Has anyone made Wine Lovers kits?

[my wine]

Thread revival: I was looking at Wine Lovers Amazon reviews yesterday and read one that the kit user was buying two kits then using one whole bag and 1/2 bag to make a typical size batch of wine and gain better flavor. My 1st thought was the cost was then almost where Wine Expert kits begin in price point. I was also considering the Wine lovers Pinot Noir kit and add a 1/2 bag of Wine Expert red juice concentrate to up the game a bit? Your thoughts?

I've made a number of Wine Lovers kits since this thread was originally posted, including the Pinot Noir. I bought a variety of medium bodied and the heavey bodied kits. All are still aging but tasted fine when done. I've tweeked them with raisins, currants, blackberries, cherries, table grapes, 2nd time around fpacs, french oak, white oak, and more. So far I'm happy with the result. I do make them to SG 1.100 so slightly less than the 6 gallons.

 

[joeswine]

Right now moving on the 405k,views thanks guys.

 

[Khristyjeff]

Thread revival: I was looking at Wine Lovers Amazon reviews yesterday and read one that the kit user was buying two kits then using one whole bag and 1/2 bag to make a typical size batch of wine and gain better flavor. My 1st thought was the cost was then almost where Wine Expert kits begin in price point. I was also considering the Wine lovers Pinot Noir kit and add a 1/2 bag of Wine Expert red juice concentrate to up the game a bit? Your thoughts?

You're right about the cost of using 2 of these kits not being worth it. Just get one higher grade kit, IMO. Like @joeswine said, check out the "Tweaking Cheap Kits" thread for economical ways to improve kits like the Wine Lovers.
By the way, I just started a Fontana Medium and soon a Wine Lovers Merlot Medium. I'm tweaking both based on ideas from the "Tweaking" thread. Also, here's a picture of both of these kits:

 

[my wine]

By the way, I just started a Fontana Medium and soon a Wine Lovers Merlot Medium. I'm tweaking both based on ideas from the "Tweaking" thread. Also, here's a picture of both of these kits:

LOL! They look identical. I'm curious, is the Fontana label a stick-on? BTW, I currently have a medium-bodied and a heavy-bodied Wine Lovers Merlot that I just started aging this last weekend. The heavy-bodied kit seems a bargain, 16 liters of juice with delivery for $90.

 

[Khristyjeff]

LOL! They look identical. I'm curious, is the Fontana label a stick-on? BTW, I currently have a medium-bodied and a heavy-bodied Wine Lovers Merlot that I just started aging this last weekend. The heavy-bodied kit seems a bargain, 16 liters of juice with delivery for $90.

Both Fontana and Wine Lovers are stickers as well as Merlot and Malbec. And yes, $90 delivered is a good price.

 

[Bohemiana]

We made some Fontana wines over the summer but this time when I looked on Amazon to purchase another kit (Sauvignon Blanc) from ABC Craft I noticed I need to choose if I want light, medium or full bodied and the prices go up. I noticed someone on this thread indicated the light body kit has less juice, so therefore to make the six gallons you just add more water? Seems like a total gimmick. By the way, we got 2 boxes of the chardonnay from Fontana (no choice in body style)...we made one unoaked, and divided the other kit into two 3-gallon carboys--one with American oak and one with French Oak. The American oak ended up not being very oaky so we added some French and let it sit another week. My favorite is the unoaked, my husband likes the oak bomb (both oaks) and we both like the French oak.

So what's the deal with choosing the type of body?? I'm getting ready to order and I'm tempted to order the cheapest and tweak myself.

 

[Khristyjeff]

"So what's the deal with choosing the type of body?? I'm getting ready to order and I'm tempted to order the cheapest and tweak myself."
The body options also represent ABV. For example, the light body might be 7.5%, medium body 11%, and full body might be in the 13.5% range If you follow the directions. Then as you stated, you can always buy the low ABV option and tweak it. Have you read through the "Tweaking Cheap Kits" thread?
Tonight we're enjoying an ABC Craft (Fontana) Medium-bodied that I made to 5 gallon instead of 6, and added a blackberry f-pac and oak chips to the primary, then some tannin in secondary. It's only 6 months old at this point and it tastes good. The tweaked ABV is 14.4%.
Sounds like you're on the right track. Enjoy!

 

[Bohemiana]

The body options also represent ABV. For example, the light body might be 7.5%, medium body 11%, and full body might be in the 13.5% range If you follow the directions. Then as you stated, you can always buy the low ABV option and tweak it. Have you read through the "Tweaking Cheap Kits" thread?

I read that Tweaking thread before we started tweaking--my husband and I started doing kits straight but since then we've made about 5 different wine kits in various ways by adding wood chips, fruit rind, dried fruit, etc. It's fun and MUCH more interesting than just going with the straight kit. We have only enhanced the kits for flavor; we have not tweaked for higher ABV but I would really like to.

