its there but not enough to overwhelm you with sugar...... YMMV as they say.

 

[sideways2]

The Eclipse Gewurztraminer was one of my earlier kits. It was a little sweet for my taste. Other than that, it is great.

IMHO, when it costs $2.40/bottle vs $3.80/bottle, I would spend the extra $1.40/bottle. I see it as insurance for all the time and effort I am investing.

K...sorry...I have to ask...insurance against what??

 

[richmke]

I have been adding 1/2 of the f-pack on all my Eclipse and WE LR kits to the primary up front. Saving the other half and adding it after the wine is finished and ready to be stablized and fined.

I started doing that. I find with the Island Mist kits, that 1/2 is still too much. Going to 2/3 into the primary next time.

K...sorry...I have to ask...insurance against what??

Insurance against a kit that I am not so thrilled with.

 

[sideways2]

Insurance against a kit that I am not so thrilled with.

Sorry man...that makes no sense to me LOL!!!

Anyhoo...GaDawg...great price on that kit...keep us posted on how it turns out!!!

 

[richmke]

Sorry man...that makes no sense to me LOL!!!

Let's say that it is 50/50 that I will like a $70 kit, and 90/10 that I will like a $110 kit. The $40 is insurance - raise the odds that I will not loose my investment to a kit that I do not like.

If there is a 50% chance of loosing $70, then that has an expected loss of $35. If there is a 10% chance of loosing $110, then that has an expected loss of $11. Thus, the $110 kit is the better bet (lower expected loss).

Obviously the results are on a continuum, and you can assign probabilities to being on any particular point, with the lower costing kit having a higher probably of being on the low end, and the more expensive kit having a higher upper range. But, the two points (good/bad) demonstrates the simplified case.

 

[Bacci]

I have always enjoyed Vineco's Ken Ridge Showcase German Gewurztraminer. I have sampled and enjoyed the Cru Select German Gewurztraminer from RJ Spagnols. Both are 16 litre kits. I made them both as dry wines. I haven't made any of the bigger kits.

Steve

the Cru Select RJ Gewuzt is the only kit I've repeated (3x) It's the perfect summer wine.

 

[sideways2]

WOW!! LOL!! Stats...love stats!!

K...so let me break this down my way...

I like Pinot Grigio...Italian...I've enjoyed many commercial brands...so one day I decide to make one...I chose the World Vineyard kit from WE...$78.00 here at my local Saskatoon store...

Loved it!! Could easily compare to some of the commercial varieties I've had...

So...next I tried out a Cellar Craft Showcase...$150.00 at the local...why not...bigger is better...months later tried it...love it as well...loved it almost 100% more?? Heck no!! Not even close!!

Not saying it was bad...and not saying the WE was great...both were the same but different...both made a very good enjoyable Pinot Grigio that I would now take any day over a commercial wine...

Now...not to be rude but a statement like yours...the "insurance"...to me that demeans the hard work these companies do and the effort they put in making kits for all us fine folk!!

Do you honestly think that companies like WE or Vineco or RJS would put out a kit regardless of size that do anything to hinder their good name?? I cannot fathom the WE brass saying " we need a Gewürztraminer so why do you R&D guys just throw something together...price it cheap...don't care what it tastes like"??

Not a chance in hell...there is a lot of work doing kits up...

If it were me I would be more concerned about where the grapes were sourced than the amount of juice in the kits!!

Quality grapes make quality kits...not to mention...a lot of varietals are terroir...so that definitely has to be taken into account when it comes to choosing which model of kit to do...

The only reason I can see not liking a 10L kit is not liking the grape or the style the kit was done in...it's not the kits fault...it is what it is...

I want to throw this out there...maybe you tried a 10L kit in a varietal you enjoyed...but you didn't like the style of the kit...example...Riesling...dry vs off-dry vs sweet...maybe it wasn't to your liking so now you associate 10L (lower) end kits to just that...thought I would throw in some psychology in this conversation ROFL!!!

Sorry to vent...but...your statement "lower costing kit having a higher probably of being on the low end, and the more expensive kit having a higher upper range"...is untrue...

