RJ Spagnols new winery series kits

[rrussell]

I was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with the new winery series kits that George is picking up. prices look very reasonable for a 16 L kit with a grape skin pack.

 

[Wade E]

I have made everyone of them except the Merlot and Valpolicella only because I made the Cru Select restricted series with those 2 and love them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!I think they all make excellent full bodied wines. Ive made a few non grape skin wine kits and was not thrilled with them but these make me very happy.

 

[rrussell]

thanks wade, I will definitely take a closer look at these. I like full bodied wines the best. Is there any kits you haven't Made ?????

 

[Wade E]

There are a few!

 

[uavwmn]

What is the new winery series name of the kit?


NVM......answered my own question.

 

[RJMehr]

I have a Winery Series California Syrah in my primary fermentor for the past week. Having also made the Cellar Craft Showcase red wines, the Winery Series seems to be RJ Spagnols answer to the Showcase wines. I paid about the same price for both Cellar Craft and Winery Series kits.

They both have the same amount of juice and the grape skins pack in the Winery Series kit is nearly identical to the Cellar Craft grape pack.

When I started the Syrah kit, the juice smelled wonderful. Too soon to know how this kit will taste but I think I will have a winner here and would buy more Winery Series kits.

Robert

 

[Dean]

I've made all the winery series, some more than once! The Merlot is amazing as is the Shiraz (Now called California Syrah). The SuperTuscan is my favorite, and the only one that I have not tasted as it's bulk aging is the Malbec as that was only released last year.

I think they are better than most Cellar Craft grape pack products with the exception of the Amarone because RJS doesn't have an Amarone in the winery series. The Supertuscan is very close to Rosso Fortissimo as well, and there is also the Rosso Grande Excellente too!

 

[RickC]

Any comments on the Zin or Cab in this Winery Series? I have my eyes on these 2 to make next. The comment above about the Syrah may make me think that direction also. How does the fullness of these kits compare to the crushendo kits?

 

[Wade E]

I would recommend any of these to anyone. i have some wine makers in my group who only make wine from bought grapes and snub their nose at kits until I scammed them and gave them a Super Tuscan, a Cab and Syrah to them and they were all clapping and then I told them they were kits. They were flabbergasted and now do some kits, they all bought Cellar Craft though and 1 of them isnt to happy with the Rosso Fortissimo as of yet because he tastes the kit taste in that 1 but its only 3 months old and I told him that even though its a kit it still needs to age but he also did another Cellar Craft at the same time and he loves hat 1 already. The only thing else I can say about these kits is to cold stabilize them as they do drop out wine diamonds due to their high quality juice.

 

[RickC]

Wade, how/when do you cold stabilize? I have never done this before. I searched the forum and didn't find the answer, only the advice to do it a couple times.

 

[Wade E]

Cold stabilization is done when the wine is all clear and racked off fining agents and sulfites have been added (bulk aging). It will need to sit fro a few months in temps of 55* or cooler. the cooler it is the less time is needed. Copy and paste the the address below into your browser. For some reason I stink at actually copying the real link!

http://www.wineintro.com/glossary/c/coldstabilization.html

 

[Dean]

3 weeks at 32F is usually enough for a cold stabilize. It can usually be accomplished with an old fridge, or if you live in an area that gets winter, you can do it then on your deck.

 

[RickC]

Thanks for the link and suggestions. A lot of helpful information there. Is cold stabilization recommendedfor both reds and whites?

 

[Trubador]

3 weeks at 32F is usually enough for a cold stabilize. It can usually be accomplished with an old fridge, or if you live in an area that gets winter, you can do it then on your deck.

If it's out on the deck and the day time temp is 32 degrees and the night time temp is 20 degrees, will the temp fluctuations hurt the wine over the 3 weeks?

 

[Wade E]

Not at those temps, it will be fine but that might be borderline on the wine and carboy, freezing? I dont know waht temp wine will freeze at so thats something thats iffy! Dont want a cracked carboy, Also, after cold stabilizing at those temps be careful to warm it up slowly as the temp change might be a bit much on a carboy1

 

[grapeman]

Don't forget to replace the water in the airlock with vodka or everclear.-don't want the airlock breaking.


I don't start to get nervous until the air temp gets to about 0F.

 

[Wade E]

Good to know about the temp and good catch with the airlock!

 

[Wayne1]

That's good to hear about the 0 degrees - I don't have a refrigerator to use but do have a chest freezer I could put a carboy in - was worried about freezing and shattering it

 

[Dean]

keep your chest freezer at the highest temp it will go. You could also get a johnson control for it and really keep it at the correct temp too. The Johnson Controller will cycle power to accomplish this.

 

[grapeman]

Just remember the freezing point is dependant on the ABV of the wine. To play it safe, keep the temps a round 20 deg F if possible. I do mine in a building so the temps fluctuate some and the actual temperature of the wine probably doesn't get to 0- only the air temps for a while. I'm not saying it WON'T freeze at 0 at all. I don't want any broken carboys on my concience.