Other Your Top 5 Wine Kits

[tonyt]

Lol sex months? Haha ill have to try that one.

Hahaha Freudian slip.

 

[tonyt]

I have the Kenridge Founder's kit and it says "Italy Brunello Style " .

Must say style since its not vinted in the DOCG but in your house. I would assume the grapes were fron Italy.

 

[tonyt]

I am not trying to stir up the pot here, and I love Brunello di Montalcino wine. It is one of my 5 favorite Italian wines. I know that certain producers designate their kits as "Brunello" and I think they should more accurately be called "Sangiovese." Brunello is a wine that is, yes, made from Sangiovese grapes (the best ones from a particular vintage) but also following a specific process, testing and aging schedule (4 years in oak for Normale and 5 years for Riserva). Along the way the wine is tested and tasted to assure that it is developing properly. If it is, the wine is allowed to reach full maturity and is designated Brunello di Montalcino (which would be the Normale) or Brunello di Montalcino Reserva. If at any time during the process the wine makers determine that the wine is not progressing satisfactorily, it is "downgraded" to Rosso di Montalcino and released.

My point is, one does not know if grapes or juice will produce a Brunello until it is wine and has met the requirements for the designation, so how can the kit, which has not even started, be designated Brunello? I think it is more a marketing strategy.

All good points. Brunello and its little brother Rosso must be from Sangeivese Groso, a strain of Sangeovese. Tin V. Assured me that is the grape they sorse but from another Italian region not the DOCG. Im okay calling mine Brunello cause its just that dog gone good.

 

[Rocky]

All good points. Brunello and its little brother Rosso must be from Sangeivese Groso, a strain of Sangeovese. Tin V. Assured me that is the grape they sourse but from another Italian region not the DOCG. Im okay calling mine Brunello cause its just that dog gone good.

Having had the pleasure of tasting your wine, I have no doubt at all! You could probably get away with Grande Riserva!

 

[USA_WineMaker]

I can never do anything simple. Below are my five favorite wine kits that are generally available all of the time. The second list are my favorite Limited and/or no longer available kits.


Fab Five:

Yakima Syrah w/grape pack, CC Showcase
Brunello, RJS Cru Select
Nero D'Avola WE, with grape pack WE
Rosso Fortisimo - w/Grape Pack CC Showcase
Super Tuscan RJS Winery w/skins

No longer available:

Amarone MM Meglioli
Petite Verdot WE LE
Nebbiolo, CC, LR
TORO (Tempranillo Grenache) RJS RQ
Trapani Sicillian Syrah RJS EP

How about the Petite Verdot from WE grape skins? I've bought them for $100 a kit and think they're pretty good. In fact I have 6 gallons bulk aging. The Nero kits from WE are excellent and one of my favorites.

 

[tonyt]

How about the Petite Verdot from WE grape skins? I've bought them for $100 a kit and think they're pretty good. In fact I have 6 gallons bulk aging. The Nero kits from WE are excellent and one of my favorites.

I've done the first year PV LE, then the reprise of that kit and then the with skins kit. The first seemed to knock our socks off, the following two were good but wouldn't make my top five . . . yet.

 

[kevinlfifer]

1. RJS Cellar Classic Winery Series Super Tuscan
2. WE Estate Selection Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir
3. Paklab ANTICA VENDEMMIA Cab with grape pack
4. WE Estate Selection Chateau Du Roi
5. Tie Paklab RESERVE DU CHATEAU (6.1L kits) Nero D'Avola & Barolo doctored-up

Cellar Craft Red Mt Cab (in primary but I can tell its going to break into the top 5)

 

[ou8amaus]

1. RJS Cellar Classic Winery Series Super Tuscan
2. WE Estate Selection Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir
3. Paklab ANTICA VENDEMMIA Cab with grape pack
4. WE Estate Selection Chateau Du Roi
5. Tie Paklab RESERVE DU CHATEAU (6.1L kits) Nero D'Avola & Barolo doctored-up

Cellar Craft Red Mt Cab (in primary but I can tell its going to break into the top 5)

Sorry if this thread is a little old, but I am really curious how you doctored up the Paklab kits so that they ended up 5th in your all time best? Are you sharing your recipe?

 

[roger80465]

Top 5 list

Out of curiosity, I decided to compile the list of favorites and rank them by popularity. I only included those kits currently available (to my knowledge). No surprises here if you read the posts but a rather impressive list. I suspect you couldn't go wrong with anything from the list. As you can see, there are a few real winners and a whole bunch of good options.

RJS Cellar Classic Winery Series Super Tuscan 10
Cellar Craft Red mountain Cab 6
Cellar Craft Showcase Rosso Fortissimo 4
CC Showcase Amarone 2

Everything else has one mention each.

RJS Cellar Classic
WS Amarone RJS
Orange Chocolate Port
RJS Cru Select BC Okanagan Meritage
WE Eclipse New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignan Blanc
RJS Winery Series Old Vine Zinfandel
Wine Expert Selection International w/grape skins Nero D'Avola
RJS Winery Series Cabernet Sauvignon
Ken Ridge Showcase German Gewurztraminer
Ken Ridge Classic Merlot Niagara Mist Pink Grapefruit Blush
RJS En Primeur Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon
RJS Winery Series Rossa Grande Exellente
RJS En Primeur Australian Chardonnay
Wine Experts Selections International Australian Chardonnay
RJS En Primeur Italian Amarone
Ken Ridge Showcase South African Chenin Blanc
EP Chilean Carmenere
Mosti Mondiale "Vinifera Noble"Castel Del Papa
Mosti Mondiale "Vinifera Noble"Valpolicella
Mosti Mondiale "Vinifera Noble"Carmenere
Cellar Craft Showcase Barberra
Winexpert International Series with skins Petite Verdot
Spagnol's Orange Chocolate Port Style
Eclipse Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
WS Cabernet Sauvingon
CC Showcase CdP RJ WS Rosso Grande
RJ WS Volopicella
RjS EP California Cabernet
WE eclipse Australian Shiraz Yakima Syrah w/grape pack,
CC Showcase Brunello,
RJS Cru Select Nero D'Avola
Paklab ANTICA VENDEMMIA Cab with grape pack
WE Estate Selection Chateau Du Roi
Tie Paklab RESERVE DU CHATEAU (6.1L kits) Nero D'Avola & Barolo doctored-up