New Winexpert Kits

[sour_grapes]

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.

Boy, they are sure rolling the dice! Taking a big gamble on their business. Hope it works out for them, I s'pose.

 

[StreetGlide]

Is the price range for the PR going to be what the eclipse is now?

 

[winemaker81]

@Tatmia, thanks for the list!

@sour_grapes, I agree, Winexpert is certainly rolling the dice. I'll wait to see what other think before buying one of the new kits.

 

[Swedeman]

so maybe more additions are to come.

Let's hope so, as the list is pretty short for the more expensive ones.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[joeswine]

How many does one need?
there are so many ways to create a wine that you can enjoy and is yours.
Such as taking a basic kit and blending it with a one gallon kit , think of the possibilities.

 

[kuziwk]

That’s the final list, it’s looks almost identical to the VineCo one. I have the official released documents including the selection or cross reference chart which attempts to compare the past kits with the new ones. They must have cut 40% of the variety out of the equation. I really hope they didn’t drop the passport lineup which is limited edition that always brightens up an otherwise depressing New Years. One thing they could have done is made more limited release kits to increase sales due to exclusivity.

 

[sour_grapes]

I have the official released documents including the selection or cross reference chart which attempts to compare the past kits with the new ones.

Where did you get that? Can you share it?

 

[Swedeman]

How many does one need?
there are so many ways to create a wine that you can enjoy and is yours.
Such as taking a basic kit and blending it with a one gallon kit , think of the possibilities.

Living in a country that has ONE store selling wine kits (WE) limits the possibilities for sure. They get one shipment per year.

Can you share it?

+1

 

[kuziwk]

Where did you get that? Can you share it?

I’m smarter than the average bear i guess . I wont post the sheets as I don’t want anyone to lose their job, however you can take my word for it being Legit. This is obviously subject to change, as I’m sure they are still having limited edition kits once a year or maybe adding some big sellers down the road. It makes sense from a marketing perspective to slim down their line for the average consumer to make it more approachable. More limited exclusives for enthusiasts like us in the slow quarters would increase sales and round the fiscal quarter out. All just my opinion though of course. I found it interesting that the super Tuscan on here looks basically identical except the for the volume to last years Passport kit, of which i bought two.

SIGNATURE SERIES
14L | 6-8 WEEKS
RED Amarone Style, Italy- with grape skins Full bodied, tart cherry, raspberry hint of chocolate, spice and a long lingering finish. 14% Full MED Dry Amarone Style

Cabernet Merlot, France- with grape skins Black current, plum, dark berries, subtle mineral notes and firm structure and tannins. 13.5% Medium-Full HEAVY Dry Cab Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon, California- with grape skins Layers of dark berry fruit, notes of spice and vanilla with plush tannins, dry finish. 14% Full HEAVY Dry Cab Sauv

Merlot, California- with grape skins Dry with big fruit flavours, rich baking spices, purple floral notes and a chocolaty finish. 14% Full MED Dry Merlot

Nebbiolo, Italy- with grape skins Intense aromas, ripe cherry, hints of leather and anise, high acidity, strong tannins. 14% Full HEAVY Dry Nebbiolo

Pinot Noir, New Zealand Fruit driven with sweet strawberry and raspberry, subtle earthy notes and an elegant finish. 13.5% Medium MED Dry Pinot Noir

Toscana, Italy- with grape skins Blackberry, black currant, hints of vanilla and spice with velvety tannins and a round finish. 14% Full HEAVY Dry Toscana

Zinfandel, California- with grape skins Aromatic, strawberry jam, ripe berries, with allspice and mocha on the finish. 14% Full LIGHT Dry Zinfandel

WHITE Chardonnay, California Yellow apple, lemon and pineapple with hints of peach and mineral notes, fresh and unoaked. 13.5% Medium-Full NONE Dry Chardonnay

Pinot Gris, Washington Well balanced with green apple, lemon zest, pear, notes of honeysuckle and bright acidity. 13% Medium NONE Dry Pinot Gris

Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand Passion fruit, citrus zest, undertones of pink grapefruit and lemongrass with refreshing acidity. 13% Medium NONE Dry Sauv Blanc

ESTATE SERIES
10L | 6 WEEKS
ROUGE Amarone Style, Italy Black cherry, plum and chocolate 13.5% Full MED Dry Amarone Style

Cabernet Merlot, California Black cherry, tobacco and mint 13% Full MED Dry Cab Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia Black currant, chocolate, bay leaf with toasted notes 13.5% Full MED Dry Cab Sau

Cabernet Shiraz, Australia Blackberry, pepper and leather and toast 13.5% Full HEAVY Dry Cab Shiraz

Carmemère, Chile Raspberry, red cherry and plum 13.5% Medium MED Dry Carmenere

Malbec, Argentina Black Plum, clove and charred wood. 13.5% Full HEAVY Dry Malbec

Merlot, California Blackberry, fruitcake and coffee. 13% Medium MED Dry Merlot

Mystic, California Smooth black cherry, vanilla and mocha 13% Medium-Full MED Off-Dry Mystic

Pinot Noir, Chile Strawberry, raspberry with vegetal character 13% Medium MED Dry Pinot Noir

Primo Rosso, Italy Ripe, dark fruit flavours and subtle spice 13.5% Full MED Dry Primo Rosso

Shiraz, Australia Black currant, dark chocolate and meaty 13.5% Full MED Dry Shiraz

Vieux Château Du Roi, France Red fruit, spice and leather notes 13% Medium-Full MED Dry Vieux Chateau du

BLANC Chardonnay, Australia Tropical fruit, ripe peach and toasted vanilla 13% Medium MED Dry Chardonnay

Gewürztraminer, Germany Floral with peach, lychee and honey 11.5% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry Gewurztraminer

Pinot Grigio, Italy Green apple, citrus and crisp acidity 12.5% Light-Medium NONE Dry Pinot Grigio

Riesling, California Apricot, mango, and high acidity 12.5% Light-Medium NONE Dry Riesling

Sauvignon Blanc, California Citrus, peach and passion fruit 13% Light-Medium NONE Dry Sauv Blanc

Traminer Riesling, Australia Aromatic with lime, apple, honey and stonefruit 12% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry Traminer Riesling

ROSÉ Grenache Rosé, Australia Red cherry, strawberry and refreshing acidity. 12% Medium NONE Dry Grenache Rose

ORIGINAL SERIES
8L | 4 WEEKS
RED Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile Blackberry, black raspberry and cedar 12.5% Medium-Full MED Dry Cab Sauv

Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre, Australia Black cherry, spice and blackberry 13% Medium-Full HEAVY Dry Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre

Malbec, Chile Blackberry, black cherry and oak 13% Medium-Full MED Dry Malbec

Matador Red, Chile Ripe berries, jammy spicy notes 13% Medium-Full HEAVY Dry Matador Red

Merlot, Chile Blackberry, cherry and vanilla 13% Medium MED Dry Merlot

Pinot Noir, California Raspberry, cherry and earthy notes 12.5% Light-Medium MED Dry Pinot Noir

Sangiovese, Italy Sour cherry, strawberry, prune 13% Medium LIGHT Dry Sangiovese

Shiraz, California Black cherry, leather and spice 13% Medium-Full MED Dry Shiraz

Tempranillo, Spain Red cherry, strawberry and smoke 13% Medium MED Dry Tempranillo

Trilogy, California Toasty black cherry and blackberry 13% Medium MED Dry Trilogy

Valroza, Italy Raspberry, strawberry and plum 13% Medium LIGHT Dry Valroza

Vieux Château du Roi, California Red berries and plum 13% Medium MED Dry Vieux Chateau du Roi

WHITE Chardonnay, California Green apple, pear and apricot 12.5% Medium NONE Dry Chardonnay

