Introduction and a Thank You!

[Pantaleo]

I've been reading around as a guest for a couple of months now. I wanted to think everyone for contributing to the forum because, so far, I haven't needed to post a single question as I have been able to find my answers from past posts.

A little introduction:
I live in Jefferson City, Missouri. My wife and I have visited about half of the Missouri wineries and have a goal to visit them all! If we are driving somewhere in Missouri, we try to stop at any wineries that are along our route. During one of our trips we got to talking to the owners and were inspired by their stories and journey that we decided that we could possibly own our own winery in the near future. This has lead me to my newest hobby - wine making. I have brewed my own beer in the past so it didn't take much initial investment because I already had most of the equipment that I needed to get started.

Yesterday I bottled our first wine, a Vintners Reserve Zinfandel that will be appropriately labeled as "Batch #1". I also have 5 gallons of a Vino Italiano Kit, Moscato, that is currently clearing. This wine will be labeled as our MOscaot, a black and gold Mizzou themed wine. I work at the University of Missouri and my wife and I are big fans of Mizzou athletics. In addition to these two wines, I have a Blackberry wine that is bulk aging. The Blackberry was made with a Jam Recipe (found here) using Smuckers Blackberry Jam that my wife bought on sale (and with coupons) for practically nothing.

I love looking at everyone's pictures, so I'll transfer some from my camera and post soon!

I want to end, though, with a quick question. My wife would like for us to make a sweet table red wine to give as gifts. From my research there isn't many sweet red kits available, and at this point I am not set up to make a wine from grapes (so we are probably looking at frozen, juice, or concentrate). I'm not wanting to make this from concord. I know that I will be needing to back sweeten with sugar or an F-pack, but what kit/recipe do you think would produce a good sweet red?

Thanks for the help! Pictures will be posted soon

 

[ibglowin]

Nice to meet you! Don't be shy, we may be a little crazy (at least some of us anyway) but nobody has been bit yet..... Welcome to WMT!

 

[Redtrk]

Welcome from over in Cincy!

 

[Runningwolf]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Daisy317]

Welcome to the forum. Don't be shy

 

[Flem]

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[Wade E]

Welcome aboard our site. If you like these kits then great, if you find them very thin bodied then dont associate all kit wines with this please or youl be missing out. These smaller kits produce just that in my opinion, a smaller wine especially with red wines that really want to be big wines like a Cab or Syrah. The bigger 15-23 liter juice kits make a much bter quality wine and especially the kits with grape packs!!!!!! If you like big reds then please try one of these although you should know they freally need like a year or more to age to freally come around and open up. Unlike beer which many of us make also, wine is a hobby for procrastinators once you get through most of the steps. Most of us age our wine in the carboy for a year or more but add sulfite every 4-5 monthsto keep it protected.

 

[cpfan]

I want to end, though, with a quick question. My wife would like for us to make a sweet table red wine to give as gifts. From my research there isn't many sweet red kits available, and at this point I am not set up to make a wine from grapes (so we are probably looking at frozen, juice, or concentrate). I'm not wanting to make this from concord. I know that I will be needing to back sweeten with sugar or an F-pack, but what kit/recipe do you think would produce a good sweet red?

One choice is Mist wine kits, such as Spagnols' Orchard Breezin' Blackberry Merlot. But this type of kit is highly fruit flavoured.

You can always sweeten a straight red wine. I know several people who like to sweeten their red wines.

Steve

 

[winemaker_3352]

Welcome aboard!!

 

[Arne]

The elderberries are coming ripe shortly. Pick a bunch of them, find a recipe here, ferment dry and sweeten back to where you want it. It makes a very dark red or purple wine. Welcome to the forum. Arne.

 

[Wade E]

Or make a Port out of it.

