New Winexpert Kits

[kuziwk]

I’ve made kits across the spectrum and I’d compare any of them to. $4.00(US) bottle.

I tell people who ask about my hobby all the time: I can make better beer than I can buy. I make the wine because I enjoy having my own.

The only wine I’ve made that would compare favorably against your average commercial bottle was made from fresh grapes. I make kits because I enjoy the making and they’re passable for every day drinking.

Jbo

Hmm that’s unfortunate, we all experience things differently though. If my wines compared to $4 a bottle, I wouldn’t even bother making it. Reminds of the time i picked up a bottle of California cab sav for $8USD a bottle in the airport, it was Nasty. I Can’t drink wine less than $12-$14 CAD a bottle anymore, its just not worth the calories.

 

[Brian55]

Hmm that’s unfortunate, we all experience things differently though. If my wines compared to $4 a bottle, I wouldn’t even bother making it. Reminds of the time i picked up a bottle of California cab sav for $8USD a bottle in the airport, it was Nasty. I Can’t drink wine less than $12-$14 CAD a bottle anymore, its just not worth the calories.

Agreed!
In the US, decent drinkable wine can be found for around $8 per bottle and up, sometimes a bit less, but not too often. This is purely my opinion, but it's fairly well agreed upon by friends and family who also enjoy wine, and have attended many tastings. The premium kits we make will compare to commercial wines in blind tastings to wines in the $8 to $20 range, sometimes a bit more, but not too often. Kits can make for an enjoyable hobby, and are capable of producing some decent every day wines for less than $6 per bottle. You have to question the motives of people who feel the need to keep returning to the "kit wine" section of a winemaking forum in order to chime in about how much they hate kit wines. Just like the idiot box or the radio, if you don't like the content, simply change the channel and find something more to your liking.

 

[1d10t]

Years ago I watched some 60 minutes type show. A whiskey maker wanted to gain market so he cut his prices. The more he cut the less he sold. Light bulb goes on. Raise prices and sell more. Most people know crap about whiskey and just assume the more you pay the better it is.

 

[Brian55]

Years ago I watched some 60 minutes type show. A whiskey maker wanted to gain market so he cut his prices. The more he cut the less he sold. Light bulb goes on. Raise prices and sell more. Most people know crap about whiskey and just assume the more you pay the better it is.

This technique only works in the long term within a limited window, based on the quality of your product. No one is going to continue to pay top dollar for swill once he/she does a bit of comparison to other products in the same price range.

 

[jsbeckton]

You have to question the motives of people who feel the need to keep returning to the "kit wine" section of a winemaking forum in order to chime in about how much they hate kit wines.

I can’t speak for anyone else but my “motives” are to pass along my experiences to others. I remember when I started the kits and thought that were only so-so everyone kept saying “just wait”. So...I waited...and kept making more kits to stock up.

Well, here I am 4 years later and there are all still so-so IMO. They didn’t much change after 12 months.

So for people that are liking their kit wines, god bless, but if you are not getting what you hoped after 6-12 months I’d recommend moving on and maybe trying grape wines.

Again, these are just my experiences and my opinions so people can take them for what they are worth (prob not much [emoji41]).

 

[Johnd]

I can’t speak for anyone else but my “motives” are to pass along my experiences to others. I remember when I started the kits and thought that were only so-so everyone kept saying “just wait”. So...I waited...and kept making more kits to stock up.

Well, here I am 4 years later and there are all still so-so IMO. They didn’t much change after 12 months.

So for people that are liking their kit wines, god bless, but if you are not getting what you hoped after 6-12 months I’d recommend moving on.

Again, these are just my experiences and my opinions so people can take them for what they are worth (prob not much [emoji41]).

Many of us here have gone through the same progression, timelines may differ, but for many, the conclusion is the same. I made some pretty good kit wines, adding tannins, using grape packs and the like, but the best were when I added skins from a real grape ferment. The move to grapes, for me, was just a part of the natural progression to increase the quality of my wines, and I haven't looked back.......

 

[Venatorscribe]

This how $2 Chuck got it's start...
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/05/18/drink-up

An excellent link. Thks. Thoroughly enjoyed that story.

 

[bstnh1]

This how $2 Chuck got it's start...
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/05/18/drink-up

Long, but really interesting (and funny) article!!

 

[joeswine]

But true, it's all about the process and it's all subjective to taste.
There's a beer and wine store in my area called Canal's, when you enter the first thing that comes into sight are shopping carts full of cheap , Italian and Spanish wines and there all tasty from $4.99 to $5.99 whites and reds . I've tried quite a few and didn't complain.

 

[sour_grapes]

Ahh, good ol' Canal's. Made many a liquor run there! (Mostly a Roger Wilco guy, as it was more convenient.)

