WineXpert Winexpert Revelation
- Thread starter jumby
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I am not familiar with this particular offering by Winexpert, but my experiences with their "premium" kits have been very good. This appears to be a new "ultra premium" kit, which may become a trend in home winemaking as prices for store bought wines continue to rise. It may also be a reaction on the part of Winexpert and other producers to offer "something new" in the face of the rising prices they are seeing for wine kit contents, mainly the grapes, but probably everything else e.g. cardboard boxes.
One thing to note is that the kit only makes 3 gallons of wine, not 6 gallons as most kits do. That puts the the cost per bottle well over $10, all things (bottle, cork, label, foil, labor, etc.) considered.
One thing to note is that the kit only makes 3 gallons of wine, not 6 gallons as most kits do. That puts the the cost per bottle well over $10, all things (bottle, cork, label, foil, labor, etc.) considered.
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Wow, over $10/bottle!
jumby
Wine improves with age, I improve with wine
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My thoughts exactly! I exclusively make Winexpext and RJS high end kits, but I thought this was a bit pricey. I have to admit, it's still on my radar. I'm considering making a double batch. I'm just curious what others think.
Over $13 after tax, shipping, and other. Pretty ridiculous. They might be good but I wouldn't purchase 15 bottles of any $13 bottle of wine without tasting it first. There are a bunch of really good quality wines in the $15 range that are sure bets. This kit is tailored to people with more money than sense.
I've made a few premium kits, but don't consider the difference in the results to be worth the increase in price.
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Reading many forums, one thing to consider is to make only 5 gallons instead of 6. It tends to consecrate the flavors better. plus add on. when one considers that one could buy a kit for over $300.00!! is that really worth it? vs a ~$120.00 kit?
A lot of people short the water. But consider -- reputable vendors balance their concentrates for dilution to 23 liters. By diluting to a lesser volume, the overall acidity of the wine increases. I used to short the water, but had a few kits come out unpleasantly acidic.
If you want more body and flavor, it's better to add ingredients to the kit, not subtract.
EDIT: Made my meaning more clear.
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add more what? Water dilutes.
BTQ. thanks for the reply
My apologies, my answer is very unclear.
No, dilute to 23 liters total volume. Beyond that it's common to add things that will increase aroma, flavor, and body -- common additives are raisins, Zante currants, and dried elderberries. Many moons ago (more than I care to think about) premium kits typically included dried elderberries.
Premium kits of today often include some form of skin packs, and these make a tremendous difference in the wine. Adding both fermentation and aging oak will also make a difference. And I've added maceration enzymes to kits with skin packs, with good result.
There is a Tweaking Cheap Kits thread that has a lot of tips.
Thanks. been reading that thread. I found 1 kit mis-marked on Walmart that was $19.99. Wished I bought more than 1! And yes, i am adding sone Currants. Might try elderberries in my current Spanish grape batch.
Melmakeswine
Junior
I have a bottle I'm just waiting for an occasion to try, but everyone I know who's tried it said it was amazing. And the cheapest Napa Cab you can buy here is over $50 so it's still a good value.
That kit was only recently released. I wonder how good it can be in such a short period of time.
