WineXpert Recommendations for low end Red kit?

[byathread]

Hi folks,
I'm a new winemaker looking to make a (relatively early-drinking) red kit to drink while waiting for a bigger one to age. Any recommendations? I'm trying to limit it to a WE VR or WE World kit. I've heard that blends might be a better bet for a low end kit...

Thanks in advance!

 

[sour_grapes]

Faced with the same question for the exact same reason, I opted for WE Mezza Luna Red, based mostly on reviews. Its in bottles, but not long enough for me to tell you how good it is.

 

[GaDawg]

I've enjoyed RJS Grand Cru Merlot

 

[ShawnDTurner]

Or try the Numerous Variations of Dragons Blood. You will will find the recipes on this forum. Very Simple and people rave about it.

 

[zalai]

I would recommend you to follow Joeswine thread when good wines gone bad . He was making a World Vineyard Italian Sangiovese kit . Look for #324 all the steps with pictures to help you .

 

[ann8]

Mezza Luna all the way. the only kit I've made twice so far and surprisingly good for a lower-end kit, especially after about 2-3 months (if you can wait!). I have the Luna Rossa on now, it's big brother - can't wait to try it.

 

[Enologo]

I've made both the WE Mezza Luna Red and the WE Coastal Red and I preferred the Coastal Red everyone else loved both. Just my taste YMMV.

 

[kevinlfifer]

Im a fan of the 6.1 L Paklab Reserva Chateax kits. I add 20 oz of Zante currants (Sunmaid), oak, peptic enzyme and oak tannin. I also add grape skins when I have them. You can get them on Amazon for as low as $40 some times. They drink well at 3 months.

The Nero/Cab is a deep red with a lot more body than you would expect.

I think they drink a lot earlier than the WE kits I've done.

 

[suecasa]

my first kit was WE Vintner's reserve shiraz. It was very good after a couple weeks in the bottle with no extra aging. no oak needing to mellow out. the last couple bottles are now a year old and incredibly good.

i'd also recommend a green apple for an early drinker ... i know it's not a red .. but all my "red snobs" love the green apple ... somehow it hits the right tart & not-too-sweet notes that even someone that "always" drinks red still love!

 

[olusteebus]

Here is one where someone tweaked a very low priced kit with Alexanders and apparently it turned out fine. Others disagree with the concept.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f84/experiment-paklab-italiano-kit-33990/

 

[kevinlfifer]

I wanted to add another note about a good but cheap red. We opened the first bottle of the Paklab Chateaux Reserva, Red ZInfandel, that I bottled in July ( 6 weeks in bottle). It was very good. I had added 10 oz of Zante currents, 8 oz dried cherries, cup of med toast oak, peptic enzyme. NO kit taste, good body and feel. I was expecting that Nouveau bite but it wasn't there.

 

[big-al]

why the peptic enzyme in a kit and how much do you put in?
I assume you put everything in the primary.

 

[kevinlfifer]

1 tsp, to the primary, because I am adding extra fruit solids. It's more for insurance against clouding issues and to get all the benefit from the added fruit.

 

[byathread]

Thanks to everyone for the input / and possible kit tweaks

Thanks to everyone for the input! I've been pointed to and read lots of interesting threads about different ways to achieve an inexpensive but quality early-drinking red (either via radical tweaking or more direct approaches). I *intend* to keep things a little more simple this time around and have ultimately decided to go with WE Mezza Luna Red which is on its way. However, being one of those folks that have a *really* hard time coloring between the lines, I'm considering couple of simple tweaks. Namely:

1) Adding 8-16 oz zante currants
2) and perhaps some tannin or oak cubes to primary.

I have been making mead for almost ten years, so I've developed a good feel for fermentation, used tannin and oak on many occasions, and most importantly, have learned patience (I still have 20 bottles of a most excellent 8 year old dry Orange Blossom mead). But, the goal of this batch is to have some enjoyably drinkable red wine in 3 months, with perhaps a modest improvement over an evidently solid kit. I'm excited to start a CC Red Mt Cabernet immediately afterwards and plan to bulk age this for a year before bottling.

Any suggestions on my potential tweaks? Amount of currants or oak? Or ditch the tweaks and establish a baseline for a solid low end kit?

Thanks to all. Really enjoying this forum.

Cheers!

 

[kevinlfifer]

That will be a good tweak. I use 2 boxes of SunMaid Zante currants, 20 oz. Usually in a bag. If you are using oak chips I would use them in the primary. If you use cubes, in the secondary or at clearing.

If you are making the kit totally dry and not back sweetening, I would skip the K-sorbate. That adds a "kit-taste" that slows the early drinking aspect.

I use the 5 gal paint strainer bags from Home Depot. under $3 for 2 bags.

I bottle right away, so I need discipline to stay out my Red Mt kit (9/2013) but it was a WOW with body and depth at bottling.

 

[byathread]

I will certainly use a bag for the currants, and would never use Sorbate on a dry wine. Thanks Kevin!

Anyone else care to share their 2 cents on the possible tweaks above?

Cheers!