Other Red Wine Kit Recommendations

[bribo179]

I am looking to make my first batch of wine and would like recommendations for a good red table wine. My wife and I are Cabernet drinkers mostly. We enjoy expensive wines on occasions but I'd like my first kit to be an everyday drinking wine.

I have an extensive beer brewing background. I have brewed over 75 all-grain batches of beer and a few batches of mead so I am quite familiar with fermenting/sanitation. I also brew sour beers which take multiple years to brew so aging also isn't a big deal. Last fall I attended a weekend seminar that was a wine making overview so I know a small amount of what is involved in wine making.

If wine making is anything like beer brewing the yeast that is included in kits is usually not very high in quality or old. If you recommend a kit and think another, different yeast is appropriate, by all means let me know.

I have oaked many beers, usually with oak spirals or cubes. I don't know if I am sold on the powered oak that some kits come with. I know this speeds up the oaking process for those who don't want to wait. If you have other recommendations on oak I don't mind using a different method, even if it takes longer.

Thank You!

 

[Stefani]

I recently had a really good experience with the World Vineyard Italian Sangiovese kit.

 

[Rocky]

Bribo, not sure where you are or how much you want to spend, but it is hard to go wrong with RJ Spagnols Winery Series Kits. I have seen the kit on line from $115 up.

 

[SouthernChemist]

I think you'll find the yeasts included in wine kits are generally not low quality. That being said, many kits come with EC-1118 or an equivalent yeast, and this is more of a workhorse yeast that will ferment without issue in most cases. Some of the higher end kits include other yeast strains that are more suited to the particular wine, however. Does not mean you cannot substitute, however.

And I second the recommendation of the Winery Series kits. They don't develop as fast as other kits, but the included grape skins and the price alone make them worth it. I think you'd find pretty high praise for those kits around here. I've only made one Cabernet kit, myself, and that was the Cellar Craft Showcase Red Mountain Cabernet. Mine is around 15 months old, and it's probably the best red I've made so far.

You might find you want to try two kits. One that is known to develop earlier/faster, and another that you can stash way for 18-24 months and let it really develop.

 

[Boatboy24]

Definitely go with something that has skins and/or a grape pack. This would include the Cellar Craft Sterling and Showcase (sterling being a mid range series, showcase the high end), RJ Spagnols Winery Series and En Primeur. WinExpert also has several kits with grape packs, including the Eclipse Series.

I believe wine yeasts are a little different from beer yeast in that the kit yeasts are usually of decent quality. As was mentioned though, many come with EC-1118 which is a workhorse, but might not be best suited to the wine you are making. MoreWine has a nice grape/yeast pairing guide if you want more info, but using the kit yeast on your first go should be just fine. Many of the higher end kits will come with other yeasts though. In fact, I started an En Primeur Pinot Noir last night that came with RC-212.

As far as oaking, spirals and cubes are fine. Many kits will come with cubes and might also include oak powder for use in the primary fermentation.

 

[bribo179]

I might make 2 kits. One would be a nicer kit that I will age for a year or two. Are there any Sub $100 kits that make a passable table wine? For a usual table wine we drink Rex Goliath ...which is by no means a high quality wine.

 

[RCGoodin]

I might make 2 kits. One would be a nicer kit that I will age for a year or two. Are there any Sub $100 kits that make a passable table wine? For a usual table wine we drink Rex Goliath ...which is by no means a high quality wine.

I have had great luck with these less expensive kits. Give it a try.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ELJK0K/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Keep us informed.

As for the higher end, I'm going with the WE Eclipse varieties. I buy them from our forum sponsor, Doug, at Brewandwinesupply.com.

http://brewandwinesupply.com/index.php?route=product/search&filter_name=eclipse

 

[tonyt]

I might make 2 kits. One would be a nicer kit that I will age for a year or two. Are there any Sub $100 kits that make a passable table wine? For a usual table wine we drink Rex Goliath ...which is by no means a high quality wine.

I make the Cellar Craft Showcase Rosso Fortisimo - with Crushed Grape Pack every year. At 18 months to two years it is outstanding.

BTW the labels on the Rex Goliath come of fairly easily so be sure to keep those for your wine. It's my daughter and son-in-law's go to table wine so I get a steady supply of empties.

 

[robie]

Welcome to the forum and to wine making.

The powdered oak, if meant to be added during fermentation, is more as aid to fermentation than to truly oak the wine. That powder absorbs a lot of bad stuff. Same is true for the bentonite, add it during fermentation. Most kits that come with oak powder will also come with oak cubes or chips, which should do the actual oaking. Some like extra oak, so you might think about ordering some medium or house toast oak to add during clearing, just in case.

I would make the first kit exactly like the instructions say and use the supplied yeast. Changing to a different yeast can sometimes require you to add extra nutrients, especially if the yeast has a high nutrient requirement.

A cheap red kit will be ready to drink quicker (six months) than a premium kit, but could be disappointing, depending on your tastes of course.

Any Cellar Craft Showcase or RJ Spagnols Winery Series will make a good wine worth waiting 18 months to a couple years to age out.

If you like sweet summer wines, they are ready as soon as they are clear. They are more like a glorified wine cooler than a true wine. Take a look at RJ Spagnols' Orchard Breezin' or WineXpert's Mist kits for these.

Good luck and let us know how they turn out.

 

[berrycrush]

My first batch of kit wine is WinExpert's "Selection International Chile Cabernet Sauvignon":
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99052380@N06/9308576482/
It worked like a charm. I used everything in the kit and followed its instruction to the letter.
The yeast included is Red Star Premiere Cuvee. I find it very strong and thorough, it fermented to dry in less than 7 days without need of yeast nutrient.

 

[chrisjw]

I am also fond of the RJS Winery Series, specifically since you like Cabs, the Tempranillo Cabernet. However, it is not a table wine. It is much, much better than a table wine even at 1 year. Next year it should be equivalent to a $20 bottle of cab. I did not tweak this kit and it came out superb.

If you want a table wine go for a $70-$85 kit from any mfgr (except Mosti Mondiale). However, be warned that these also taste much better at 2 years than after just a couple months.