Chilean Juice at Consumers in Pittsburgh

[Runningwolf]

...where else can you buy juice from South Africa, etc. The kits are very good even for the experianced wine maker. You will find less expensive one's that your guests will love and very high quality for the descreet. Take a look at what I've made. I'll never knock kits. Besides for the small amount of time and money involved with them, it's pretty hard to screw one up.

In other words, GO FOR IT!

 

[reefman]

Awesome find Reefman! That is only an hour south of me!

Let me know what you buy. I'm still on the fence, but considering Muscate for sure, and maybe a Viognier. My wife and I prefer medium sweet white wine rather than reds, except for fruit wines.
I tend to try more varieties then she does.

 

[reefman]

I have to disagree with that, kits are a great learning process & they produce a lot of award winning quality wines. But you are paying a little more for the convience for all the ingredients together in one package. Guaranteed you will be missing something when trying to make you wine for the very first time!! I still find myself needing something in addition to adding to the endless equipment upgrades & additional carboys......
Al

Boy can I relate that that. I've only made one kit/batch so far, and just getting ready for batch #2.
I already have 5 carboys (2-6 gal, 2-5gal, 1- 3gal.), two fermenting buckets, all of the other accessories for racking, and bottling, two corkers. I'm collecting used bottles from friends. Only things I don't have are test kits, and filter equipment.

 

[almargita]

Been reading a lot about the Chilian juice & how good it is, seems most people drink it dry....... Does anyone ever backsweeten it??? We prefer a medium sweeet to even a sweet wine over a dry one. I guess you doctor it up any way you prefer to drink it.... There is no right or wrong, although some people may say DRY is the way to go. Like eating steak, chefs say rare is the best, me I prefer well done!
Al

 

[Tom]

Have you ever tasted Chilean Carmenere or malbec?
Both are loaded with flavor. As you get into making more wine your tastes will change and become a "dry" drinker
When my wife started drinking wine all she wanted is a sweeter wine. Now she loves dry wine. Its getting hard for her to drink my fruit wines now..

 

[almargita]

Tom:

Actually have never tasted any of them, good idea, may go out & buy a couple bottles to try. Some of my friends only prefer dry wines?? Taste buds do change, used to like very sweet wines, now seem to be at medium sweet time in my life, maybe I am heading to the dry arena!
Al

 

[ffemt128]

Last year I picked up the Cab Franc, Chianti, Pinot Grigio and Sav Blanc. The reds are obviously dry and both lightly oaked. Julie loves the Chianti. The whites we back sweetened slightly as both prefer a sweeter white wine. I believe we only sweetened to 1.000 though for both so I guess you would consider those semi-sweet to semi-dry?

I'll be getting both of those again this year and likely to the same to them again.

 

[Runningwolf]

As you get into making more wine your tastes will change and become a "dry" drinker
When my wife started drinking wine all she wanted is a sweeter wine. Now she loves dry wine.

Al, Tom is right. Ok, I'll say it again...Tom is right!
My wife and I prefered semi sweet to sweet wines. Now it's semi dry. Knowing this ahead of time I have made three red kits and put them away and will continue to do a red or two each year. Since they take much longer to age and not our liking's right now it's easy not to drink them. BUT, when the time comes we might like them, I'll already have a quanity of them ready to drink.

 

[Tom]

DAN!

Did I see you said TWICE I was right?/

I'm humbled ..

 

[ffemt128]

Juice should be available this week in Pittsburgh. I'm looking forward to picking up my order.

 

[almargita]

Juice should be available this week in Pittsburgh. I'm looking forward to picking up my order.

Wont be able to get any yet, leaving for Vegas & California in the morning. Checked the weather for the next 2 weeks out there & guess what, NO RAIN!!
That will be different! Last 4 weeks of my Golf League have been rained out here & it look to continue........
Al

 

[Flem]

Al, have a great trip. Don't spend all your money in Vegas. Will you be back in time for Doug's get-together on the 15th?

 

[reefman]

Wont be able to get any yet, leaving for Vegas & California in the morning. Checked the weather for the next 2 weeks out there & guess what, NO RAIN!!
That will be different! Last 4 weeks of my Golf League have been rained out here & it look to continue........
Al

Al,
Are you one of the Pittsburgh golfers that plays on New Years Day? When I lived there, it was a big golf day, even with snow on the ground.

 

[ffemt128]

Just spoke with Consumers, Juice is in and they are in the process of pulling orders together. I WFH tomorrow so I'm picking up Friday at lunch time. Yeah Baby. I'll be pitching yeast Sunday afternoon most likely. I'll take ph and sg readings ahead of time.

 

[mrzazz]

Picking mine up Wednesday. YEA !!!!!!!

 

[ffemt128]

Heading down around 10:30 to pick up my juice. Whooo Hoooo... I'll have to shift some stuff (carboys) around on the bench to the other bench so that I can have room off the floor for the buckets.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Remember to give the buckets a chance to warm up before adding your yeast.

 

[ffemt128]

Remember to give the buckets a chance to warm up before adding your yeast.

Oh Yeah. I'm figuring on adding yeast on Sunday sometime. No sooner. Each time I picked them up they were about 38 degrees.

 

[Flem]

Looks like your get-together next week might be a "racking party"!!

 

[Brintk]

Oh Yeah. I'm figuring on adding yeast on Sunday sometime. No sooner. Each time I picked them up they were about 38 degrees.

I picked up my buckets Thursday morning at 6:30. One hour later, at home, the temp of the buckets were 44 degrees. By Noon I had transferred to the fermenter and the temp was 52 degrees, at which point I took the yeast out of the fridge and sprinkled on top. (Ron told me that the must was already sulphited, so I skipped that. Also, when I broke the seal on the buckets and pulled up the lid there was a slight vacuum in the bucket.) Today, I have lots of bubbles on top, and the smell is permeating the house.

I bought Merlot. SG=1.094, pH=3.40, TA= .51