Cabernet Sauvignon of wedding

[Dillon Boggs]

I need some help choosing a kit. I am getting married on August 3rd of this year and want to make 2 kits to hand out with labeled bottles as favors. We are using 375 ml bottles and each household (55) is getting one bottle. The intention is to tell people to take the bottle home and on our 1 year anniversary or later help us celebrate by opening the bottle of wine and drinking it with us (I plan on having extra which we will open year after year). I am looking for a really good kit with an even better price point. We like full bodied and oaky wines so I figured a Cab would be best possibly with additional oak added to the kit, but I really need advice on a kit and how to get the most out of it. I would prefer to keep the budget for the kits down around $100 but would be willing to go to $130 or so. Any advice to keep price down and wine quality up would be appreciated. I am looking at this kit mostly because it has grape skins Cellar Craft Sterling Collection - California Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This will be my first higher quality kit. I have 2 Island mist kits under my belt, 3 gallons of mead (separate batches), 2 gallons of cider, and nearly 30 gallons of beer so I am no stranger to the noblest of hobbies, but I still consider myself a very early beginner so I am pretty nervous about the whole thing. I want to create something that will really knock peoples socks off without breaking the bank. There will also be no wine snobs in attendance so it doesn't need to be perfect in every way.

Any and all advice is very much so appreciated.

 

[pillswoj]

RJS's Cru International Kits are quite good, and nicely drinkable at a year or so. being a 12L kit like the sterling it is likely in your budget. The 18 L kits with Skins (Eclipse, EnPrimeur, Showcase) tend to need 2 years before the come into their own.

 

[Boatboy24]

Go to LabelPeelers and check out the Eclipse Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet. List price is 174, but LP sells for about 114. This is a top end kit and with shipping, just might fit into your budget.

 

[jgmann67]

Go to LabelPeelers and check out the Eclipse Lodi Ranch 11 Cabernet. List price is 174, but LP sells for about 114. This is a top end kit and with shipping, just might fit into your budget.

I liked the Lodi Cab, but not nearly as much as the RJS EP Aussie Cab. The EP is also a top end kit and you’ll likely pay a little more for it. But, IMO it was a better wine.

Other big reds to consider - the WE bourbon barrel Cab-Zin (though I haven’t tasted it); the Lodi OVZ (very good after about 18 months, but not intended to be an oaky wine); and, any of the high end Amarone kits.