What's in your glass tonight?

[sour_grapes]

I wish I wasn't so dead set against kits due to the price. @Boatboy24 gave me a bottle (infact it was the first bottle gifted to me by a fellow winemaker) it was extremely good.

Fred, I had not previously inferred that you were anti-kit. They are not cheap, but still works out to less than commercial. I think I wind up at ~$6/bottle for a high-end kit. I have only done one batch from grapes, but I don't think it will come out much cheaper than a high-end kit. What has been your experience?

 

[mainshipfred]

Fred, I had not previously inferred that you were anti-kit. They are not cheap, but still works out to less than commercial. I think I wind up at ~$6/bottle for a high-end kit. I have only done one batch from grapes, but I don't think it will come out much cheaper than a high-end kit. What has been your experience?

I know you didn't. Like you I've only made one batch from all grapes and it was last fall. It's too early to know how the final product will fare but as of now it seems to be going very well. I paid $225.00 for 150 lbs of grapes and will get somewhere around 8 gallons of wine. Personally, price wise, I wouldn't compare a high end kit to an all grape wine but that's just me. If would compare I would probably compare a high end kit to a juice bucket or a juice bucket and a lug of grapes for cost and quality. Still being so new to this my skills and pallette aren't up to most others on here and the kit wines I've made all turned out very nice. I'll just have to wait a few more months to see how the juice bucket wines turn out and could be eating my words. But I have to say the all grape and juice bucket wines were a lot more fun.

 

[Boatboy24]

Yes, the higher end kits come out at around $6/bottle. But that goes down to about $3 for mist-type kits. My all-grape wines come in around $7/bottle and to me, that extra dollar is worth every penny.

 

[mainshipfred]

Yes, the higher end kits come out at around $6/bottle. But that goes down to about $3 for mist-type kits. My all-grape wines come in around $7/bottle and to me, that extra dollar is worth every penny.

Don't forget $1.00 per bottle and $.40 per cork. LOL

 

[Johnd]

Don't forget $1.00 per bottle and $.40 per cork. LOL

And if you reuse you bottles, cost per bottle continues to wane......

 

[Boatboy24]

Don't forget $1.00 per bottle and $.40 per cork. LOL

Most of my bottles have several lives though.

 

[mainshipfred]

And if you reuse you bottles, cost per bottle continues to wane......

But if you reuse commercial bottles and have to scrape the labels I would put a $2.00 price tag on them. LOL

 

[Johnd]

But if you reuse commercial bottles and have to scrape the labels I would put a $2.00 price tag on them. LOL

I’ve removed a few commercial labels, it’s just not worth the effort for me. Started purchasing new bottles pretty much from the start, and always have a supply of used ones on hand. Most folks I give wine to return the bottles, or they lose their status as a wine recipient.

 

[mainshipfred]

I’ve removed a few commercial labels, it’s just not worth the effort for me. Started purchasing new bottles pretty much from the start, and always have a supply of used ones on hand. Most folks I give wine to return the bottles, or they lose their status as a wine recipient.

I'm going to have to try that status thing, I'm not having much luck with returns.

 

[ibglowin]

I opened two bottles last night to go with dinner (smoked brisket). One a 2011 EFESTE Big Papa full Cab Sauv, the other was supposed to be the "warm up" wine more or less and that was one of my last remaining bottles of 2012 "El Prisionero" or Prisoner blends. I had not opened one of these in almost a year so wanted not only something I knew would go well with dinner but also something that the last time I had was really good, probably one of the best wines I have ever made. In short, the $5 wine I made (and won a few medals with) EASILY bested the (quite expensive) commercial wine.

As they say, wish I had more.

 

[sour_grapes]

Wow, that is impressive, Mike. I had to go back and re-read to see the vintage of the commercial Cab, and saw that it was older than your brew. Nicely done.

 

[ibglowin]

Thanks, 2011 was a tough year in WA and CA but that wine got a pretty good review still from WS and earned 90pts. I got lucky on my version of the Prisoner, no bench trials, just found a spec sheet for the wine on the web and made it as close as I could with the grapes I had.

If anyone is interested the blend was:

46% Zin
27% Cab Sauv
18% Syrah
9% Petit Sirah

 

[sour_grapes]

I'm going to a friend's house for sous vide duck confit. I settled on bringing a decent Cali Pinot: 2015 La Crema Montery Pinot Noir.

 

[Boatboy24]

If anyone is interested the blend was:

46% Zin
27% Cab Sauv
18% Syrah
9% Petit Sirah

Mine ended up at 41/27/18/13.

 

[sour_grapes]

Mine ended up at 41/27/18/13.

Warning: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

 

[sour_grapes]

I'm going to a friend's house for sous vide duck confit. I settled on bringing a decent Cali Pinot: 2015 La Crema Montery Pinot Noir.

This went well. We also kicked a bottle of prosecco during appetizers, and some preprandial NZ Sauv. Blanc., the aforementioned Pinot Noir, and then a bottle of my WE LE '13 Oregon Pinot Noir. All very tasty. My neighbor's sous vide duck confit was outstanding. We had boiled/roasted potatoes, and an arugula salad to accompany. Yummy!

 

[heatherd]

Barboursville Merlot from my quarterly subscription.

 

[geek]

Not too shabby, from a cheapo WE 10L kit.

 

[Johnd]

Cutting loose a little bit tonite, wifey finished MBA finals today, A’s in both classes, I’m having knee surgery in the AM. 1990 Leoville Poyferre is smooth, sheer elegance in a glass. Fruity, earthy, and minerality dancing beautifully with a long sumptuous finish. Last bottle........what a wine!,

 

[sour_grapes]

Not too shabby, from a cheapo WE 10L kit.

View attachment 47033 Cutting loose a little bit tonite, wifey finished MBA finals today, A’s in both classes, I’m having knee surgery in the AM. 1990 Leoville Poyferre is smooth, sheer elegance in a glass. Fruity, earthy, and minerality dancing beautifully with a long sumptuous finish. Last bottle........what a wine!,

Ummm, Holy crap! No offense, Varis, but this is quite the (delta-$400) contrast!