Wine Suggestions?

I'm looking to start an new batch, but I'm pretty new at wine making. I'm thinking of maybe a Chardonnay if its a white, or a Shiraz if it's a red. Does anyone have any suggestions on a type of wine i could start that isn't to hard to complete successfully?

Jswo23 said:

I'm looking to start an new batch, but I'm pretty new at wine making. I'm thinking of maybe a Chardonnay if its a white, or a Shiraz if it's a red. Does anyone have any suggestions on a type of wine i could start that isn't to hard to complete successfully?

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Most kits have the same steps, generally, until you get to the ones which have grape packs. If you're up for a grape pack wine, the WE Stags Leap Merlot is a big winner in my book. It's good early, but rewards patience if you can stay out of it for a year or more.

I would go with Mezza Luna white and Mezza Luna red , both made by Wine Expert. these are inexpensive kits, blends of different juices, easy to make and ready to drink right away. get these under you belt then step up in price and variety.

Jswo23 said:

I'm looking to start an new batch, but I'm pretty new at wine making. I'm thinking of maybe a Chardonnay if its a white, or a Shiraz if it's a red. Does anyone have any suggestions on a type of wine i could start that isn't to hard to complete successfully?

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@Jswo23,
I have made the Winexpert Selection California Chardonnay with good luck. I skipped sorbate because I didn't sweeten the wine. I also aged in a carboy for six months so that it wouldn't drop sediment in bottles. The instructions are fairly straightforward. Plus you can ask any questions you have in this forum and experienced folks will help you. Here's a link to the product on Winexpert's page:

http://www.winexpert.com/wine?brand[]=531&keywords=California Chardonnay&v=list&p=details

Good luck! If you decide to age for six months in a carboy, add 1/4 teaspoon of potassium metabisulfite at the three-month and six-month marks.

IMHO, any of the 10L kits, in a white or red you think you might like, from either Winexpert or RJ Spagnols would be a good place to start.

Mezza Luna Red, Trio, and Zinfandel/Shiraz are fantastic economical kits for reds, and the Angel Blanco is an absolutely great white wine for the price (needs a little aging though).

Winexpert has many great wines to choose from. Australian Shiraz, California Trinity Red, California Moscato, White Merlot (one of my favorites), Green Apple Riesling, Liebfraumilch, the list goes on. All are excellent. Bet you cant make just one!

Mezza Luna Red...the only kit I've done twice, we really like it. The California Trinity Red is also good early we are finding out.

I used Joe's tweaks on both of these.