WineXpert Luna Rossa - grape type?

[MN-winer]

Does anyone know what grapes are used in the WE Luna Rossa kit? I've read that Merlot is the best grape to compare to it. I just bought this kit and started it a few days ago. Smells fantastic and had 4 packs of french oak included. I'd like to label the wine something other than Luna Rossa or at least be able to say what grapes are in it.

Thanks

 

[ibglowin]

Its a proprietary blend of Italian grapes much like those used in Amarone.

From the WE Customer Service department:

Thank you for your contact and for choosing our products. I’m sorry that the formulation on this is completely proprietary. The Luna Rossa is a blend and is modeled after the Italian wine, Amarone de Recioto de Valpolicella. It’s made in the north-east of Italy, in the Veneto region. Ripasso-style, it utilises partially rasined grapes of typical Italian varietals. Were you to make some educated guesses as to the nature of the formulation based on this, you’d be going in the right direction.


Cheers,


Customer Service
Winexpert Inc.

 

[kelleyaynn]

Thanks for posting the reply from WE. Now I am going to HAVE to try a kit. I also always thought it was similar to merlot, but seeing as it is modeled after valpolicella (my all time favorite), I'm now itching to see what it's like.

 

[Wade E]

Just noticed that you had posted a responce here but you must have hit the red triangle instead of the post reply button which hides the post for us moderators to look at and OK or delete it. I deleted after seeing you had reposted it.

 

[mmadmikes1]

the local FOP opened a bottle of WE Luna Rossa that was 3 years old and I thought it sucked. The owner did say alot of people really like it and it is all they"make"

 

[MN-winer]

Thanks for all the replies. I've been looking for a type like this and it sounds good. Its almost done in Primary and smells fantastic. I think wine is a personal thing, but I've never heard anyone say this "sucks". To each his own, I guess. I'm hopeful that this wine will provide the deep rich flavors and aroma that I've not gotten from my kits. I'm also hopeful for a few of the CC OVZ that I did last summer. Haven't opened that yet.

 

[gonzo46307]

The Luna Rossa was my "take to holiday party" wine this year, it was about 15 months old and everyone (including myself) really loved it...I'll definately be making another this year.

Peace,
Bob

 

[jdeere5220]

I've made 4 of these kits in the last year, it's become one of our staples and I'm always running out or drinking it green. My wife and I agree it's really terrific (guess that shows what we know!) Maybe the FOP guy sucks at making wine ??

I thought this was a blend of Merlot and Cab Sav, but if you guys can make more sense out of what the response from W.E. means I would be interest to hear what insight you can provide. What does valpolicella imply in terms of grape varietals and style? Thanks!

 

[ibglowin]

Valpolicella is a wine growing region in Italy and only certain grapes can be grown in that region so you can pair down the possibility of potential grapes in the blend pretty quick.

The red wine known as Valpolicella is typically made from three grape varietals: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara.

 

[MN-winer]

So to those who've made this - Do you put "Luna Rossa" on your labels or something else?

 

[jdeere5220]

Yep, I print my own labels with the bottling date and "Luna Rosa" (just one S I believe).

 

[suziqcu]

Luna Rossa was our first wine! We think it turned out quite well. On our label we called it Luna Rossa, though I would have much preferred to say it was a Valpolicella....but I'm unsure if that's accurate...but it's at least as informative as "luna Rossa" on our label. I just tell ppl it's a full bodied Italian red....but I would like to put the types of grapes used. Do u think they add other things to the mixture??

 

[ibglowin]

You can probably spell it however you wish and probably no one would even notice. The Italian word for red is however spelled Rossa with two (s)'s.

Yep, I print my own labels with the bottling date and "Luna Rosa" (just one S I believe).

 

[diggerdan17]

The Luna Rossa was my "take to holiday party" wine this year, it was about 15 months old and everyone (including myself) really loved it...I'll definately be making another this year.

Peace,
Bob

Mine is also about 15 months old and is my take to party wine as well!

You won't be disappointed with this wine as long as you let it get to at least 1 year of age....it was a little ruff between 4 -8 months old.


Digger

 

[mmadmikes1]

Maybe the FOP guy sucks at making wine ??

From the stuff he has had me taste since I posted this, I think you are right. I made a couple of kits last year(over my kit snobbness) and the ones I made even at 6 months tasted better than the test he let me try

 

[MN-winer]

Sorry to bump this to the top. I just bottled this over the weekend to free up carboy space. It had kind of a sweet taste to it even though I know the SG went below 1.000 - just barely. Is this just a green tasting wine and I should let it sit in the bottle for a while? I tasted the oak and I can tell it is very rich with flavors, but it had that sweet taste.
What am I tasting?

 

[jdeere5220]

Not sure about the sweet taste, but in general I don't think this one drinks well young. It has a bit of a raisin type flavor (that's the best I can describe) when young, but that turns into what I would describe as a buttery flavor once it's aged 6 months to a year.

 

[MN-winer]

Thanks - I thought I read this was a young drinker, but if not I will hold off. It has lots of complex flavors now and is very rich, but it probably isn't ready yet. I've had some better kits that tasted great at bottling so I got worried with this one.

 

[jdeere5220]

We drink it young (say 3 months), but it does continue to improve. My first kits only went to 0.999, but the last one I kept warmer (75F) and it went to 0.996. Can't say that I can taste the difference.

 

[DaveM]

Yeah, I read that this is an early drinker too...but that is certainly not the case in my opinion. I tried 2 or 3 bottles along the way before it was a year old and it was almost the same as it was right after bottling on each of those occasions. I tried a bottle when it was a bit past the 1 year mark and it was much better. Certainly drinkable, but I think it'll grow much more body in the next year.