 

[joeswine]

Are you in NJ?

 

[sour_grapes]

No, but I grew up in Philly, 10 minutes from a bridge. NJ had (a) a lower drinking age, and (b) non-state-run liquor stores. Ergo, we miscreants made many trips to NJ.

 

[jbo_c]

You have to question the motives of people who feel the need to keep returning to the "kit wine" section of a winemaking forum in order to chime in about how much they hate kit wines.

This seems to have been directed at my comments, but I’ve never said I hate them. I do wish they made wine I perceive to be better. I also noted that I continue to make them for everyday plonk. And I’d like to continue to make them better.

The fact that people don’t think you can rival Opus 1 with a kit is no reason their question their motives. McDonalds isn’t the worlds’ best burger, but I’ve eaten there and it served its purpose.

Jbo

 

[joeswine]

"It's all subjective"
It's also about what space you have to work in, time you have for the hobby, the amount of equipment you have and the cost of the base product your dealing with ,the temperature in your local so many tangibles, it all comes down on what works for you.

 

[Brian55]

This seems to have been directed at my comments, but I’ve never said I hate them. I do wish they made wine I perceive to be better. I also noted that I continue to make them for everyday plonk. And I’d like to continue to make them better.

The fact that people don’t think you can rival Opus 1 with a kit is no reason their question their motives. McDonalds isn’t the worlds’ best burger, but I’ve eaten there and it served its purpose.

Jbo

It wasn't intended for anyone specific. Just the one's who feel the need to keep coming here to complain about kit wines, especially those who clearly created an account to do just that. You can pick them out easily as they usually have less than a handful of messages, all of them bashing kit wines. See post #43 in this thread for an example. Thankfully it seems that particular troll has moved on.

 

[jbo_c]

Yep. That was an odd, random seeming one. I was happy to see that no one really took the bait.

Jbo

 

[kuziwk]

It wasn't intended for anyone specific. Just the one's who feel the need to keep coming here to complain about kit wines, especially those who clearly created an account to do just that. You can pick them out easily as they usually have less than a handful of messages, all of them bashing kit wines. See post #43 in this thread for an example. Thankfully it seems that particular troll has moved on.

Hmm kind of makes you wonder...some commercial winemakers perhaps?...furthermore if they hate wine kits so much, they must be lurking in these threads for some other reason.

 

[Tatmia]

Not sure if I have a complete list or not, but it looks like they're dropping some of the white blends while keeping the red. Trinity Red is listed but not Trinity White. Luna Rossa is listed but not Luna Bianca. Also don't see Symphony.

It's a shame for me because I haven't had a commercial white blend that I like but I love my Trinity White. Symphony turned out great and it's definitely not something I see on the wine shelves at the grocery store. I'm hoping to make a batch of Luna Bianca this year.

Definitely a shame that whites don't store like reds or I'd just make a 15-20 gallon batch of Trinity White, I'm that happy with it. I'll keep my fingers crossed that maybe my list is incomplete.

 

[winemaker81]

I just checked winexpert.com -- the old site is gone and in its place is a "placeholder" talking about the new kits. I didn't see any substantial information.

 

[Tatmia]

Here's what I have - I notice that Coastal Red, which LabelPeelers told me was one of their bestsellers is also missing, so maybe more additions are to come.

Private Reserve (14L)

• Dry Creek Chard
  
• Yakima Valley Pinot Gris
• Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
• Amarone Style
• Lodi Cab Sauv
• Marlborough Pinot Noir
• Bordeaux Blend Style
• Stags Leap Merlot
• Nebbiolo
• Super Tuscan
• Lodi Old Vines Zin

Reserve (10L)

• Australia Chard
• German Gewurztraminer
• Pinot Grigio
• California Reisling
• California Sauv Vlan
• Australian Traminer Riesling
• Australian Grenache Rose
• California Cab Merlot
• Australian Cab Sauv
• Australian Cab Shiraz
• Luna Rossa
• Malbec
• California Merlot
• Enigma
• Chile Pinot Noir
• Australian Shiraz
• Vieux Chateau du Roi
• Amarone Style
• Chile Carmenere

Classic (8L)

• California Chard
• Cal Moscato
• Pinot Grigio
• Chile Sauv Blanc
• Viognier
• Washing Riesling
• Calfiornia Gewurztraminer
• California Liebfraumilch
• White Zin
• Chile Cab Sauv
• Diablo Rojo
• Australia Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
• Chile Malbec
• Chile Merlot
• Cal Pinot Noir
• Sangiovese
• Cal Shiraz
• Tempranillo
• Trinity Red
• Vieux Chateau du Roi
• Valorza