How long till wine is drinkable

[Gtbaker369]

Hi all,
New to wine making and just want to clarify something.
Ive bought a bout with lots of recipes and for these they say once the wine is bottled that it should be left 6-18 months to mature, clear etc.

Is this so that you get the best flavour out of the wine but if you really want to you could drink it a month after its been bottled?

I had a discussion once with a bloke about these kits you could but from homebrew shops that you could brew and drink within a few months (I realise this would be a fluid and yeast pack but theoretically once bottled this would be same as if you made mash yourself?)

Thank You

 

[oldbloke]

It varies enormously
With kits, some can be drunk immediately (or almost), many benefit from waiting a few months
With country wines a few can be drink quite young but most want at least a couple of months in the bottle, and several really do want at least 6 months (elderberry is notorious)
As a beginner, you'll want a quick turnaround while you're getting your head round all the stuff involved in the hobby, and best bang-for-buck in this regard has to be the fruit teabag wines, aka hippyjuice. Long thread on here about it, but the basic idea is supermarket grape juice plus maybe some apple juice plus sugar plus a full pack of 20 bags of any fruit tea that takes your fancy. "Zingy Purple Berry" worked nicely for me. It's cheap, it's easy, it can be drunk very young: pretty much as soon as the ferment is done.
Next easiest is probably WOW - many threads here. Depending exactly what you put in it that can take a bit longer to be ready to drink
Build up some stocks of those and you won't mind leaving other stuff to mature

Oh, and: I'd never bottle a wine that wasn't already clear.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The WOW I make usually only gets a week to two   maturing which I do in plastic bottles, this speeds up maturing as they are permiable.
You will be surprised how much better it tastes after such a short time.

 

[simmo3801]

Chippy do you mean plastic juice bottles ie 2l coke ones or a 5l pet as being permiable? Anything that makes mturing quicker suits me!

And I take it they should be left somewhere cold?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I use 1.5 litre spring water bottles so I have the equivalent of two bottles in one.
I store mine in the under stairs cupboard.

 

[simmo3801]

Thanks Chippy

 

[RobWalker]

I hear the teabag type wines are often drinkable right out of the DJ. I guess that's because they've got the essence of wine rather than the physical fruit you get with juice etc.

Anyway, original WOW was more than drinkable after 2 months for me. but naturally, you want to put it away if you can - every wine's gonna improve with age.

 

[guitardan]

In one 5ltr demijohn, take 2 cartons of fruit juice, prefer one to be grape but never mind, add 900g sugar, fill to neck with water, shake like hell, stick in a large spoon yeast, and the same yeast food stuff, add a cup of cawld tea, stand back fer a week, top up to neck, leave another week, syphon, add finings, 24 hrs later drink!!
Now, this is the NE of England, heathens brew, enjoy, dont drive for quite a while after consuming

Dan

 

[tonyhibbett]

Not all plastic bottles are gas permeable, but PET ones are.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

All my drink bottles are marked as PET, is this standard?

l find the Rose type WOW is drinkable as soon as it is bottled but does benefit fron a little maturing, the orange type need maturing as they are rough when new.