Gewürztraminer, California Floral, apricot and pineapple 12% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry Gewurztraminer

Liebfraumilch Style, California Citrus and peach 11.5% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry Liebfraumilch Style

Moscato, California Grapey, apple and citrus 8.7% Light-Medium NONE Medium Sweet Moscato

Pinot Grigio, Italy Green apple, lemon and lime 12.5% Light-Medium NONE Dry Pinot Grigio

Riesling, Washington Green apple, citrus and mineral notes 12% Light NONE Off-Dry Riesling

Sauvignon Blanc, Chile Herbaceous, stone fruit and tropical fruit 12.5% Light-Medium NONE Dry Sauv Blanc

Viognier, California Tangerine, peach and rose 12% Light-Medium NONE Dry Viognier

ROSÉ White Zinfandel, California Strawberry and raspberry 11.5% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry White Zinfandel

 

[Cellar Vader]

Can't wait to find out if the Nebbiolo is a Barolo-style, or rather a Barbareso-style. And whether or not the Toscana is all Sangiovese, or rather a Super Tuscan.

 

[joeswine]

Look how the ABV levels are rising I remember not to long ago I was call some not so nice names because I know that the European market was all ready there ..now here we go . They understood they could make a good tasting wine with higher alcohol levels and still have a good product providing good balance, between fruit and body .

 

[kuziwk]

Can't wait to find out if the Nebbiolo is a Barolo-style, or rather a Barbareso-style. And whether or not the Toscana is all Sangiovese, or rather a Super Tuscan.

Typically Sangiovese would be described as cherry/strawberry/red plum (red fruit). Sounds like this one is a blend just like the passport as they describe the black fruit in this one. Some Merlot and Cab Sav mixed in there...

 

[Tatmia]

... long listl

Well dang. Looks like I'm about to place a very expensive order and plan on drinking a lot of white wine over the next few years.

 

[MHSKIBUM]

I started making wine from Costco kits for just over two years and I agree that the best wine kits I've bought from Costco and elsewhere, and made according to the instructions provided, produce a drinkable everyday but unmemorable wine.
One thing that vastly improved the quality, however, was to follow a suggestion made by a friend who used to be an executive at a winery.
After tasting my wine from a kit, he said the producer had stretched the amount of concentrate to its limit of acceptability to offer the consumer a 30-bottle kit. He suggested using less water in an 18 litre carboy instead the recommended 21 litre carboy.
The smaller batch in all kits I've tried since consistently produce 25 bottles of very enjoyable wine with much richer flavours and generally have qualities match wines in Canada that cost $12-$14 (perhaps $9-$12 in the U.S.). The reds are a deep ruby best racked a minimum of 12 months.

 

[joeswine]

you need to review making cheap wine kits, it will help.

 

[jbrown]

Whew, just catching up on things as I had a backlog of kits I've been working through and life had sped on by for a while. Thanks to the current world events, I am now getting re-aligned! I just saw the new VineCo/WE websites and am a little skeptical like everyone else it seems. Hard to believe the wines will be as great with less juice being supplied. But I'm optimistic that the new formulations will still produce great wines. Keep in mind that we continue to progress technologically as a society so it's not inconceivable that similarly great wines can be produced with a smaller volume of juice.

I'm also surprised hearing about folks that haven't had good experiences making their own wines. I really feel that I only "dabble" (I'm working on my 21st batch in 5 years) so I'm no expert. But as the vast majority of kits I have made in the past have been Eclipse and Showcase kits with skins, I can say I have rarely made a batch of wine that I wouldn't put up against any $25 store-bought bottle. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and hope the new kits provide a comparable finished product.

 

[bstnh1]

I’m smarter than the average bear i guess . I wont post the sheets as I don’t want anyone to lose their job, however you can take my word for it being Legit. This is obviously subject to change, as I’m sure they are still having limited edition kits once a year or maybe adding some big sellers down the road. It makes sense from a marketing perspective to slim down their line for the average consumer to make it more approachable. More limited exclusives for enthusiasts like us in the slow quarters would increase sales and round the fiscal quarter out. All just my opinion though of course. I found it interesting that the super Tuscan on here looks basically identical except the for the volume to last years Passport kit, of which i bought two.

