Lambrusco kit

[jgmann67]

Does anyone make a Lambrusco wine kit?

I have a friend who likes this old grandma-style wine (not that that is a bad thing) and I’d like to see about making some.

 

[Kantuckid]

Me/us too.
We buy Riunite Lambrusco for the sole purpose of Sangria we drink with Mexican food. We have several of the handmade Mexican glasses that have the typical stripe of colored glass and pour the glass up to the top of that line w/wine, then top off with 50/50 orange juice and half a lime & half a lemon, squeezed in each drink. About 2/3 wine rest is OJ, lime & lemon.
For our taste it's perfect and far exceeds box or bottled sangrias. It is very dark, sweet enough for the purpose and a very rich flavor. Table wines like Mogen David, etc., are just not the same.
Yes, I'd love to find a kit that matched the Riunite blended, "Emelia" Lambrusco!
I have looked and asked kit retailers but never found a match as yet.
As for the grandma-style wine I'm 75 and wife now 70 so we qualify? I did read online that the Riunite Lambrusco was the single most popular wine in the USA in the 1970's, so makes sense huh? Now a dry wine probably gets that vote.
Ideas?

 

[jgmann67]

I think we can get juice from concentrate. Will chase it down.

 

[joeswine]

Take any cheap wine kit add orange zest to the primary ,ferment out in the secondary add the zest of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime, complete kit as directed.

 

[jgmann67]

I'm seeing that Mosti Mondiale make two versions of a Lambrusco. They have a 23L bucket of pure juice and a 10L concentrate kit... Prices are around $100 and $75, plus shipping, respectively. I might sink $75 into a kit just to do one and see whether I like it.

 

[ras2018]

I have yet to find a reasonable source for Mosti kits? May I ask where you are shopping?

 

[jgmann67]

I have yet to find a reasonable source for Mosti kits? May I ask where you are shopping?

I saw them on Juicegrape.com. Haven’t purchased anything yet... I’m saving for fresh grapes in the fall.

 

[DIYer]

I saw them on Juicegrape.com. Haven’t purchased anything yet... I’m saving for fresh grapes in the fall.

You're in PA right? Looks like there is a brew shop in St Thomas, PA, that has the 10L kits for $75 also--if it's close enough, maybe you could save on the shipping. And they might be able to order a 23L for you if that's what you wanted instead.

https://supplies.homebrew4less.com/lambrusco-vinifera-noble-wine-kit-10l/

A shop local to me (DFW area in TX) has it too, but their price is not as good ($90).

 

[jgmann67]

You're in PA right? Looks like there is a brew shop in St Thomas, PA, that has the 10L kits for $75 also--if it's close enough, maybe you could save on the shipping. And they might be able to order a 23L for you if that's what you wanted instead.

https://supplies.homebrew4less.com/lambrusco-vinifera-noble-wine-kit-10l/

A shop local to me (DFW area in TX) has it too, but their price is not as good ($90).

Good price. They're about an hour and 15 minutes from me, though. Will need to figure out the next time I'm out that way. Doesn't happen often and their prices are ridiculous otherwise... ($250+ dollars for an Eclipse kit? Really??)

 

[DIYer]

Good price. They're about an hour and 15 minutes from me, though. Will need to figure out the next time I'm out that way. Doesn't happen often and their prices are ridiculous otherwise... ($250+ dollars for an Eclipse kit? Really??)

Ha! I didn't look at anything else in their shop.

 

[Kantuckid]

When I drink sangria I want the citrus addition to be fresh. For our taste buds there nothing like using fresh OJ, Limes & lemons.
keep us posted on what you get into Lambrusco wise. As a pure amature, I have wondered just what the blending involves at the huge volumes Riunite does with their Lambrusco?

 

[Rocky]

I'm seeing that Mosti Mondiale make two versions of a Lambrusco. They have a 23L bucket of pure juice and a 10L concentrate kit... Prices are around $100 and $75, plus shipping, respectively. I might sink $75 into a kit just to do one and see whether I like it.

