3 Month Wine

[Flafemina]

I've been making wine for 5 years now, from juice, and I usually pop my first bottle after one year. I introduced a friend of mine to the wine making process and after 3 months he's serving his wine to all his friends and they are raving that it was good and where is my wine. How can the wine taste so good after 3 months? What happens to the wine over the next 9 months that would give me an advantage? Am I missing something?

 

[ceeaton]

How can the wine taste so good after 3 months? What happens to the wine over the next 9 months that would give me an advantage? Am I missing something?

When you make it yourself it is amazing in the beginning how "good" it tastes. His friends want to encourage more free wine so of course they will rave about it. I found I had friends I didn't even know I had once I started sharing a few bottles here and there.

Don't lower your standards, you know it tastes better after a year, especially a red wine. Takes a while for us newbies to learn the patience lesson. You are missing nothing, you have something he doesn't have yet...

 

[Floandgary]

Wow indeed! What kind and what process is he using?? There are some out there that are drinkable in as little as 3 months especially sweet whites.. If that's acceptable to his friends so be it. Bet you'll not find anyone to poo-hoo the advantage of incorporating TIME in the winemaking process!! Not to be dissing anyone but switching up with a store bought might leave some scratching their heads..

 

[JohnT]

It is definitely not unheard of to process a wine quickly. For example, Beaujolais nouveau is typically fermented for only a couple of weeks before being sold (traditionally released on the third Thursday of November).

Wines CAN taste good after only a few months. Aging wine, however, can make your wine even better. Much of the taste, aroma, clarity, and mouth feel is developed over time.

 

[salcoco]

the lower price kits will taste good after three months.(especially when its free) but you are right even after one year these lower priced kits will taste better. the higher priced kits warrant two to three eyar or more. I have some that are five years or older that are great.

 

[cpfan]

In the Ferment on Premises business there is a thing called TRUNK AGING. The wine is bottled in the store after 4-5 weeks, put in the trunk of the customer's car, and tastes great when they get it home. I had customers who bottled their wine 4-5 weeks after the yeast was pitched and were out of wine 4-5 weeks later when the next batch was ready to bottle.

Basically, if your friend and his friends are happy with their wine, you should be happy for them, even though it might not be ready for you (or me).

Steve

 

[wineforfun]

I think an important question to ask OP is what type of wine is your friend making and drinking in 3 months?
If it is something like Dragon Blood or the like, then sure, at 3 months, it will taste awesome.
If it is a big red, ie; cab, merlot, etc., then I agree with others that your friend's friends are just happy to get free wine, as no way it is ready.