Finer Wine Kit Finer Wine Kits

[wineview]

I love the skin packs. Never used more than two however I have experimented with one half bag and one full bag. Two is better. Maybe three would be outstanding.

 

[winemaker81]

Got my kits in today and getting things ready to start. I read through the 131 pages but cannot define whether EM helps, hurts, or no effect on these kits. Would like to know before I start as it matters on which fermenters I use. Any help would be appreciated. For reference have the forte super tuscan and cab kits with 2 grape packs and also have an extra pack of grapes for each kit (if needed). Thanks!

It's impossible to advise on EM, as it depends on what you want.

I'm not sold on EM. I like the FWK 14 day process, as it eliminates an unnecessary racking -- the gross lees is down by Day 14. The resulting wine is rich.

In a conversation with Matt P of LP, he mentioned that there are diminishing returns on skin packs, a point at which adding more skin packs doesn't produce better results. IIRC, 2 skin packs was a happy medium. Adding a third may produce better results, but beyond that adding more may be a waste of money.

 

[thruhike00]

Well don't need any help after all. Mixed everything with three bags of grapes and the starter and pitched my yeast in a glass for tomorrow to add to primary. Moved my primary over to where I typically ferment and the primary split on the bottom somehow. Was gentle with it and have no idea what happened. Made a complete mess but at least I was near door where I could take outside quickly. Lost the whole batch. After all my disappointment with past kits and this ****ing cleanup trying a new style after three years on the sidelines, I am done with making wine. Giving the other cab kit to a friend in my city along with the grape packs from this one and the extras I have. I wish you all the best in your wine making endeavours and a lot of equipment going up tomorrow on FB market. Happy New Year!

 

[Shurt1073]

thruhike00 ..... I'm sorry this happened to you. It just sucks ... sucks! I'd also like to thank you for sharing this with us as it will be a reminder a catastrophe can happen with a big mess. This happened to my brother in law about 3 yrs ago and since that day I've been sitting my ferment buckets into plastic totes as an added level of protection.

 

[wineview]

Before reading the last comment I misunderstood your post and thought a glass carboy cracked. Are you saying the bottom of a plastic bucket failed?

 

[bstnh1]

From the photo, it looks like a bucket split on the bottom.

 

[wineview]

Yep. I see the bucket

 

[SouthernVino]

Thuhike00, sorry for your loss.

 

[Shurt1073]

So ... the laugh of the day might be this post!

I'm going to ramp up wine production in March, but other than what I'm reading on Google, not sure if I should be buying the FWK Tavola Merlot or the FWK Tavola Sangiovese Merlot? Guessing its more than a $9 difference in wine kit price but a difference flavor in Merlot or quality? Sorry for not having a lot of red wine knowledge but I'm still learning. I have made 5 of the FWK but none have been Sangiovese. Thoughts?

 

[Ohio Bob]

So ... the laugh of the day might be this post!

I'm going to ramp up wine production in March, but other than what I'm reading on Google, not sure if I should be buying the FWK Tavola Merlot or the FWK Tavola Sangiovese Merlot? Guessing its more than a $9 difference in wine kit price but a difference flavor in Merlot or quality? Sorry for not having a lot of red wine knowledge but I'm still learning. I have made 5 of the FWK but none have been Sangiovese. Thoughts?

Sangiovese is a common grape used in several Italian varietals. I’m biased in that I love Italian wines, so my vote is the Sangiovese blend.

 

[winemaker81]

I'm going to ramp up wine production in March, but other than what I'm reading on Google, not sure if I should be buying the FWK Tavola Merlot or the FWK Tavola Sangiovese Merlot? Guessing its more than a $9 difference in wine kit price but a difference flavor in Merlot or quality? Sorry for not having a lot of red wine knowledge but I'm still learning. I have made 5 of the FWK but none have been Sangiovese. Thoughts?

A quote from Mae West: Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before.

