Advice or suggestions sought.

[A62Rambler]

I have found that I enjoy drinking red wines and know nothing about them.

I am makingPort (a stretch as a red wine)and Amarone.I plan to make Chianti. I want to make a quick aging or a wine that is good with little aging (1 to 3 months). I'm considering the DT Lambrusco for that wine. I'm open to suggestions for a replacement. Also I'd like to add to my red wine kits. I think a Castel Papa would be a good addtion but could stand to add a couple more. Once again I would like suggestions to have the spectrum of both tannin and body covered in my kits. Help out a neophyte and suggest the kits I need to add. I tended to like the white wines from Germany but have found that I like drier reds more. I guess my tastes have changed.

I've been buying different reds and haven't found one I don't like so that isn't a concern. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Edited by: A62Rambler

 

[Wade E]

How much are you looking to spend. I've only heard good things on all the Mosti Mondiale products. There are also quite a few of the W.E kits that are nothing but awesome like the Stags Leap Merlot and all the Crushendo's. A good Barolo sounds like what you are looking for though. As for a Red wine that will be decent in 1-3 months I dont know if there is such a thing. You will be really sacrificing quality to get 1 that fast whether you buy a good kit and open it early or a cheap kit thats lacking in quality before you even open it!

Edited by: wade

 

[scotty]

Make a few kits and let some age while drinking others early. you can always make kits and drink them early while some of your prizes are aging.

 

[PolishWineP]

Stag's Leap is a wine that needs time. I think if you go with Wine Expert for some faster aging wines you may do better that Mosti. Give George a call and he can help you out.

 

[A62Rambler]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have decided that I will not try and rush a kit. I'll keep drinking wines from the local wine shop until mine properly age. As difficult as that will be.

I would like more suggestions on which red kits to make to round out my selections. I have to keep George in business.

 

[Wade E]

Argentine Malbec, Australian Grenache/Mourvedre, Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel, Luna Rossa, These are just suggestions and are some of the best that W.E has to offer. The Masters Edition of Mosti is nothing but great ones Ive heard and can not be beat. Check out the descriptions on this site on the online catalog under Reds.

 

[peterCooper]

Rambler,

As a general rule the more you pay, the better the kit
The better the kit, the longer it takes to get ready
The longer you leave it, the more you understand the connection.

for fast, you might try one of the 10L kits and select something that is supposed to be drunk relatively young like the Chilean Malbec (aging 1-2 months) or the Merlot (similar)

Peter

 

[smurfe]

Whites are going to be "drinkable" much faster than reds. I really doubt you are going to make a satisfying red wine in the time frame you stated. The quickest "decent" drinking red I ever made was a Vintners Reserve Bourgeron Rouge. It was still around 5-6 months before it was satisfying.Not a great wine but a nice light to medium bodied table wine. The WE Selection Gwertz is a mighty fine kit but still takes a few months to reach it's potential.

 

[PeterZ]

I must say that my MM All Juice Amarone tastes darned good now, and it hasn't even been fined yet. It doesn't have much complexity, and I think it needs more oak, but it is much better tasting than the 10L RJS Merlot I bottled several months ago.

AFAIAC, I will probably not make another concentrate kit again. With as little time and space I have for this hobby, I can't make very many kits. As a result, with the exception of IM kits or specialty ports, I can't see myself doing anything but 23 L of juice kits.

 

[Wade E]

Great idea Peter and Im going to order a MM all juice kit myself. Im going to try the Johannisburg Riesling.

 

[Trubador]

Do the mosti kits have any real differences as far as procedures?
I mean major differences. I have thought about trying one, but
I've only done WE kits and am nervous that i'll "screw up" an all juice
kit.

 

[Wade E]

I have not done 1 but just ordered 1 but must say with all the expert knowledge on this forum, ask the question if you have 1 and I dought you will as there are very few differences between kits except for 1 staying in a primary or carboy longer or shorter. Just remember that we are here to get you through pretty much anything you run into. Go for it!

 

[Joseph1]

Trubador, you might want to check out George’s newsletter article regarding differences between the Mosti and the WinExpert kits. The differences are not significant.<?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

http://www.finevinewines.com/February_2007.htm

And also his tutorial on the Mosti kits

http://www.finevinewines.com/Mosti-Mondiale-Home-Wine-Making-Tutorial.htm

 

[A62Rambler]

Trubador,
I'm a complete newbie to winemaking except for one balloon recipe I did way back in college. I've started one millenium kit and three MM kits. If you read the directions first and then start you'll not have a problem. Your experience with the WE kits will probably serve you well with the MM kits. Just watch the differences. Just keep in mind that I'm a fumbling newbie and have handled both kits at once but will not know the results for several months.

I'm already partial to the MM kits due to the flavor of the juices. The wines may be just as good with either but I'm a walking talking MM spokesman based on the all juice kits I've started.


The differences are at what SG you do things and some slight differences in when you add oak, how you add yeast etc... They are not substantial differences.Edited by: A62Rambler