Here we go again!!

[Patriarch]

Last time I home brewed it was a Rose wine in 1976. Proudly corked, labelled and with foil tops, they were arrayed in one of those scissors wooden wine racks on top of my wife's piano, one by one they popped their corks one sunny day into the innards of the piano. Banned for 50 yrs. Now, at the age of 75 with the access to the internet, in the last two months I have brewed Wherry, Cerveza x 2, Velvet stout pimped with lactose and coffee, Festival pilsner (strangely brown), Double can cider no sugar and lastly sauvignon blanc (God help me again). So that is that. Roll on the summer and BBQ season. Just need one last brew of red - probably Malbec - any recommendations?

 

[Clarence]

I can see why your first experience has given you PTSD, but after 50 years you might try something normal and straightforward,

 

[Patriarch]

Actually - it was PPSD (post piano stress disorder). Four lower register piano keys stuck together in warm weather.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Rwilts]

Welcome

 

[The Baron]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Stevieboy]

Last time I home brewed it was a Rose wine in 1976. Proudly corked, labelled and with foil tops, they were arrayed in one of those scissors wooden wine racks on top of my wife's piano, one by one they popped their corks one sunny day into the innards of the piano. Banned for 50 yrs. Now, at the age of 75 with the access to the internet, in the last two months I have brewed Wherry, Cerveza x 2, Velvet stout pimped with lactose and coffee, Festival pilsner (strangely brown), Double can cider no sugar and lastly sauvignon blanc (God help me again). So that is that. Roll on the summer and BBQ season. Just need one last brew of red - probably Malbec - any recommendations?

Buy the most expensive kit you can afford....

 

[Patriarch]

Buy the most expensive kit you can afford....

Ah - whilst good advice - am I worthy of the "best" kit at twice the price of some very good products.? I have just completed a Winexpert Classic Chilean Sauvignon Blanc at £52 or £1.75/bottle. Their top of the range goes to £115 for a Sauvignon Blanc, Adelaide Hills, Australia or £3.84/bottle. The Chilean SB is smashing so will the Australian SB be twice as good. I know I know - this is the eternal debate when buying off the shelf wine. Taste buds and sense of smell diminish rapidly after you get to 60 yrs old so nowadays I am more easily pleased. What I think I will do is the £52 kit Winexpert Chilean Malbec and see if it hits the spot. If not - then upwards upwards. Laying down the more expensive wine to see if it improves is probably not my best strategy at 75 yrs old - Hell! - I don't even buy green bananas these days.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Just need one last brew of red - probably Malbec - any recommendations?

@Patriarch
The difficulty in making a decent red from a kit has been discussed many times over the years so as Steve said buy the best you can afford or there is a very good chance you will be disappointed.

 

[MashBag]

Buy black grapes in September, make enough for the year.

 

[Patriarch]

Thanks to all for their responses. I looked through a lot of threads on the difficulty of red kits and I have plumped for the Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi Ranch 11, California – with grape skins from WinExpert Private Reserve - £115 (ouch). In for a penny eh.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

In for a penny eh.

I am sure it'll be worth every penny.

 

[Patriarch]

I joined back in April this year and got some good advice when considering red wine kits - buy the most expensive you can afford. So - a big shout out to Chippy_Tea and Stevieboy and others for such good advice. Rather than do some kit wine which could not be imposed upon friends and family I went for Lodi Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon with grape skins stems etc., from WinExpert Private Reserve and, whilst very young, the first sample bottles are immediately quaffable. One little disaster when the muslin bag leaked whilst squeezing into the 4 inch neck of the fermenter but final racking through a muslin bag on the end of my syphon has given me a red crystal clear after all that racking and "oak cubing". It reminds me of the Paul Mason red we used to be able to buy in carafe shaped bottles - but better.

My big disappointment has been the WinExpert Sauvignon Blanc with Chilean grapes which although quite drinkable is nothing like the NZ Marlborough lemon zest drenched cats **** SWMBO adores. Ach well - we'll need to wait until the Kiwis release the Sauv Blanc grapes back into the kit market again - beware of some kits which are advertised as Marborough grapes - they will be Adelaide Hills.

Onyhoo this boy from Kirkintilloch is back to making / drinking some good stuff.

Cheers