Wine kit value for money

[The Cat]

Spitting Feathers home brew do Mosti Mondiale skin pack, used one loose in fermenter in July, have only tasted stirring spoon but it very different than other kits I’ve done, my wine is ageing now in carboy, I’m now ageing for at least a year if I can resist it, then ageing in oak barrel for a few months, this is my attempt to create wine similar to shop bought red wine.

I started a Cellar 7 Shiraz kit a week ago and added the skin pack and a small bottle of Ritchies' red concentrate - maybe overkill but thought I'd go for it.

O/G was 1.088 and after 2 days I had an airlock erruption - saved it and let it get back to work without an airlock.

Today it is sitting at 1.018 so gonna leave it for longer maybe another week see how it goes.

I've not added anything else to it yet that it suggests and just had a taste and it tastes fantastic to my uneducated palate.

This was only a test after reading so many people disappointed with red wine kits but as it stands I would make this regularly.

Thanks for the heads up about the skins - I have another bag in the garage will perhaps try without the concentrate next time and see what the difference is.

Cheers!

 

[kelper]

Leave it at least two or three weeks from start date, You have NOTHING to lose and lots to gain.

 

[The Cat]

Leave it at least two or three weeks from start date, You have NOTHING to lose and lots to gain.

Thank you Sir wilI do, I tend to not rush these things it does seem to pay off.

 

[Keith W]

I have been searching for a good Red Wine kit to start with and came across this thread but I have to say I am a little disappointed with the consensus that Red Wine Kits aren't great. The Wine Skin idea seems good and I am wondering if anyone is drinking one of these yet and if you feel it has made a significant difference. For info I like strong heavy slightly sweet and peppery wines. My favourite is a good Amarone but also like Simple Merlots and similar if they have a bit of a bite, I just dont like smooth overly sweet reds. Unfortunately I really dont like white wines.

 

[kelper]

Make your own! I love making wine from frozen blackberries with dried elderberries - it comes out full bodied and you can have it as sweet or as dry as you like.
Most wine kits are for 30 bottles and that makes them expensive. I make a gallon at a time.

 

[The Cat]

I have been searching for a good Red Wine kit to start with and came across this thread but I have to say I am a little disappointed with the consensus that Red Wine Kits aren't great. The Wine Skin idea seems good and I am wondering if anyone is drinking one of these yet and if you feel it has made a significant difference. For info I like strong heavy slightly sweet and peppery wines. My favourite is a good Amarone but also like Simple Merlots and similar if they have a bit of a bite, I just dont like smooth overly sweet reds. Unfortunately I really dont like white wines.

I am drinking my red wine now which was a Cellar 7 Shiraz with grape skins added plus a small bottle of grape juice.

Very very full coloured not at all like a rose like some have mentioned. It did taste a bit like Ribena when first tasted but now after about 2 weeks of bottling it tastes really good - I will 100% do the same one again am delighted with it. It is around 11.5 % I usually buy a minimum of 13% when buying wine but I would put this up against anything I've ever bought for less than double figures. Got a dozen bottles saved up for Christmas and beyond so hopefully it will get even better.

 

[Keith W]

Make your own! I love making wine from frozen blackberries with dried elderberries - it comes out full bodied and you can have it as sweet or as dry as you like.
Most wine kits are for 30 bottles and that makes them expensive. I make a gallon at a time.

I would have to find elderberries but I will certainly keep my out out next year and will definitely be collecting blackberry next year. In the mean time I just want to get something decent made.

 

[kelper]

You can buy DRIED elderberries

 

[Keith W]

I am drinking my red wine now which was a Cellar 7 Shiraz with grape skins added plus a small bottle of grape juice.

Very very full coloured not at all like a rose like some have mentioned. It did taste a bit like Ribena when first tasted but now after about 2 weeks of bottling it tastes really good - I will 100% do the same one again am delighted with it. It is around 11.5 % I usually buy a minimum of 13% when buying wine but I would put this up against anything I've ever bought for less than double figures. Got a dozen bottles saved up for Christmas and beyond so hopefully it will get even better.

That sounds promising. I mean I don't think I have ever spent more than £15 for a bottle of wine outside of a restaurant and I think when it comes to wine that there can be a bit of snobbery. I have had some surprisingly good wines for less than £5 so I try to to gauge wine on price.

 

[kelper]

For a £5 bottle of wine, 61% is tax. Then there is the cost of transport. The wine grower probably gets about a quid. If you pay a few quid more then you are spending a larger proportion on the wine itself.