Other Kit seems a touch watery and has no legs...

[ms257145]

Hello -

I am new to wine making and I am currently in the process of a Fontana Cab Sauvignon. I am at the point where I am ready to bottle my wine, per the instructions. I've used the wine theif to try to wine which is clear, but it does taste a bit watered down and does not appear to have any legs. I imagine that the bouqet will develop with time.

I'm not sure what I can be doing or if anyone has any suggestions?

 

[joeswine]

Cheap kits

find this thread and see the difference, there are Fontana kits made in a different process...

 

[Boatboy24]

Hello -

I am new to wine making and I am currently in the process of a Fontana Cab Sauvignon. I am at the point where I am ready to bottle my wine, per the instructions. I've used the wine theif to try to wine which is clear, but it does taste a bit watered down and does not appear to have any legs. I imagine that the bouqet will develop with time.

I'm not sure what I can be doing or if anyone has any suggestions?

Welcome to WMT!

This is an entry level kit that, if made according to the instructions (which is recommended when you're new to the hobby), will be light in body and color.

 

[wineforfun]

As is, Fontana kits follow the adage, "You get what you pay for".

As Joe mentioned, go find the Cheap Kits thread and there are some great tweaks you can make to those kits to make them much better.

 

[sour_grapes]

I cannot improve on the answers of the others, but let me say "Welcome to the forum."

 

[terrymck]

Joe,
You have found a soulmate. He spells as bad as you::

 

[olusteebus]

Wouldn't this wine be a candidate for Tannin Riche?

 

[Natrix]

Is that the Fontana select with crush grapes kit ?

 

[ms257145]

This is a Fontana Premium wine kit

 

[Spikedlemon]

Wouldn't this wine be a candidate for Tannin Riche?

What'd be the effects of adding more tannins to a "watery" wine?

 

[joeswine]

Cheap kits

TOM AND I ARE GOING TO MAKE TWO INEXPENSIVE WINE KITS FROM FONTANA WINE THESE ARE 4 WEEKS KITS SOMETHING TO PLAY AROUND WITH AND TO EXPERIMENT WITH AS WELL.WERE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING FANCY WITH THEM JUST WANT TO MAKE THESE CHEAP KITS SO THAT WHEN THEY FINISH THEY TASTE GOOD,WE’LL SEE.
1. SHORTEN THE VOLUMN FROM A 6 TO A 5 GALLON
2. CAPITALIZE EACH TO A STARTING SG OF 1.10
3. ADDED OAK TO BOTH ONLY/ONE CAME WITH OAK
4. IN THE SECONDARY WILL ADD 1 TABLE SPOON OF OAK TANNINS.

THE IDEA OF SHORTENNING THE VOLUMN WAS TO INCREASE THE DENSITY OF THE BASE, AS IT WAS IF WE WERE TO MAKE A 6-GALLON BATCH AS DIRECTED THE WINE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY THIN AND VERY LITTLE ALCOHOL. THE INEXPENSIVE KITS THAT STATE FOR 6 GALLONS IN MY OPPION CAN BE MADE INTO A 5 GALLON BATCH WITH OUT SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES UNLESS THEY HAVE A FPAC FROM THE MANUFACTURE.

THIS SHOULD BE A SHORT PROCESS AND MaYBE,JUST MAY BE A WAY TO CURVE THOSE HIGHER WINE KIT COSTS???
Well so far so good no problem on the consistence or taste of the product going into the secondary, we’ve added wine tannins and a cup of oak again this time to the secondary, we’ll degas for the next week every other day take a ph reading see were where at then will add the chems and start the fining process. There were no difficulties with the volume reduction on the contrary it gave the wine more body and flavor for a 4 week wine kit, not bad so far at all. Now if this had an fpac okay don’t mess with the volume, but it didn’t sometimes the process isn’t always just right, we as wine makers have the ability to adjust to our needs…follow the flow.