WineXpert Adding Body To A WineXpert Kit

I have made 5 WineXpert red wine kits so far and have enjoyed them all. My only question is how can I improve the body and mouth feel of any given kit? I like a full body wine. I have used some of the 2 gal concentrates and some of the 4.2 gal concentrates (the latest is a Select Estate Lodi Ranch 11 Cab Sauv). While I do enjoy them all, when I buy a bottle of, say a cab sauv from the store, it has such a greater body that makes my wine seem like it is “wine water”.

If I add stuff like yeast nutrient and peptic enzymes do you think that would give it the “body” I’m looking for?

How do I get a greater body to my kit wines and not make them seem “watery” next to a store bought wine?

Some of these kit cost a lot!! Please help!!

I would try to find of make a grape pack from store bought grapes or add a box or two or raisins to the wine. If you add raisins, use a strainer bag to contain the raisins and roughly chop them.

What is a good amount of raisins to add per gallon or per 6g kit?

Nutrient and or pectic enzyme will not add body! Raisins will add some but your best bet is to buy a wine kit with a grape pack, it makes a huge difference!!! Buying store grapes is not the solution either as it will change your flavor and throw the balance off as those grapes are way different the wine grapes! I think your best bet if you want to stick with these non grape pack kits is use post fermentaion tannins like Tancor Grand Cru. Do bench ttials though because there is a fine line between just right and yoo much!

Also remember that it takes time for a wine to develop its mouthfeel so don't be too quick to judge - I'm assuming these wines aren't that old yet. Your Estate Cab Sauv is one of the best kits out there but it needs probably two years to reach its potential. The bottle you buy at the store has been aged for awhile, so be patient and give yours a chance.
I do agree with grapeskin kits though, so follow that advice as well.

The great American wit, Will Rogers, once said, "Making money in the storck market is easy. Buy good stocks when they are low, when they go up, sell them. If they don't go up, don't buy them."

My response was based on the belief that RockofNJ had already bought the kit and it did not have a grape pack. Of course, if he has yet to buy a kit, my recommendation is to buy a kit with a grape pack.

RockofNJ mentioned a 16 liter Cabernet Sauvignon kit and I would still suggest adding raisins. One box (about a pound) should help a lot. I chop them with a knife or pulse them in a food processor, put them in a bag and squeeze the bag a couple times per day during primary fermentation.

Yes, there are differences between table grapes and wine grapes and it is preferable to make wine from wine grapes. Table grapes have a lower juice to pulp ratio and are normally lower in sugar and acid. That is what makes them marketable, i.e. easy to eat and palatable. There are a number of grape varieties that are both table and wine grapes. If one can get wine grapes from a local source, such as a produce wholesaler, I would use them for the the grape pack. If they are not available, the sweetest, ripest table grapes would be my next best choice for a grape pack. The sugar level can be raised by adding cane sugar and so can the acid level if preferred.

As Wade points out, the major difference is the flavor of the grapes and a grape pack made from another variety will change the flavor somewhat. The question is, how much? In 6 gallons of wine, I don't think it would be enough to ruin the taste of the wine to other than true connoisseurs.

Running the kit wine through a 6-gallon Vadai oak barrel can make a nice big difference in mouth-feel. The barrel will concentrate the wine - water will evaporate out, you then replace the lost water with more wine; the end result is thicker, richer wine. That's what happens in most commercial wineries.

You can also consider glycerin. When used properly, it can make a difference.

Rocky is right about a few grapes being both wine and table but those that are are really intended to thin out a harsh wine, basically blending grapes. IMO I wouldnt even think about using those types of grapes. Just my $.02

Rocky said:

The great American wit, Will Rogers, once said, "Making money in the storck market is easy. Buy good stocks when they are low, when they go up, sell them. If they don't go up, don't buy them."

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Thats the best time to buy them though

I add Tancor grand cru tannin during aging and glycerin just before bottling to add mouth feel. Some folks will agree and some disagree with the glycerin but I think it helps considerably.

Thinking alone the lines

If you were to take all of the suggestions on this thread and combined them with time and patients, along with the want to improve the finial product,your all correct