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Spikedlemon

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I'm just musing here: I get that wines need some age to take the edge off and to get their true flavors. And I get that it seems like the cheaper wine kits (more concentrated) tend to be some of the quickest to maturity: but does this curve extend to wine made from grapes?
Implying that wine from grapes (not concentrate kits) would be the longest to age to a proper drinkable stage?


A tale of three different wines I made (and my wife's thoughts):
1. Riesling made from a juice bucket (Magnotta): was immediately drinkable. Had only minor tweaks (alternate yeast, lemon rind) and was bottled after 3 months. It is a VERY light flavored wine - a simple 'quaffer' if you will.

2. Sauv Blanc kit (10L WE WV): was drinkable within a few days of bottling. It was bottled after the prescribed 4 weeks by a local shop (this kit was a surprise for her - so I had it made outside). The local shop does have a problem, to me, of remaining carbonation lending a sour taste but she claims that she doesn't notice. I find this to be the harshest of the three whites.

3. Sauv Blanc from grapes bottled a week or so ago (now about 4 months old): she claimed it was sour. There's no carbonation issue in that wine and, while I'm fine with her tasting comment, it tastes to me that it needs just a little time to mellow (rather than any said 'sour' taste). It tastes as though it would be in a good swing within a month or so (perhaps as the temps think about rising?).
 
I would say drinkable and ready to drink can be two different things.

My Chardonnay and Riesling and definitely drinkable now. (chardonnay is 7-8 months old, Riesling 6 months) The difference is they will be even better is 3-6 months from now. I will wait for them to mature more, though I occasional will pop a Chardonnay just to see how it's progressing.

I believe the rule of thumb is 9-12 months for white wines and 18-24 months for red wines from grapes. My 2016 Shiraz is is 10 months old. The taste is definitely starting to smooth and if I wanted to could drink it now, but this time next year it should be much better.

If you want fast kits, make the cheap kits (or DB) that are ready to drink in 3-6 months. (usually island mist type kits I believe, I haven't made one of those)

If you want good wine and fast drink. Make both!
 
I would say drinkable and ready to drink can be two different things.

Agreed.
To hammer that point across on timing: I opened a bottle of 6wk-old GSM and it truly was not drinkable.

The "mist-type" kit I made last year was drinkable right out of the carboy at 4-5 weeks. My wife and her friends drank the partial bottle at the end of the batch immediately and opened another one the next day.

Though you've now got me thinking if I get a start on it right now: I could have some DB ready for summer.
 
Though you've now got me thinking if I get a start on it right now: I could have some DB ready for summer.

This is my plan too. I have two more carboys to bottle. (Shiraz, and Zinfandel) I will replace those empty carboys with a DB (for spring/summer) and a WE Eclipse Mosaic kit I never got to last year.
 

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