Other New to kit wine making question about kits

IMHO worth every penny. Of course better yet if bought on sale.

cheers

Putterrr said:

IMHO worth every penny. Of course better yet if bought on sale.

cheers

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I totally agree, but a lot of high end kits may take a year to reach full potential. That is why some recommend starting with early drinkers so one builds a stock before embarking on kits that should be aged a year. I personally think a lot of folks would louse interest in our hobby if one had to wait a year to sample the fruits of your labor.

Cibb said:

Another question. I'd ask is are the more expensive kts worth it?

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I would say that it depends on how well developed a wine tasting palate you have. For me the answer is yes for most reds and no for most whites.

Again for me, my fruit wines have been as enjoyable if not more so than whites I've made costing two to three times as much.

Ps. I still do whites because that's what my wife prefers.

GaDawg said:

I totally agree, but a lot of high end kits may take a year to reach full potential. That is why some recommend starting with early drinkers so one builds a stock before embarking on kits that should be aged a year. I personally think a lot of folks would louse interest in our hobby if one had to wait a year to sample the fruits of your labor.

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Lets not forget about those that start off making very cheap kits and are so dissappointed with the results, they give up ever trying again. I would put a 6 week kit made by the instruction up against a 6 week old cheap 4 week kit any day of the week.

cheers

Putterrr said:

Lets not forget about those that start off making very cheap kits and are so dissappointed with the results, they give up ever trying again. I would put a 6 week kit made by the instruction up against a 6 week old cheap 4 week kit any day of the week.

cheers

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I agree completely with you. All of my Eclipse kits have been better tasting young than the cheap/mid kits aged a bit. If I wanted early drinkers I'd still buy the high end and drink them early, while aging the other half of the bottles. My first kit was cheap from amazon. Okay, or at least okay for my wine level at the time. My second kit was an Eclipse Lodi Cab. That was so much better than the cheap kit that it incentivized me to age as much of it as I could. This week it hit two years old and it is very very good. I've been able to try a bottle every few months and have enjoyed experiencing the maturation process of wine. At this point all the notes are playing in harmony, nothing is competing to stand out and it is great. 15 bottles of it still in the cellar and I will have many of them next Thanksgiving for the three year tasting.

I went thru the cycle of making 'early' drinkers and high end kits after that. If I did it over again I'd urge anyone to stick with the best they can afford. Those early drinkers I made I am drinking them alone now. Once my wife tasted the good kits she won't have the others. I drink them knowing that I'm buying time for the others to age. The sacrifices I make

I also agree to make a few whites, especially a gewuztraminer. The chardonnays and the g-miner I've made have all been very good immediately. They change with maturity, but I wouldn't call them better, just different.

Most of all, have fun with it and the people you meet here and elsewhere because of your new hobby.

Buy the best kit you can afford.

I'll make the island mist wines for summer drinking and they're fine (my daughters are big fans). But, my rules for kit purchases: red or white should have 16 liters of juice or better, reds should have skins. Reds generally get oak - 60g or better.

My first kits were CC Showcase kits, and I am only a few months into them. I am a Sommelier and I love wine so I don't mind waiting, even though I want to drink them now lol. Buy the best quality kits you can afford.

I think the bottom line is to listen the all the advice we Bozos give out then make and drink what You like!

Yes and I recommend making more and more so you dont drink them all before they age and also to of course continue tasting various and diverse commercial wines regularly up against all of yours too at different ages across the spectrum so you can enjoy all of it even more.

Cheers!
-johann