RJ Spagnols Cranberry Chianti

[univity]

Friday was transfer to carboy night

MMM bubbly goodness after degas. This is the fitst time I have used the drill mounted stirrer - does a great job imo

My stash is running low - most of what I have is the Kiwi Melon I just made

 

[Bert]

You may not have your wine rack full, but a very nice looking wine rack....Did you build it, looks very nice...

 

[NorthernWinos]

Cranberry Chianti sounds really good....I gather that this is a RJ kit?????

 

[univity]

Yes it is an RJ kit - its very yummy


No I did not make the wine rack, but it was custom made for me - a guy I work with has a furniture biz on the side - he made it for me for free with scrap wood - well - I made a batch of wine for him so I guess you can say that was what i paid

 

[rgecaprock]

univity, Welcome to the Forum.


Your wine rack almost looks like a bar....is it? What kind of top is on it?


Very nice. Your furniture guy got a good trade!!


Ramona

 

[univity]

its a wine tasting table - basically 2 wine racks back to back - it can hold 220 bottles I believe


the top is the old kitchen island top from our old house - we remodeled the kitchen about 6 months before we decided to build a new house


I kept the old center island counter top - figured it would come to good use some day - it is a little scratched, but I plan to tile it - waiting until after we finish our basement so I can get some tile to go with the bar we plan to build down there - that'll be a few years out tho - until then the whole basement is my fermentation room - that will change when it becomes my husband's "man cave" but he promises to incorporate my winemaking needs in the design

 

[rgecaprock]

Cranberry Chianti....just plain sounds good!!!

 

[univity]

I should have bottled about 2 weeks ago, but was busy so just let it sit longer which shouldn't be a problem. I just got back from 5 days in Tenn floating on Lake Norris and ready to get back in business. The wine still isn't clear enough though. Most the Orchard Breezin kits I have had issues with them clearing - I even degas for double the suggested time. Normally I just thief out some wine - add some sparkaloid and viola - 2 days later we r all good. I think I may let this be an excuse to invest in a filter though - any problems letting this sit a while longer before I bottle?

 

[Wade E]

No problem at all. Did this kit come with the 2 part liquid fining agents? I have never had any problem clearing a wine with the SuperKleer at all.

 

[univity]

yeah - I did 2 kits and they both came with 2 packets of the clearing stuff (they used to only include 1). But I bought a big bottle of Sparkloid which does the trick - I am just wondering what I may be doing wrong as about half the time these RJ kits dont clear nicely. They arent cloudy, just some sediment in the glass when u sample with the theif - I will just order a MiniJet - which I have been wanting to do anyway!

 

[Wade E]

Imnot sure but its weird cause of all the kits Ive done the SuperKleer has always done the best job of clearing a wine followed by Mosti's 2 part system. I have never done a Cellar Craft kit so dont know what they offer as far as fining agents. They all work for me but RJS has worked best. Are these kits that you are getting within the allotted date code?

 

[univity]

Yeah - I am wondering if it is something I am doing wrong - but most of the kiwi melon kits I have made (which i have made probably 4 or 5 of them) cleared up really well. I had one that didn't and I just put some sparkaloid in it and in 1 day it was crystal clear.


These 2 batches I wonder if I didnt rack well from primary to secondardy as when i degased, it kicked up a lot of chunky sediment - more thanI normally see


Well I bottled 56 bottles of Cranberry Chianti yesterday, and I must say that the MiniJet was a good purchase. I wouldn't necessarily say it saves time as it takes time to setup and clean before/after, but the wine is crystal clear from the num 2 pads


I also uncorked a bottle of this flavor from a year ago just to taste the difference. The aged was not quiteas sweet and had more of that cranberry juice aftertaste - so the first taste was sweet with a little of that cranberry tanginess afterftaste - better aged imo.

Edited by: univity

 

[dfwwino]

George gave me a sample of this wine this past Saturday. I liked it so much I just ordered a RJS Cranberry Chianti as part of George's Cyberspecial. I think I'll take George's suggestion in last month's newsletter and use honey to boost the SG and make a pyment. I love cranberry juice.

 

[Jim M]

Do you make this according to instructions or do add additional sugar or part of the F-Pack during fermentation? If according to instructions, how would you rate the sweetness?

I'm getting ready to start one and don't want it too sweet.

Thanks - Jim

 

[dfwwino]

I have not made the kit yet. According to George,the sample I tasted was made per instructions. It was sweet with a fruit juice/wine cooler taste. I am planning to add 6 lbs. of honey to makea pyment as George suggested in his newsletter:


http://www.finevinewines.com/November_2008.htm#LETTER.BLOCK32

 

[Wade E]

That does sound good!

 

[dfwwino]

Urinary tract infections are common in men with an enlarged prostate gland, e.g. me as I'm aging. I've heard that drinking one or two glasses of cranberry juice a daywards off urinary tract infections. Cranberry juice produces hippuric acid in the urine which acidifies the urine and prevents bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder. Local honey also helps with one's allergies. Do you think that drinking Cranberry Chianti Pyment will ward off urinary tract infections and subdue my allergies? I'm always looking for another reason to drink wine. And yes, I know, did I really have to bring up the topic ofpee and wine?

 

[Wade E]

I would say that the cranberry juice will help!

 

[NorthernWinos]

Cranberry Chianti just sounds like something we'd really like.......Yum!!!!
Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[grapeman]

And yes, I know, did I really have to bring up the topic ofpee and wine?

Why are you worried about bringing it up - Barney and NW have given us the joke of "Pee-No More Wine"

By the way I have no idea what you are talking about