Chilean juice 2017

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I like Merlot wine. I have gotten Chilean Merlot juice buckets the last few years and have been very happy with the results! That is all i ordered this year...
 
Ever try carmenere? I was thinking that but saw it can be good or really bad so thought maybe a cab would be best for first time with 100% juice?
 
I've been going back and forth as well. At this point I think I'm going with just 1 6 gal of either Cab Sauv, or a Cab/merlot pre-blended bucket that is offered.
And then saving the big 15 gal batch for fall. I've been toying with the idea to make my own Tuscan. Locally Chilean is only offered in 6 gal juice pales. No grape. And I can get different amounts of grapes for the correct proportions in fall.
 
I'm curious as to how much grapes of the same variety differ from different vineyards/suppliers.
For instance, did Merlot grapes as a whole from 15' all take on similar qualities since they were all harvested in the same climate at the same time?
Or do the different techniques used at the vineyards (for better and worse) show in the grape's quality?
 
I'm curious as to how much grapes of the same variety differ from different vineyards/suppliers.
For instance, did Merlot grapes as a whole from 15' all take on similar qualities since they were all harvested in the same climate at the same time?
Or do the different techniques used at the vineyards (for better and worse) show in the grape's quality?

Yep, I always wondered that as well. From what ive been told and researched, Chilean juice/grapes are more consistent from year to year because of the consistent climate. California juice can be a crap shoot due to drought, floods, cool, warm temps. I got started in this hobby doing Chilean juice and so far its been good. This will only be my 3rd year doing Chilean juice tho. I did do a California Merlot last year and did not like it!
 
I didnt know that Chilean is more consistent. But sounds legit. And to me Your wine glass avatar somehow portrays that you know your stuff so I'm logging that as 'fact'.
And more specifically, even if it is a good year all around for quality Chilean grapes (or Cali, Italy etc...), does that then mean the dif juice we all get will also be quality? I can't help but think that with all the exporting vineyards and varying quantities, the quality of juice will also vary from vineyard to vineyard.
The whole point being just because someone could say "I made Chilean Malbec last year and it was great" or "won't ever do California Pinot Noir again" doesn't necessarily mean everyone who made Malbec or Pinot that year got the same result. Not to mention the million other variables involved between growing the grapes to drinking the wine. Just referencing all the contradicting thoughts on wine from fresh juice in both spring and fall.
Please note: I know nothing about this. And this is all just one big uneducated assumption.
 
Im no expert at all but I would think that different brands or vineyards are of different quality depending on how and when they harvest there product and/or how it was taken care of during the year. Also just because i didn't like the California juice i did that year doesn't mean its all bad. There are so many brands out there it can make your head spin. I remember when i went to get the Cali juice the vendor had a crap load of different juice and brands. I had no clue what to choose and just went with what someone thought was good.

I used to drink one brand of Merlot wine for several years and then all of a sudden it didn't taste the same to me. I then learned that commercial wines can be different from year to year depending on the crop quality. Not that its bad, but taste different. I have also had wine from restaurants that i have liked very much and asked them exactly what it was. I would then buy that brand for myself and sometimes found it was not the same at all and was probably because it was of a different year...who knows? Maybe my taste buds were different that night...lol.
 
Why? Because it's offered and also, why not?

That is the most important point. It's offered, it's relatively cheap, and whether it makes a great wine or not you'll learn something about all juice winemaking. If I listened to a lot of people on this site I'd have never tried Chilean juice, especially for red wine. I'm glad I did. I think the suppliers vary depending on the source of their juice. I'm lucky to have Harford Vineyards nearby as the products they sell have been of very good quality, so far (for the Chilean and Cali products, never tried the Italian or South African juices). And I can get whole grapes in the Spring.

If you do get whole grapes in the Fall and like the bucket you get this Spring, just save some of the used grapes from the Fall batch in the freezer and add it to the Spring juice bucket and it will add an additional dimension to your Spring wine.
 

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