SIGNATURE SERIES
14L | 6-8 WEEKS
RED Amarone Style, Italy- with grape skins Full bodied, tart cherry, raspberry hint of chocolate, spice and a long lingering finish. 14% Full MED Dry Amarone Style

Cabernet Merlot, France- with grape skins Black current, plum, dark berries, subtle mineral notes and firm structure and tannins. 13.5% Medium-Full HEAVY Dry Cab Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon, California- with grape skins Layers of dark berry fruit, notes of spice and vanilla with plush tannins, dry finish. 14% Full HEAVY Dry Cab Sauv

Merlot, California- with grape skins Dry with big fruit flavours, rich baking spices, purple floral notes and a chocolaty finish. 14% Full MED Dry Merlot

Nebbiolo, Italy- with grape skins Intense aromas, ripe cherry, hints of leather and anise, high acidity, strong tannins. 14% Full HEAVY Dry Nebbiolo

Pinot Noir, New Zealand Fruit driven with sweet strawberry and raspberry, subtle earthy notes and an elegant finish. 13.5% Medium MED Dry Pinot Noir

Toscana, Italy- with grape skins Blackberry, black currant, hints of vanilla and spice with velvety tannins and a round finish. 14% Full HEAVY Dry Toscana

Zinfandel, California- with grape skins Aromatic, strawberry jam, ripe berries, with allspice and mocha on the finish. 14% Full LIGHT Dry Zinfandel

WHITE Chardonnay, California Yellow apple, lemon and pineapple with hints of peach and mineral notes, fresh and unoaked. 13.5% Medium-Full NONE Dry Chardonnay

Pinot Gris, Washington Well balanced with green apple, lemon zest, pear, notes of honeysuckle and bright acidity. 13% Medium NONE Dry Pinot Gris

Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand Passion fruit, citrus zest, undertones of pink grapefruit and lemongrass with refreshing acidity. 13% Medium NONE Dry Sauv Blanc

ESTATE SERIES
10L | 6 WEEKS
ROUGE Amarone Style, Italy Black cherry, plum and chocolate 13.5% Full MED Dry Amarone Style

Cabernet Merlot, California Black cherry, tobacco and mint 13% Full MED Dry Cab Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia Black currant, chocolate, bay leaf with toasted notes 13.5% Full MED Dry Cab Sau

Cabernet Shiraz, Australia Blackberry, pepper and leather and toast 13.5% Full HEAVY Dry Cab Shiraz

Carmemère, Chile Raspberry, red cherry and plum 13.5% Medium MED Dry Carmenere

Malbec, Argentina Black Plum, clove and charred wood. 13.5% Full HEAVY Dry Malbec

Merlot, California Blackberry, fruitcake and coffee. 13% Medium MED Dry Merlot

Mystic, California Smooth black cherry, vanilla and mocha 13% Medium-Full MED Off-Dry Mystic

Pinot Noir, Chile Strawberry, raspberry with vegetal character 13% Medium MED Dry Pinot Noir

Primo Rosso, Italy Ripe, dark fruit flavours and subtle spice 13.5% Full MED Dry Primo Rosso

Shiraz, Australia Black currant, dark chocolate and meaty 13.5% Full MED Dry Shiraz

Vieux Château Du Roi, France Red fruit, spice and leather notes 13% Medium-Full MED Dry Vieux Chateau du

BLANC Chardonnay, Australia Tropical fruit, ripe peach and toasted vanilla 13% Medium MED Dry Chardonnay

Gewürztraminer, Germany Floral with peach, lychee and honey 11.5% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry Gewurztraminer

Pinot Grigio, Italy Green apple, citrus and crisp acidity 12.5% Light-Medium NONE Dry Pinot Grigio

