Other Finer Wine Kits new process white wines

[iagowasframed]

I bottled my latest FW SB and had a taster bottle left...the color is slightly lighter but still way too dark for a SB. Also this wine also lacks the crispness of a SB and tastes flabby with a hint of fruit smell. This is just like the other SB and 2 Chardonneys I made from FW. All of them dark and flabby. I dumped all three of the others last week, I'm going to let this one age a bit and see if it improves but honestly if it doesn't I'm done with FW kits as they really have disappointed when it comes to making a good drinking crisp white wine.

 

[joeswine]

Now I just made the pino noir the reds have good structure and balance so no problem there , the2 whites not so much .
If you look at the reds , look at all the building blocks that they either give you , or offer you to purchase as a tweak .
Think about it , seeds , grape packs , oak , dust ?
Always building the base structure of the wine .
With the whites not so much they need to build up acidity and crispness and keep more to the natural colors of. The wines nature.
These are just my thoughts , don’t take it personally, I’ve been making wines for over 35 years I believe in building structure to the base and as far as chems go less is more.
Whites have there own avenue to travel down and using the correct tweaks can make them unto them selfs .
It doesn’t matter what the price of the kit is or the kits mfg. it’s what you do to it , your input and your creativity in the process.
Just my thoughts don’t get up in arms

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

Sorry Joe. No disrespect intended here, but I just can't subscribe to your philosophy. You say less is more but then talk about/suggest tweaks all the time, but you also seem to be against carbon ? IME premium kits rarely require tweaks, but low end kits, like the ones most are talking about in your "tweaking cheap kits", NEED the tweaks to make them a quality most would want to enjoy regularly. My point is, the kit quality you start with has way more influence in the final outcome than any other factor. White's inherently shouldn't require as many additives or steps, that's their nature. Peace out

 

[joeswine]

Yes less is more but knowing when less is more in the process is important.

 

[joeswine]

Yes less is more but knowing when less is more in the process is important.

It’s done all the time in every winery in the world think about it ??

 

[joeswine]

If your commenting on the use of carbon, bentonite does not do the job carbon does

Never ever had a problem with clearing and never used carbon , not saying it’s wrong just don’t use it , less is more

 

[winemaker81]

I bottled my latest FW SB and had a taster bottle left...the color is slightly lighter but still way too dark for a SB. Also this wine also lacks the crispness of a SB and tastes flabby with a hint of fruit smell. This is just like the other SB and 2 Chardonneys I made from FW. All of them dark and flabby. I dumped all three of the others last week, I'm going to let this one age a bit and see if it improves but honestly if it doesn't I'm done with FW kits as they really have disappointed when it comes to making a good drinking crisp white wine.

If a wine is flabby, add a bit of acid.

I've got a Chardonnay in the bottle and it's very nice, as is my son's Riesling. I will bottle a Sauvignon Blanc in the next month or so, and at last tasting it was good. Aroma and body are where I expect them to be.

 

[SouthernVino]

Never had a problem , just my thoughts, less is more

 

[SouthernVino]

Sorry, hit return and it took off. There can be many routes to a destination. The result is however, we get there. Then we have to evacuate the path we chose. Did it produce the experience we had hoped for? If not, we have to choose differently on our next journey on the same path. That’s what wine making is all about. It’s not what everybody else likes. It comes down to what we personally like. If everyone else likes what we make, but we don’t, what pleasure is there in that. I make wine to please myself. If others like it too, my pleasure is only enhanced. But, if I try to please everyone else, I am always going to be disappointed. But, I love to have conversations and to consider different opinions, I have nothing to loose and everything to gain. It all comes down to you. The only person to please is the winemaker themselves.

 

[joeswine]

Usually , if a good wine is made to a decent standard an I like it then the next step is to ask if others will like it and I don’t mean friends .
Entering in contest around the country , coast to coast and boarder to boarder and finding out if your process takes in a bigger audience is every much satisfying
At least to me .
And I also agree with SouthernVino there are many paths in this craft that one can travel down and find themselves in the end .

 

[She’sgonnakillme]

So here's a question...outside of fruit wines, has anyone ever won a competition medal using a cheap wine kit? IE: like a $70 or less kit like a WE Classic or similar

 

[bstnh1]

Here's a 2023 FWK Tavola Chardonnay made without the addition of carbon. It's considerably darker than the FWK whites I've made using the carbon. Although darker incolor, taste is fine. I hate those carbon packs!!!!!

 

[wineview]

I have a viognier that looks the same no charcoal. The Chardonnay with charcoal is crystal clear.

 

[winemaker81]

My 2022 Sauvignon Blanc is 21 months old at this point. I've had other whites, both WE kits and fresh juice, crap out before 18 months. The 2021 Chardonnay, which was used up at about 26 months of age, also held very well. In that respect I'm very pleased with both.

I treated the carbon like I do printer toner -- VERY gently and with caution. I cut the bag and slowly poured it in from just above the liquid. It was freaky to look at black wine (must), but the final result was good. The SB was definitely lighter than the Chardonnay, which was pre-carbon.

While I liked both wines, both were heavier than a typical SB or Chardonnay. They reminded me of the whites made by an early mentor, who fermented whites on the skins (like I'm currently doing with Vidal). There's more body that is typical for juice. This is not a bad thing, but it's different.

 

[Sailor323]

When Finer Wine first began offering whites everyone complained that the wines were much darker than expected/ I made a Chard and a Sauv blanc and both were much darker than expected. The folks at FW did some research and started putting the carbon powder in their kits. I have been very pleased with the result. My whites and rosés have turned out crystal clear and as light as you'd expect for the varieties.

 

[winemaker81]

My whites and rosés have turned out crystal clear and as light as you'd expect for the varieties.

I haven't made one in 2 years, as I drink mostly reds. I'm not surprised FWK has made improvements.

 

[GretchenR]

Ten years of winemaking and I've never made a Chardonnay. It's time for that to change. Do any of you good people have a favorite Chard kit to recommend? I've made a lot of FWK reds, but I'm open to other makers too. I'd appreciate any guidance you can give.

 

[wineview]

I made a fantastic FWK Chardonnay

 

[winemaker81]

Ten years of winemaking and I've never made a Chardonnay. It's time for that to change. Do any of you good people have a favorite Chard kit to recommend? I've made a lot of FWK reds, but I'm open to other makers too. I'd appreciate any guidance you can give.

I made the FWK as mentioned previously. I also made a Winexpert Reserve Australian Chardonnay that came out very good.

 

[Sailor323]

While I liked both wines, both were heavier than a typical SB or Chardonnay. They reminded me of the whites made by an early mentor, who fermented whites on the skins (like I'm currently doing with Vidal). There's more body that is typical for juice. This is not a bad thing, but it's different.

I'd be interested in how the Vidal turns out. Years ago I read about the technique of leaving whites on the skins for a few hours.