I vaguely remember some years back that Mosti Mondiale was accused of adding water to their lower end kits and packaging them as juice. People ended up paying more for both the juice and the shipping. It was some years ago and others on the forum may recall this. I have not bought a MM kit or juice since that time.

 

[pillswoj]

I vaguely remember some years back that Mosti Mondiale was accused of adding water to their lower end kits and packaging them as juice. People ended up paying more for both the juice and the shipping. It was some years ago and others on the forum may recall this. I have not bought a MM kit or juice since that time.

Thats Funny as you were the one who made that accusation. https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/mm-kits.51966/

 

[Johnd]

Thats Funny as you were the one who made that accusation. https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/mm-kits.51966/

I remember that discussion, though not until I reread it. Sucks getting older.

 

[Rocky]

Thats Funny as you were the one who made that accusation. https://www.winemakingtalk.com/threads/mm-kits.51966/

Actually, I said "it was my opinion" that they were adding water to lower quality kits and this was based on an accusation that I had read and the fact that my experience with their "all juice buckets" and some of their "high end" (not Meglioli) kits seemed to support the accusation. I do not recall where I read the accusation but it came from a. another forum, b. another manufacturer or c. a retailer.

 

[Swedeman]

As for the grandma-style wine I'm 75 and wife now 70 so we qualify? I did read online that the Riunite Lambrusco was the single most popular wine in the USA in the 1970's, so makes sense huh? Now a dry wine probably gets that vote.

And that gave the Lambrusco wine its bad reputation, (too) sweet and simple. However, there are really good Lambrusco wines out there, both dry and off dry.

About Lambrusco kits; a Lambrusco wine should be sparkling, either semi or fully sparkling. Without it, it wouldn't be a Lambrusco wine (to me)

 

[Kantuckid]

Too suggest that the specific, most popular brand of wine at that time was a fluke is to tell those who bought it they were going against their own will is sort of silly? They were simply buying what they like makes more sense. To say that whats more popular has changed over time, is another larger subject.
It would include the fact that whiskey has again gained popularity too and that brewing is at the stage of what happened? I'm old enough to remember when there were zero craft breweries, small towns in some states having a brewery and the only people who brewed at home were from certain cultures like Germany, etc.. I worked in a supermarket for nearly 6 years and we sold Blue Ribbon malt, caps, etc. and there were virtually zero wine making or brewing suppliers back then.
Yes Riunite lambrusco was once extremely popular and still holds plenty of shelf space to this day in liquor retail shelves. I could thrown into the conversation all the stuff I don't like: rhubarb, rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, certain wines and beers like Corona which is quite popular?
A Lambrusco kit might be back sweetened to suit my purpose and taste is a great conversation in my direction if the juice got me what I want flavor wise.
Meanwhile,you and others are free to like what you like. We use it for one specific purpose and i can assure you most Sangria is not mixed with dry wines.
Like Paul Harvey said, that's the rest of the story...

 

[Swedeman]

I too drank a few bottles of the sweet Lambrusco back in the old time but that doesn't change the fact, as I wrote, that the Lambrusco wine of that time maybe has the worst reputation a wine type has had to this date, where quantity was more important than quality. If you like it, fine. I didn't comment on that.

i can assure you most Sangria is not mixed with dry wines.

Maybe not in the US, but definitely here in Europe where Sangria typically is made of a young dry Rioja wine.

Maybe I shouldn't comment on what a traditional Spanish Sangria is. For what it's worth, only Sangria made in Spain and Portugal is allowed to be sold as "Sangria" in Europe.

 

[Kantuckid]

FWIW, I've never had a bottle or box wine sangria that matched a fresh mixed version based on personal taste.
I made a comment based on the market in the USA circa 1970's and that's the ultimate reflection of taste for that time period. My mixed comment wasn't about Europe either as I was thinking only of USA and Mexico where I've spent most of my time.