Fall Juice Order Suggestions + Opinions

[varano14]

Hi all I am pretty new to the forum as well as wine making. In the spring I was gifted the basic equipment plus a Sauvignon Blanc bucket from Chile. After sitting for about 3 months the wine is already fantastic, so much so that my wife and I have pretty much stopped buying commercial wine and plan to primarily make what we consume from now on.

So with that in mind we are planning on making a few buckets worth this fall and I am curious what types you all suggest. Neither of us are very developed wine drinkers. Our go to is Sav Blanc. My wife also enjoys Riesling but I find it is often sweeter then I like. We both enjoy drier reds but don't really have a favorite. I also tried a Gewurztraminer recently and very much enjoyed that. At the end of the day I like a bit of variety and am looking for any suggestions you all might have.

Also is there a number of buckets that might raise eyebrows? I ask because I know any red we make will need to age longer so I figured it might be a good idea to get something going and set it aside.

Final question any opinions on California vs Italian juice? Other then the obvious differences in what is available.

 

[winemaker81]

Welcome to WMT!

Others can offer better information regarding the sources to use for juice buckets. When choosing the types of whites, for now stick with what you know you like. Of course, you should buy bottles of varietals you're not familiar with to expand your list.

Regarding sweetness, you control that. Most ferment wines dry, then if desired, stabilize and backsweeten to taste. Riesling (or any wine) will be as dry or sweet as you want.

Red juice is a mixed bag. Deep, complex reds come from fermenting the grapes, not just juice. Fermenting juice only will make a lighter bodied wine -- which can be very good, and is likely to be ready to drink sooner. It's possible to buy "skin packs", dried or frozen grape skins which can be added to juice during fermentation.

Read the Beginners, Grape Wines, and Kit Wines forums, looking at threads that sound interesting. You'll pick up a lot of information that way.

 

[varano14]

Thanks for the response I didn't realize so much of a red wine came from the skins, maybe we will give one a go and see. As I said I am not sure how developed our tastes are so we may not notice.

I have been browsing the site since I started my first batch and the amount of info is awesome.

 

[winemaker81]

Given the mixed feedback on juice buckets, I admit I'm leery unless I'm confident in the source. I'm a fan of that Dilbert meme: "Change is good. You go first." In that spirit I read reviews before jumping in.

You can get frozen juice buckets -- Wine Grapes Direct is well recommended. I looked at their prices and they are like high end kits. I checked Musto as well, very high priced for what you get.

Winexpert reformulated their concentrate producing process for their kits -- I started their Cabernet Sauvignon 10 liter kit last September and bottled a few months ago. My sons & I was honestly impressed by how it tasted, as young as it was. The wine is for my younger son's wedding reception in October, so we have high expectations for it.

Label Peelers sells Finer Wine Kits, which are not pasteurized. Folks are speaking highly of their kits, and I started a Barbera Wednesday. It's way too early for me to comment regarding the quality of the kits, but their instructions and instructional videos are the best I've seen, and customer service is top notch.

You have more options than you may realize.

 

[varano14]

Given the mixed feedback on juice buckets, I admit I'm leery unless I'm confident in the source. I'm a fan of that Dilbert meme: "Change is good. You go first." In that spirit I read reviews before jumping in.

You have more options than you may realize.

Interesting, as a relative novice I perceived a "fresh" juice bucket to be a step above a kit given the fresh nature of the juice. The juice bucket I made in the spring was kept refrigerated until I took it home. It was Toro Negro brand. Given that the fall order is coming from a geographically different area I expect it to be a different brand. The local brew shop I will be ordering through is a business a block up from ours in a small town so I to some extent trust them. This was the other reason I jumped right into juice as I can pick it up so easily.

They spoke down somewhat on the Chilean juice and said the fall juices from California and Italy are far superior. Based on how pleased I was with the Chilean I I would be happy if it came out the same.

To really throw a wrench in the gears they also bring in actual grapes in 32lb boxes, but I am not sure I am ready to take that leap just yet, although someday I am sure I will.

 

[winemaker81]

Interesting, as a relative novice I perceived a "fresh" juice bucket to be a step above a kit given the fresh nature of the juice.

Seems that way, doesn't it? However, there are factors that we (consumers) will never be fully aware of.

Let's use vegetables as an example. The veggies you buy from a veggie stand should be better than what you get from the freezer of the grocery store, right?

Nope.

If done well, the frozen veggies were picked at ripeness and frozen quickly. The veggies at the farm stand were picked this morning. Or yesterday morning if they didn't sell yesterday, and have been setting in the heat. The answer to "which is better?" is situational.

Same concept with grapes. If high quality grapes are picked at optimal ripeness and shipped cold or frozen or whatever? You have a high quality product. OTOH, if you have lesser quality grapes OR not picked at ripeness OR not shipped well OR "other stuff"? A wine kit could be a higher quality product.

There is no quick, simple answer.

This is not to scare or discourage you. You are in one of the best places a home winemaker can be. Dozens of experienced winemakers from around the world frequent this forum, and will offer help. Keep your mind open to new ideas.

 

[winemaker81]

To really throw a wrench in the gears they also bring in actual grapes in 32lb boxes, but I am not sure I am ready to take that leap just yet, although someday I am sure I will.

Fresh grapes require crushing and pressing.

Crushing is easy. Get a big bin, wash your feet well, and stomp away.



Pressing takes a bit more. Craigslist and Facebook marketplace may be sources for used presses. Search this forum for ideas to build a pressing using a pneumatic car jack.

 

[mainshipfred]

Good conversation above! As far as Chilean goes I have to disagree about the quality of their products. I don't make juice buckets but the grapes I get from Chili are often nicer than the ones I get from Cali even though they are traveling a much longer distance. As for your initial question about a recommended wine, @winemaker81's suggestion about buying something different to see if you like it is a good one. The ones that I might recommend you trying are Cab Franc, Barbera and Red Zinfandel and with the reds you will probably want to let them go through MLF. I never bought Italian products so I have nothing to offer there.

 

[varano14]

Good conversation above! As far as Chilean goes I have to disagree about the quality of their products. I don't make juice buckets but the grapes I get from Chili are often nicer than the ones I get from Cali even though they are traveling a much longer distance. As for your initial question about a recommended wine, @winemaker81's suggestion about buying something different to see if you like it is a good one. The ones that I might recommend you trying are Cab Franc, Barbera and Red Zinfandel and with the reds you will probably want to let them go through MLF. I never bought Italian products so I have nothing to offer there.

MLF is something I've been seeing mentioned so I will have to read up on it a bit more before I dive into a red. I too was surprised they didn't seem to like the Chilean as much. It could have been them trying to sell me on ordered another bucked in the fall (as if I needed encouragement) or just a subjective opinion.

I think I will pick up a few bottles to try and see what I like.