Newbie Girl

[rgecaprock]

Hi uav,


Glad to see you have found us. I remember being in your position. I started out with a Vinters Reserve White Zinfandel and was very happy with it. It is much better than any commercial WZ I have tried. I mostly make whites as they are ready to drink earlier than the reds. I have made quite alot of white. Mezza Luna Red is the last red I have made and it has been about 6 months and is just now coming around to having all the nice components of a good red. I would start with a white or the WZ so you can have it pretty much right away and they are excellent. If you can order a red and white each time you order then you can stash the red and drink the white. You will be very happy here!!! Everyone is great. George and staff are fantastic too.......Ramona


Tell us about yourself and pictures!!Edited by: rgecaprock

 

[Wade E]

You dont need to buy the synthetic corks, just buy the #9 1 3/4 perfect agglomerate. Those are good for over 2 years storage.

 

[Joanie]

Don't forget the best resource here- George. If you give him a call he will give you an honest answer as to some good kits to fit your price range.
Here is another good red I like(mid-range kit) and Joan here won a bronze in the New York State Fair with hers!


http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDet.asp?PartNumber=3266

Don't forget I won a gold last year with this one!

http://www.finevinewines.com/ProdDet.asp?MM_Flavor=Pinot+Noir&PartNumber=3245

 

[Jack on Rainy]

UAV,

Welcome to the forum! I feel like an old timer here but am really still
a newbie. I am too late to weigh in on recommendations for your first
kit but have some thoughts from local kit wine makers I trust.

1. Buy the best kit you can afford and follow the directions exactly.

2. Observe cleaning and sanitation to the extreme.

3. Be patient with your wine. Many of the posts on this and other
forums talk about taste and smell issues with kit wines and almost all
of the advice is "give it time".

I just opened a bottle of my first kit started 3/4/07, a Wine Expert
French Chardonnay. As expected, it smelled like rotten eggs at first. I
decanted it and let it sit for 90 minutes. I poured a bit to smell and
taste and I'll be darned if it didn't taste and smell like a very
drinkable Chard. Think I'll let it set until Christmas before I test
again but I'll tell you I am excited about this and the other ten kits
I have in various stages. It has been fun and the folks in this forum
have sure helped a lot.

 

[dfwwino]

Welcome to the forum. GivenI began making wine long before the kits appeared, I was certainly surprised when I first began seeing 4, 6 and 8 week wine kits. With fresh grape and fruit wines, I had never began drinking a wine until a year or two of aging. When I first started, it was so hard waiting the first 12 months before taking the first taste. While the kits are drinkable in a few months, I'd make a coupleof kits as soon as possible so you can begin aging your wine. Any wine, including kit wine, tastes much better after a year or two of aging. While that sounds like a long time, you will soon build an ongoing supply of wine so you can age it properly. Then you will have another problem, figuring out where to store all that wine.Edited by: dfwwino

 

[uavwmn]

Jack,

Thank you for the advice. I am taking everyone's advice, which BTW, is almost the same, to heart and will be ordering the kit in a couple of weeks.

I love this website and all the friendly people on this forum. Once again, thanks for the advice.

Uavwmn

 

[uavwmn]

Caprock,

Thank you for the advice. Leaning heavy on the WZ first, then start the Luna Red. Need something to drink while the red is aging!! haha
I am a retired Army female who now works for the Army as a UAV instructor pilot. Great job.

I will have many pictures of this new hobby once I get started.
I have to decide where to set up the kit in the house! AND where to store bottles once they are filled.
Uavwmn