Toodles

 

[richmke]

Do you honestly think that companies like WE or Vineco or RJS would put out a kit regardless of size that do anything to hinder their good name??

Depends upon your definition of "hinder". WE puts out 3 GEWÜRZTRAMINERs: Eclipse, Selection, and Vintners Reserve. That does not include the Peach, and the LE that contains gewurztraminer.

It is like saying that GM makes cars. Would a Cadillac buyer consider GM "hindered" because they produce a Chevy?

If it were me I would be more concerned about where the grapes were sourced than the amount of juice in the kits!!

The Eclipse is German Mosel Valley. The Selection is California. the Vintners Reserve is unknown.

Since I do not have the opportunity to sample the kits in advance, I presume that WE takes more care in sourcing the grapes for a $110 kit than they do for a $70 kit.

 

[sideways2]

Are you saying that a Chevy is crap?? If so...then your statement is correct

As for your other statement..."I presume that WE takes more care in sourcing the grapes for a $110 kit than they do for a $70 kit"...again I would say that to be untrue as well...

WE and Vineco are owned by Andrew Peller: http://www.andrewpeller.com/corporateOverview.php

I doubt very much with him that there is any less care in sourcing grapes regardless of the kits...

That said...it has been brought to my attention with WE...that their Vintners kits and kits without country designation that the grapes are sourced from Canada and the US...

So...what are the chances most of those comes from his own vineyards or even better yet...what are the chances of his "cheap" Zinfandel coming from Lodi?? 40+% of all Zin in California comes from there...

I think those stats are pretty darn good...and seeing I am from Canada and I have enjoyed many Peller products (as do many of my peers)...I will continue to trust in the fact that care is taken right across the board in trying to bring to me a stellar product regardless of price

Regards

Dave

 

[ColemanM]

The problem with your arguments here seems to be that you're not taking into account the price of the sourced grapes. If 40% of Zin comes from a certain area, in guessing you're not gonna see it all at $9 a bottle. Mosel valley would be a much more expensive grape to procure than an unknown California vineyard's.
The company will do everything in their power to make a great kit from what they have. But price will always be a factor in producing 10l kits vs 18l and I'm guessing volume of juice per liter would make a difference in taste, mouthfeel and aroma. Not saying one would be more enjoyable that the other. I guess it's all about your likes and pallet.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

 

[ibglowin]

I have done enough kits over the years to fully know, understand and appreciate that better grapes cost more money. I personally can taste the difference from a medium priced kit wine and an ultra premium priced kit wine and I will take the better kit every time over a lower tiered or medium priced kit. Sorry, you get what you pay for in wine kits and a lot of other things in life. Of course if YOU can't taste the difference then you should not be paying the difference. YMMV.

 

[sideways2]

Oh for sure I am...WE is the world's largest wine kit producer...that has to come with some buying power!!

 

[ibglowin]

So are you saying that they don't pass along that buying power to their customers across the board?

Oh for sure I am...WE is the world's largest wine kit producer...that has to come with some buying power!!

 

[sideways2]

I have done enough kits over the years to fully know, understand and appreciate that better grapes cost more money. I personally can taste the difference from a medium priced kit wine and an ultra premium priced kit wine and I will take the better kit every time over a lower tiered or medium priced kit. Sorry, you get what you pay for in wine kits and a lot of other things in life. Of course if YOU can't taste the difference then you should not be paying the difference. YMMV.

I agree...but by calling it "insurance" is wrong and insulting...again...my opinion....

You have no idea the taste palette a person has or the situation they're in so common courtesy should be a given!!

 

[sideways2]

The company will do everything in their power to make a great kit from what they have. But price will always be a factor in producing 10l kits vs 18l and I'm guessing volume of juice per liter would make a difference in taste, mouthfeel and aroma. Not saying one would be more enjoyable that the other. I guess it's all about your likes and pallet.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making

Yes yes yes...thank you!!

That's all I'm trying to get at...you can't make a Chianti into an Amarone so why try...make what you like and enjoy regardless...that's the way of the DIY community...