Isn't adding sugar what makes the ABV higher? I've heard of people actually adding a pound of sugar during fermentation. So is the kit manufacturer using some thing different in each of those kits to promise that higher ABV? More fruit, different fruit?? What specifically did you do to make a 11% up to 14%?

 

[Khristyjeff]

"Isn't adding sugar what makes the ABV higher? I've heard of people actually adding a pound of sugar during fermentation. So is the kit manufacturer using some thing different in each of those kits to promise that higher ABV? More fruit, different fruit?? What specifically did you do to make a 11% up to 14%?"
I believe the difference in these kits is the amount of juice supplied with each one. The kit I mentioned above I got the higher ABV by shorting a 6 gallon kit to 5. Less water = higher ABV and more body. The fruit f-pac also adds some to the overall ABV as well as increase body. . You can also increase ABV by adding sugar (like you mentioned) and using your hydrometer to guide you.
I agree with you that these cheaper kits are fun to experiment with and tend to be wines you can appreciate earlier than the high end red kits or grapes.

 

[joeswine]

Keep thinking outside the box, it's fun.
Just don't forget making a good wine doesn't take a lot of tweaking just thinking.
Know your base wines taste profile and work it from there.

 

[Michael T]

@Khristyjeff in post # 27 you wrote "added a blackberry f-pac". Did you make the f-pac from the 'tweaking cheap kits' thread instructions or did you buy it pre-maid? I am very interested in the WineLovers kits.

 

[Khristyjeff]

@Khristyjeff in post # 27 you wrote "added a blackberry f-pac". Did you make the f-pac from the 'tweaking cheap kits' thread instructions or did you buy it pre-maid? I am very interested in the WineLovers kits.

From the "tweaking cheap kits" thread. Hope you like it.

 

[Bohemiana]

We made some Fontana wines over the summer but this time when I looked on Amazon to purchase another kit (Sauvignon Blanc) from ABC Craft I noticed I need to choose if I want light, medium or full bodied and the prices go up. I noticed someone on this thread indicated the light body kit has less juice, so therefore to make the six gallons you just add more water? Seems like a total gimmick. By the way, we got 2 boxes of the chardonnay from Fontana (no choice in body style)...we made one unoaked, and divided the other kit into two 3-gallon carboys--one with American oak and one with French Oak. The American oak ended up not being very oaky so we added some French and let it sit another week. My favorite is the unoaked, my husband likes the oak bomb (both oaks) and we both like the French oak.

So what's the deal with choosing the type of body?? I'm getting ready to order and I'm tempted to order the cheapest and tweak myself.

FYI--Regarding what specifically makes kits different in ABV, I got this answer on Amazon from a seller (ABC Cork Co) of ABC Crafted Series...

The light bodied kit is 4.8 L which makes a light kit and the heavy bodied kit is 16 L

 

[joeswine]

Always keep in mind kits are just that a Kit, it's what you can do to them that makes the difference ,follow tweaking cheat wine kits an see.

 

[grammatik]

Always keep in mind kits are just that a Kit, it's what you can do to them that makes the difference ,follow tweaking cheat wine kits an see.

I am debating between medium vs heavy bodied kit. Both are on sale and WL just send me a 10% coupon so looking at $51 delivered for MB and $81 HB. Looking at Pinot Noir, as it seems to have great reviews and based on the description, PN can be quite good even when young. Leaning towards MD and doing your recommended 5GL and f-pack. Spending a difference on oak and other supplies. Do you have any experience with these WL kits?

 

[Steve Wargo]

I am debating between medium vs heavy bodied kit. Both are on sale and WL just send me a 10% coupon so looking at $51 delivered for MB and $81 HB. Looking at Pinot Noir, as it seems to have great reviews and based on the description, PN can be quite good even when young. Leaning towards MD and doing your recommended 5GL and f-pack. Spending a difference on oak and other supplies. Do you have any experience with these WL kits?

The medium-bodied turns out very good as long as you use the tweaks that you mentioned.

 

[Khristyjeff]

I agree with @Steve Wargo.

 

[joeswine]

Go to tweaking cheap wine kits you'll see the process I used on them ,that will.help.

 

[Sailor323]

I'm ready to start my first Wine Lovers kit--a medium body Gamay. Several people have commented on the amount of juice in the various kits. The medium bodied kits contain 5.2 litres of juice while the heavy bodied kits contain 16 litres. Both kinds make 23 litres of wine. My question is, "Do both kits contain the same juice?" That is, "Is the juice that comes in the medium bodied kit identical to the juice in the heavy bodied kit?" Or, "has more water been removed from the juice that comes with the medium body kit?"

 

[Kantuckid]

We've been buying our coffee from Nut's.com, along with dried fruits like apricots and figs, also raisins. (I buy dates from direct sources) I like their medley of mixed raisins for eating out of hand. If you're thinking raisins or currants for adding to a wine kit-take a look/see at their many varieties, some I've never seen elsewhere. Thier ad came up on my page as I mentioned them...