smurfe
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2005
- Messages
- 3,625
- Reaction score
- 16
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
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