WineXpert An update report about my first kit!

[smurfe]

Just an update from my first kit. It is now 2 months in the bottle. Thought I would give a little report of the progress of my first kit, a VR Italian Pinot Grigio. I started this kit on 06/30/2005 and bottled it on 08/05/2005 I thought I would share my experience with those who cared to read.


I popped one open this afternoon for no particular reason and have to say I am now very pleased. I am not a white wine drinker and was a bit disappointed after bottling this one as I sucked up some sediment in some of the bottles and many have sediment in them now. I was also turned off by I am guessing the SO2 smell as well as the flat, watery taste.


In regards to the sedimentthis will never happen again as I am now a filterer. I know, I know, but hey, I want crystal clear wines and from what I have read, there has been quite a misconception about filtering and from my further projects. I have seen no degradation of my wines.


Anyway, back to the wine. I has an excellent flavor and is as nice as any commercial I have tasted. It has changed my opinion of white wines and will lead me toward making more. I feel the VR kits are under rated in regards to whites. The commercial wines we normally buy are in the $8.00 to $10.00 a bottle range and this is every bit as good as those.


I have never experienced a VR red and can see how they may lack in character but it all depends on what youare looking for I guess. I at times wonder if they can match you standard commercials that run in the $7.00 - $10.00 a bottle range. I would love to make a couple kits that are drinkable soon as I wait for my more complex kits to age.


Ihope my other kits turn out as well. I have a WE Selection White Zin I just bottled which was quite tasty as I was bottling. I also have 2 Cellar Craft Kits (Amorone and Rosso Fortissimo) I just bottled which will defiantly need some aging but really wasn't too bad upon bottling the other day. I think the next kit will be the WEWoodbridge Cabernet Savignon.


Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings and I wish I knew the wine drinkers lingo/terminology a little better to give you an accurate tasting report in terms that are understood within the culture but hey, all I can tell you is it is damn good and I am going to enjoy the future bottles to come!


Smurfe

 

[masta]

Congrats and when the wine comes out great it is worth the effort!

 

[geocorn]

Congratulations and glad you are pleased. I agree with your assessment on the value. I think the VR kits are comparable to $8-10 bottles of wines. Not too bad for $1.50 per bottle!

 

[smurfe]

I wonder if a VR Cabernet Savignon would be comparable to lets say a Yellow Tail Cabernet Savignon? Yellow Tail in my opinion is a mighty fine wine and cost like $6.99 a bottle around here.


If the VR was comparable, I would make a kit and then a kit like the Woodbridge Cabernet Savignon and drink the VR while waiting for the other to age.


I do remember reading somewhere though that the VR Cabernet Savignon was a little disappointing. Any comments on the quality of the VR compared to like I said a bottle of Yellow Tail or Smoking Loon? Which BTW is another great cheap Cabernet Savignon!


Smurfe

 

[PolishWineP]

Glad to hear you like your VR Italian Pinot Grigio. I enjoy reading what people who don't know all the lingo think of wines. I'm working on the lingo because I think it will help me understand and appreciate the wines more. Maybe a wine tasting sheet would help. If you look under General Wine Questions/Discussion, Wine Tasting Sheets, there's 2 links from Joseph. They'll take you to some wine tasting sheets. I am going to use them not just for parties but for general reference on our wines. As Auntie Mame said to the banker when her nephew served him a drink, "Knowledge is power."

 

[geocorn]

The VR cab is good. It is just that people seem to expect so much more from a cab than any other varietal that I carry. It makes a cab comparable to a Yellow Tail. The flavor is very good, but is a little weak on the body side. On the other hand, if you age it for 2 months with some additional oak, you will add more body.

 

[Angell Wine]

Like George said, put some oak cubes in it. I did my cab this way and it gave a more dry oak taste to it.

 

[Hippie]

Maybe add 4 oz. of dried elderberries to the must with a handful of american chips, then add american cubes when rack to glass. I have a little experience doing that.

 

[smurfe]

Thanks for the great ideas. Sounds like a plan to follow.


Smurfe

 

[smurfe]

Maybe add 4 oz. of dried elderberries to the must with a handful of american chips, then add american cubes when rack to glass. I have a little experience doing that.

OK, I am going to follow Hippie's suggestion here. I have a VR Cab kit that I want to start. How much chips and how much cubes do I add? I am gonna order some tonight. I am guessing I want medium or house toast right? Not heavy toast? I believe the kit already has some oak with it so I don't want to over do it. I just want to make a kit that will rival like a bottle of Yellow Tail or Woodbridge Cab.


Smurfe

 

[peterCooper]

Hippie,
you add the elderberries when you rack to glass or right at the start?
It seems to me that the whites come off a little better than store bought
because they have a little less acid. As a result the flavor seems to come
through better. Exactly the opposite seem to happening to my reds. There
is less acid in them too, but that seems to detract from the flavor, giving a
thin feel to the wine.

Peter

 

[Hippie]

If you think you must modifya redkit in this way, use 4 oz. dried elderberries and 3 oz. oak cubes in the must, along with whatever else the instructions call for, including the oak included with the kit.Discard the elderberries when racking to the secondary fermentor, but save the oak cubes, rinse them off and add them to the secondary fermentor. Remember, your warranty is null and void when you modify a winekit.

 

[smurfe]

So Hippie you are now not recommending added extra oak to a VR Cab kit? The warranty is of no concern to me as I don't have anything in this kit. It was given to me. If the kit will be comparable as is to a commercial in the $10-$12 range, I will leave it as is. I just want a wine of comparable body and feel. Suggestions?


Smurfe

 

[Hippie]

My suggestion is to GO FOR IT!

 

[smurfe]

Cool Bean, I am gonna give it a try. I don't really have anything to loose and I guess I can say I got to experiment with one kit. All the rest I have ordered will be done by the book as normal like I normally do.


Smurfe

 

[earl]

Wine Spectator, October 31-2005, edition has a "step by step" guidehow to taste wine. What I found most interesting was on page 51, the"flaws" of wine. My neighbors and I were drinking a45 dollarbottle of some kind of red. I forgot the name. We were commenting on the strongsmell of horses it gave off. Yeshorses. Well after reading the article it seems it may have been Brettanomyces yeast. We did not enjoy the wine, but live and learn.


As I right this I have a glass of Lindemans Bin 50 swirling in front of me. This was purchased for about $7 and it's "butter."


Cheers


earl


p.s.- It's official, I am getting my first kit for CHRISTmas.