Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

[katmike57]

Curious how the FWK Meritage is? ...and if ya want with the Tavola or Forte...

Cheers!

Just bottled a Tavola Meritage earlier than I wanted, but I had the solid bung blow off the carboy and didn't realize it for a week or so I'm guessing. Thought it best to bottle it pronto. In retrospect I probably should have added some K-meta. Oh well.... tasted promising though.

 

[winemaker81]

Just bottled a Tavola Meritage earlier than I wanted, but I had the solid bung blow off the carboy and didn't realize it for a week or so I'm guessing. Thought it best to bottle it pronto. In retrospect I probably should have added some K-meta. Oh well.... tasted promising though.

Bottling quickly is a mistake. The bung blew for a reason, which indicates the wine is not ready to bottle.

 

[jgmann67]

Agree - it likely has residual CO2 that needs to release.

My Forte Meritage is very young still, but it's exceeded expectations.

 

[Swedeman]

Bottling quickly is a mistake. The bung blew for a reason, which indicates the wine is not ready to bottle.

Unless, it did pop due to an increase in room temperature. Solid bungs can be a problem unless you have a steady room temperature. A vented bung or an airlock is preferable.

 

[katmike57]

I usually do use an airlock, so I guess I was assuming it had fermented totally dry so an airlock wouldn't be needed. Wrong. Now I'm concerned I'll (worst case) have exploding bottles or popped corks later on. I might need to store these bottles upright? The room temp has been pretty stable at 68-69.

 

[Jovimaple]

I usually do use an airlock, so I guess I was assuming it had fermented totally dry so an airlock wouldn't be needed. Wrong. Now I'm concerned I'll (worst case) have exploding bottles or popped corks later on. I might need to store these bottles upright? The room temp has been pretty stable at 68-69.

I would put them all back in the carboy and dose it with kmeta, then use an airlock or a vented bung rather than a solid bung for a few more months. (In fact, I don't even have any solid bungs - I don't see any need for them in my winemaking process.)

How long ago did you start the kit and what was the final s.g.?

 

[katmike57]

I would put them all back in the carboy and dose it with kmeta, then use an airlock or a vented bung rather than a solid bung for a few more months. (In fact, I don't even have any solid bungs - I don't see any need for them in my winemaking process.)

How long ago did you start the kit and what was the final s.g.?

Started 10/21. SG 1.096.
Racked to carboy 11/3. Final SG .998.
Racked again on 12/3. Didn't measure SG since assumed it was dry.
Bung popped off guessing 12/17 or so. Noticed bung off 12/23. Bottled 12/25

The reason we suspected the bung popped off 12/17 is we thought we heard UPS delivering a package at our door. No UPS/no package so thinking back that was actually the bung hitting the ceiling lol.

 

[winemaker81]

Unless, it did pop due to an increase in room temperature. Solid bungs can be a problem unless you have a steady room temperature. A vented bung or an airlock is preferable.

Good point regarding pressure.

@katmike57, while having the carboy open for a week is FAR from ideal, it's probably not a wine wrecker. Adding K-meta was the right thing to do, as it treats the minor oxidation the wine may have experienced.

Since the wine is bottled, I'd leave them standing upright for a month in a warm place, watching daily for corks to pop. If any push out, you'll need to unbottle. If they don't pop, you are probably ok. Keep an eye on them.

Few things in wine making require immediate action. With the exception of H2S, always investigate.

 

[Swedeman]

what's a Chard without some oak

To me, the keyword here is "some" though I expect that my "some" would mean none to most of you and that your "some" would mean an oak bomb to me. I prefer Chardonnays without oak, guess that makes me the odd guy among all of you oak lovers. I had a Chablis yesterday and it would have been a sacrilege if that one would have been oaked. Have you guys had any unoaked chardonnays?

 

[winemaker81]

Have you guys had any unoaked chardonnays?

I like Chardonnay made in numerous styles, including buttery, lightly oaked, and unoaked. I'm not a fan of any heavily oaked wine, as the oak overshadows the wine itself -- for me, oak is a seasoning, not a flavoring. I normally have a few bottles of an unoaked Chardonnay on hand -- this one has been my favorite for 5 years or so.