Riesling, California Apricot, mango, and high acidity 12.5% Light-Medium NONE Dry Riesling

Sauvignon Blanc, California Citrus, peach and passion fruit 13% Light-Medium NONE Dry Sauv Blanc

Traminer Riesling, Australia Aromatic with lime, apple, honey and stonefruit 12% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry Traminer Riesling

ROSÉ Grenache Rosé, Australia Red cherry, strawberry and refreshing acidity. 12% Medium NONE Dry Grenache Rose

ORIGINAL SERIES
8L | 4 WEEKS
RED Cabernet Sauvignon, Chile Blackberry, black raspberry and cedar 12.5% Medium-Full MED Dry Cab Sauv

Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre, Australia Black cherry, spice and blackberry 13% Medium-Full HEAVY Dry Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre

Malbec, Chile Blackberry, black cherry and oak 13% Medium-Full MED Dry Malbec

Matador Red, Chile Ripe berries, jammy spicy notes 13% Medium-Full HEAVY Dry Matador Red

Merlot, Chile Blackberry, cherry and vanilla 13% Medium MED Dry Merlot

Pinot Noir, California Raspberry, cherry and earthy notes 12.5% Light-Medium MED Dry Pinot Noir

Sangiovese, Italy Sour cherry, strawberry, prune 13% Medium LIGHT Dry Sangiovese

Shiraz, California Black cherry, leather and spice 13% Medium-Full MED Dry Shiraz

Tempranillo, Spain Red cherry, strawberry and smoke 13% Medium MED Dry Tempranillo

Trilogy, California Toasty black cherry and blackberry 13% Medium MED Dry Trilogy

Valroza, Italy Raspberry, strawberry and plum 13% Medium LIGHT Dry Valroza

Vieux Château du Roi, California Red berries and plum 13% Medium MED Dry Vieux Chateau du Roi

WHITE Chardonnay, California Green apple, pear and apricot 12.5% Medium NONE Dry Chardonnay

Gewürztraminer, California Floral, apricot and pineapple 12% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry Gewurztraminer

Liebfraumilch Style, California Citrus and peach 11.5% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry Liebfraumilch Style

Moscato, California Grapey, apple and citrus 8.7% Light-Medium NONE Medium Sweet Moscato

Pinot Grigio, Italy Green apple, lemon and lime 12.5% Light-Medium NONE Dry Pinot Grigio

Riesling, Washington Green apple, citrus and mineral notes 12% Light NONE Off-Dry Riesling

Sauvignon Blanc, Chile Herbaceous, stone fruit and tropical fruit 12.5% Light-Medium NONE Dry Sauv Blanc

Viognier, California Tangerine, peach and rose 12% Light-Medium NONE Dry Viognier

ROSÉ White Zinfandel, California Strawberry and raspberry 11.5% Light-Medium NONE Off-Dry White Zinfandel

I find this very disappointing.

 

[joeswine]

Jbrown, I think your correct if you followed my kit flows I usually cut back on the water to increase the structure ( overall).
To the rest it's going to be the new normal and we'll either deal with it or find something else to do with all the empty carboys. Make Skeeter pee or something else, for me less has always been more it's just. Worked out that way.

 

[Putterrr]

I was just on my local suppliers online store and they have the new WE kits listed. They are the same price and the old eclipse kits . Some of them mention grape skins. but there is no listing of the quantity of juice so not sure if they skin kits have less volume to account for the skins as the eclipse kits do. I will still wait a couple years to see what others think.

cheers

 

[jbrown]

I was just on my local suppliers online store and they have the new WE kits listed. They are the same price and the old eclipse kits and there is no mention of grape skins in the title or the description. It gets more disappointing the more info I see. I will still wait a couple years to see what others think.

cheers

According to kuziwk's post above, it appears that the 14L red kits do include skins, although I also didn't see it mentioned on my HBS's website either.