 

[Pantaleo]

Welcome aboard our site. If you like these kits then great, if you find them very thin bodied then dont associate all kit wines with this please or youl be missing out. These smaller kits produce just that in my opinion, a smaller wine especially with red wines that really want to be big wines like a Cab or Syrah. The bigger 15-23 liter juice kits make a much bter quality wine and especially the kits with grape packs!!!!!! If you like big reds then please try one of these although you should know they freally need like a year or more to age to freally come around and open up. Unlike beer which many of us make also, wine is a hobby for procrastinators once you get through most of the steps. Most of us age our wine in the carboy for a year or more but add sulfite every 4-5 monthsto keep it protected.

Yeah, I read up on the vino italiano kits and knew that they were not going to be premium kits like some of the more expensive ones - that's why I only made it to 5 gallons. I had to prove to my wife that I could make homemade wine better than some of the stuff that she has tried in the past that were homemade (some that were given to us as gifts haven't been the best wines we have tried).

So far I have really like the process of making wine better than that of making beer. I have been quoted as saying "I thought that I was going to procrastinate today, but I think that I'll just do it tomorrow" I'm also finishing up my Master's degree, so I won't be pressured to get things done when I should be working on writing papers.

Thanks for the input and warm welcome. I assure you that I am not shy, you'll be seeing me post more often

 

[Tom]

Yes I agree with Steve. A Mist type kit will do. Its a fast fermentor and loaded with flavor. What brand of wine kits are available there?

 

[Pantaleo]

Yes I agree with Steve. A Mist type kit will do. Its a fast fermentor and loaded with flavor. What brand of wine kits are available there?

Not too many. The local brew shop only had 2 kits on the shelf last time I went there to pick up a couple of hydrometers. That was another main reason for starting with the kits that I did as Amazon had free shipping on them. I can't remember what kind they were, but do remember that they were ones that mixed fruit with something else (like raspberry merlot), which may be what I'm looking for in a sweet red. I'll have to stop in there again to see.

 

[Tom]

Jarrod,
try Fine Vine Wines
http://www.finevinewines.com/Wine-Kits.asp
They have a huge selection and George loves you to call

 

[ibglowin]

+1 on Fine Vine Wines! Great selection, great prices, GREAT customer service!

 

[PCharles]

Hi Jarrod

Jarrod, I would recommend RJ Spagnols Orchard Breezin' Pomegranate Wildberry Zinfandel. My wife loves it.

Best regards,
Paul

 

[jtstar]

Welcome to the forum I would have to agree with Arne if you have time to harvest some Elderberries it makes an excellant red wine and you can make a blush also at the same time with the same berries

 

[robie]

Jarrod,

You wrote:
"During one of our trips we got to talking to the owners and were inspired by their stories and journey that we decided that we could possibly own our own winery in the near future."

I like to read statements like that. I personally want to encourage you.
If that truly is your dream, nothing can stop you if you make up your mind about it. The experts don't really understand why having a powerfully strong goal can make such a difference, but it does. No matter what excuse your mind comes up with, there is a way.

You CAN own your own winery if you REALLY want to bad enough!!! I would just like to say, 'Go for it!"

Welcome to our little home on the (internet) range.

As already mentioned, you can sweeten most any red wine. The softer or fruitier ones work best, such as Pinot Noir or Zinfandel.

Even though the wines are not big, the RJ Spagnol Orchard Breezin' summer wines (mist wines) are nice starters that are sweet and ready to drink within a month after clearing.

 

[Angie]

Jarrod:

I have taken cheaper Shiraz kits and added Pomegranate or Black Currant concentrate to each. I let them age for a few months and both turned out to be an excellent"sweeter" red wine. They were not too sweet - more like an off-dry wine. Just don't forget to add some stabalizer before the concentrate - not usually included in a plain red wine kit. I tried them this way as I found the Mist wines were getting too sweet for my taste (and I do like a sweeter wine).

One other way is to take the mist wine, add part of the f-pack in the beginning to bump up the starting sg slightly, and back sweeten with the remainder. The mist wines are lower in abv and I find that doing this does not throw the balance of the wine out.

If you are experimenting alot of grocery stores sell the "more economical" red wine kits - try one and throw a small bottle of Ribena Black Current concentrate in it at the end. If you end up not liking it that way then it is not as big a loss as a higher end wine kit would cost.