 

[cmason1957]

To me, the keyword here is "some" though I expect that my "some" would mean none to most of you and that your "some" would mean an oak bomb to me. I prefer Chardonnays without oak, guess that makes me the odd guy among all of you oak lovers. I had a Chablis yesterday and it would have been a sacrilege if that one would have been oaked. Have you guys had any unoaked chardonnays?

I have had unoaked nearly every grape. I prefer hints of oak, not overpowering the fruit. I find Chardonnay totally unoaked to be somewhat bland. That's me. Each to their own.

 

[sour_grapes]

I like Chardonnay made in numerous styles, including buttery, lightly oaked, and unoaked. I'm not a fan of any heavily oaked wine, as the oak overshadows the wine itself --

This is a pretty good description of my tastes, too. I like it both ways (or all three that Bryan mentioned).

 

[winemaker81]

I find Chardonnay totally unoaked to be somewhat bland.

I don't like a lot of Chablis for that reason, and haven't purchased one in years. The unoaked I buy tend to be from other regions.

My former business partner's wife was a great judge of Chardonnay -- the less she liked it, the more she knew everyone else would!

Yup -- everyone's likes are their own.

 

[Swedeman]

Well, the chards I had "growing up" was either unoaked or lighly oak from France. I recall the first time I had an oak bomb from California, some decades ago, it was impossible to drink to the food we had at the restaurant. I later understood where the "Anything but Chardonnay" expression came from.

And yes, there are quite a few Chablis I would consider as being bland but there are many exceptional Chablis out there (that will cost you a lot).

Anyway, I guess it boils down to expectations, if you are used to drink chards from a warm climate as California and expects a generous wine with tropical fruit flavors (and some oak ), then these might not be for you.

 

[joeswine]

It’s all subjective to one’s taste

 

[jgmann67]

A few weeks ago, I attempted to slice my fingertip off while carving a smoked turkey. I have since recovered and can finally submerge my hand in water again. Planning to go down the basement and start moving the wines around and cleaning up after. In part due to my own laziness, and in part due to my cutlery mishap; I have a lot on my to-list this week:

• bottle the Grenache rose.
• bottle the Forte Merlot.
• rack and oak the Chard and the Northern Rhone.
• clean up from prior rackings.

There will be much tasting.

 

[joeswine]

A few weeks ago, I attempted to slice my fingertip off while carving a smoked turkey. I have since recovered and can finally submerge my hand in water again. Planning to go down the basement and start moving the wines around and cleaning up after. In part due to my own laziness, and in part due to my cutlery mishap; I have a lot on my to-list this week:

• bottle the Grenache rose.
• bottle the Forte Merlot.
• rack and oak the Chard and the Northern Rhone.
• clean up from prior racking's.

There will be a lot of tasting.

as there should be, have fun be safe

 

[ratflinger]

A few weeks ago, I attempted to slice my fingertip off while carving a smoked turkey. I have since recovered and can finally submerge my hand in water again. Planning to go down the basement and start moving the wines around and cleaning up after. In part due to my own laziness, and in part due to my cutlery mishap; I have a lot on my to-list this week:

• bottle the Grenache rose.
• bottle the Forte Merlot.
• rack and oak the Chard and the Northern Rhone.
• clean up from prior rackings.

There will be much tasting.

How did the blood wine turn out?

 

[cmason1957]

B here is what happened at my house today. FWK Blackberry, about 5 months old. Backsweetened with both included wine conditioners and two additional cups of sugar. No idea the final sg and to me it doesn't matter, it's the taste. It is still a little bit tasty, but blackberry seems to me it ought to be.

 

[jgmann67]

How did the blood wine turn out?

Delicious.

I only got to racking the FWK Chard and Northern Rhone blend, then did some clean up. I have a ton of bottles to process, and unfortunately, I ran out of time and Oxi-Green. Guess bottling will be pushed to next week.

The chard tasted a little tart, but it's young and still just a bit gassy. It was also very pale. I added a spiral of French medium toast oak to the carboy which should help. Topped up with my Sonoma Dry Creek Chard.

I didn't taste the N. Rhone. Added the oak that was included in the kit PLUS the other spiral of French medium toast oak, then topped with a FWK Cab,