You've had Merlot. Make the blend ...

 

[GretchenR]

I was sipping my Tavola Cabernet Sauvignon, bottled about a year ago, and luxuriating in its wonderful flavor and complexity. I can't decide if it or the Tavola Bordeaux is my favorite "early drinker." For those of you who have tried these wines and didn't like them, let me make a suggestion. Open a bottle, pour out a glass or so, and set the bottle aside (with a stopper, of course). Then pour a glass the next day and see what you think. I have found that both these wines taste much better the second day. I have tried aerating them vigorously to see if I can replicate the effect and it doesn't seem to work. But day two and even three, I love these wines.

 

[windseafire]

I am originally from England/France and traditionaly no one would dream of drinking wine from a freshly opened bottle. It would be decanted into a wide based bottle to let it "breathe" at least 4-6 hours before it was due to be consumed. As well as letting the wine breathe, which removes the initial harshness that their wines often have when first openend, it also leaves behind the small amount of sediment in the bottles as they do not sorbate to stop further activity when bottled.

 

[Rocky]

I am originally from England/France and traditionaly no one would dream of drinking wine from a freshly opened bottle. It would be decanted into a wide based bottle to let it "breathe" at least 4-6 hours before it was due to be consumed. As well as letting the wine breathe, which removes the initial harshness that their wines often have when first openend, it also leaves behind the small amount of sediment in the bottles as they do not sorbate to stop further activity when bottled.

Dinner at a restaurant must take an awfully long time.

 

[Brant]

Open a bottle, pour out a glass or so, and set the bottle aside (with a stopper, of course).

Are you using a vacuum stopper or just plain?

 

[windseafire]

Dinner at a restaurant must take an awfully long time

Dinner at a restaurant must take an awfully long time.

Note I said traditionally. These days they also have the filtered wines for quick drinking. At one restaurant I was asked to call a day early if I wanted one of their better wines. They were reluctant to serve it without decanting and breathing. I mentioned this practice because I find most of my homemade wines improve from following the decantimg process.

 

[Rocky]

Note I said traditionally. These days they also have the filtered wines for quick drinking. At one restaurant I was asked to call a day early if I wanted one of their better wines. They were reluctant to serve it without decanting and breathing. I mentioned this practice because I find most of my homemade wines improve from following the decantimg process.

I stand corrected. Traditionally, dinner at a restaurant must have taken an awfully long time.

 

[GretchenR]

Are you using a vacuum stopper or just plain?

Just plain. I think it's the air in the bottle that does the work. Taking the cork out but not pouring a glass doesn't seem to have the same effect.

 

[GretchenR]

I am originally from England/France and traditionaly no one would dream of drinking wine from a freshly opened bottle. It would be decanted into a wide based bottle to let it "breathe" at least 4-6 hours before it was due to be consumed. As well as letting the wine breathe, which removes the initial harshness that their wines often have when first openend, it also leaves behind the small amount of sediment in the bottles as they do not sorbate to stop further activity when bottled.

I have experimented with just removing the cork, and it doesn't have the same effect, at least to my taste on these particular wines, as pouring out a glass, thus leaving a bunch of head space, and then letting it sit 24 hours or so. I haven't noticed the same difference in other wines that I have made. I agree that letting a wine breathe is a good idea. America's Test Kitchen reported that some restaurants pour a bottle of wine into a blender and run it for 10 seconds and then pour it back in the bottle, to aerate it quickly. That would be an interesting experiment for a blind tasting -- comparing 4 hours to breathe, 24 hours with head space, and the blender treatment.

 

[wineview]

Note I said traditionally. These days they also have the filtered wines for quick drinking. At one restaurant I was asked to call a day early if I wanted one of their better wines. They were reluctant to serve it without decanting and breathing. I mentioned this practice because I find most of my homemade wines improve from following the decantimg process.

Once you decant your homemade wine, do you need to consume all of it in one sitting?