My favorite red wines

[gabe]

My favorite Red wines are:
Amarone
Nebbiolo
Sangiovese
Brunello
My juice comes from Italy, never had any problems with the juice from there.
I rack,degas and bottle using the AIO pump

 

[FTC Wines]

Gabe, those are also our Favorite Red wines, how do you get juice from Italy? We have only been able to make those from kits. Roy

 

[gabe]

Roy, I get my 6 gallon buckets from our local supply house in Bethlehem, pa.
Keystonehomebrew.com. The best is from producer Mosta Bella.
Look on line if you do not have an outlet for it. I know I’ve seen it there, not sure what website. I remember one of them would ship it free if you purchase more than 1

 

[mainshipfred]

What yeasts do you use with the big Italians?

 

[gabe]

View attachment 50111 View attachment 50112

 

[FTC Wines]

Thanks Gabe, I’ll look them up, sounds good. Roy

 

[Boatboy24]

What yeasts do you use with the big Italians?

BM4X4

 

[gabe]

I’ve always used a lavlin, for big reds,
One that will survive higher alcohol

 

[gabe]

Roy, I get my 6 gallon buckets from our local supply house in Bethlehem, pa.
Keystonehomebrew.com. The best is from producer Mosta Bella.
Look on line if you do not have an outlet for it. I know I’ve seen it there, not sure what website. I remember one of them would ship it free if you purchase more than 1

 

[gabe]

Roy here is one supplier I came across for the Italian juice:
http://www.maltosecart.com/fresh-grape-juice/

 

[FTC Wines]

Thanks Gabe, looked at their site but doesn’t look like I can get the juice in Florida. Roy

 

[gabe]

Roy, I’m sure there are others.

 

[askins3097]

I just put an order in for 3 Italian Brunello juice buckets. This is my first time trying the Italian juice. I’m going to try the BM4x4 as well.

I have some Chilean merlot and chardonnay aging on oak now from the spring juice. I’ve done old vine Zinfandel, merlot, Pinot Noir, chardonnay, Riesling, and Chablis, all from California juice in the past. I figure after this Italian juice, I’ll be able to compare California, Italian, and Chilean to see which of the 3 regions juice I like the most and which ones I’ll invest in the most going forward, since they all cost about the same.

Any suggestions on the Italian whites? Other than Pinot Grigio, I didn’t recognize any, and I’m not a huge Pinot Grigio fan. My other choices are Frascati, Soave Classico, Verdicchio, Vermentino, or Pinot Bianco.

 

[gabe]

I just put an order in for 3 Italian Brunello juice buckets. This is my first time trying the Italian juice. I’m going to try the BM4x4 as well.

I have some Chilean merlot and chardonnay aging on oak now from the spring juice. I’ve done old vine Zinfandel, merlot, Pinot Noir, chardonnay, Riesling, and Chablis, all from California juice in the past. I figure after this Italian juice, I’ll be able to compare California, Italian, and Chilean to see which of the 3 regions juice I like the most and which ones I’ll invest in the most going forward, since they all cost about the same.

Any suggestions on the Italian whites? Other than Pinot Grigio, I didn’t recognize any, and I’m not a huge Pinot Grigio fan. My other choices are Frascati, Soave Classico, Verdicchio, Vermentino, or Pinot Bianco.

I’ve not had much luck in fermentation of the whites. The process used in Italian vineyards I visited is opposite of the reds. They start the fermentation colder and then gradually increase the heat. The house whites I drank while there is verdiccho & vermintino.

 

[sdelli]

Roy, I get my 6 gallon buckets from our local supply house in Bethlehem, pa.
Keystonehomebrew.com. The best is from producer Mosta Bella.
Look on line if you do not have an outlet for it. I know I’ve seen it there, not sure what website. I remember one of them would ship it free if you purchase more than 1

I have used them before in the past as well. I found them because I use Vino Superiore grape must from Italy. They are a reseller. Good product!

 

[Bts]

Any suggestions on the Italian whites?

I'd say try the vermentino. Not that I've tried the others except as commercial offerings, but I did a bucket of vermentino last year and it'd say it's my second favorite white wine I've ever tasted. It's a bit like an unoaked chardonay but with a lot of this fruity/estery/phenolic thing going on, a nice bitter almond finish, and when young a very strange almost oily texture. It's unlike anything I've tasted in a commercial wine. Kind of like how a really buttery, oaky chard is vastly different from most "normal" whites, this is almost as far outside the norm, though in a different direction. If there's such a thing as a "big" white, this is it.

 

[gabe]

I’ve always used a lavlin, for big reds,
One that will survive higher alcohol

In regards to the yeast for some big Reds, this year I intend to contact some experts about the yeast used for different varietals. The big wineries use a specific yeast for each grape to bring out the flavors. I’ll be making the following wines:
From Chile:
Malbec
Carménère
Merlot
Syrah
Cabernet Sauvignon
From Italy:
Amarone
Nebbiolo
Brunello
Barbera
Sangiovese
In the past I always used lalvin rc212. Looking to take it to the next level.

 

[Boatboy24]

For many of those wines, I like BM4X4. Malbec and Carmenere, I've only used D254.

 

[cmason1957]

This might be a good reference to help you decide on level up yeast decisions - https://morewinemaking.com/web_files/intranet.morebeer.com/files/wyeastpair.pdf

I have used BM4x4, AMH, and Rhone 4600 recently and liked the results. They bring more to the plate than just the RC212, which I seldom use any longer after a really bad experience with H2S and Chambourcin.

 

[gabe]

For many of those wines, I like BM4X4. Malbec and Carmenere, I've only used D254.

Thanks boatboy