Other Ice Wine Kit - Red or White

[JerryF]

While I don't really have a whole lot on the go right now (a pinot grigio in the primary, a sangiovese red just about done in the secondary and some bottle aging cabernet sauvignon made late 2011), I am trying to build up a small personal inventory of kits of varying wines to keep me going and playing. I'd like to try an ice wine (prefer reds) but have no experience with ice wines (other than drinking the fare from LCBO). Has anybody tried these kits and realistically, how close can we get to the LCBO ice wines from a kit? Can anybody with experience recommend a brand to try?

 

[g8keeper]

i have made both varieties on the WE ice wines, riesling style and cab franc....my family and i found them both to be very tasty....the riesling definitely had many of the same characteristics of the commercial ones i have tried, imo...definitely very sweet and syrupy....the cab franc, which is the red, i can't say that i have ever seen a commercial equivalent, but i can say that it was truly very fruity and had some definitely berry notes to it....it also wasn't quite as syrupy, imo...we did enjoy them both, but i really did like the cab franc better, personally...

 

[JerryF]

i have made both varieties on the WE ice wines, riesling style and cab franc....my family and i found them both to be very tasty....the riesling definitely had many of the same characteristics of the commercial ones i have tried, imo...definitely very sweet and syrupy....the cab franc, which is the red, i can't say that i have ever seen a commercial equivalent, but i can say that it was truly very fruity and had some definitely berry notes to it....it also wasn't quite as syrupy, imo...we did enjoy them both, but i really did like the cab franc better, personally...

Thanks Ken. I think maybe too sweet and syrupy would not be my taste so I'll probably try the red cab franc first. I'll probably do the riesling white too at some point but I think the red will be first. Appreciate the post, very helpful.
__________________ Jerry

 

[g8keeper]

Thanks Ken. I think maybe too sweet and syrupy would not be my taste so I'll probably try the red cab franc first. I'll probably do the riesling white too at some point but I think the red will be first. Appreciate the post, very helpful.
__________________ Jerry

you're welcome, jerry....but if you are a fan of ice wines, i do reccomend both, like i said....i still have a bottle or 2 of the cab franc left sitting in the fridge from several years ago....need to crack it open and see how it is....i think it was done bsck in 2006....lol...

 

[cpfan]

Several years ago I had the opportunity to sample some Inniskillin ice wine against some from the Vineco Ken Ridge Classic White Ice wine. Since I made the kit, I can tell you that it was made by the instructions.

It's too long ago for me to recall the exact differences, and none of the samplers could be considered very knowledgable. However, the two wines were very similar, and I believe consensus was that the kit was at least as good as the commercial, and MUCH better if the price factor was considered.

Steve

 

[JerryF]

Several years ago I had the opportunity to sample some Inniskillin ice wine against some from the Vineco Ken Ridge Classic White Ice wine. Since I made the kit, I can tell you that it was made by the instructions.

It's too long ago for me to recall the exact differences, and none of the samplers could be considered very knowledgable. However, the two wines were very similar, and I believe consensus was that the kit was at least as good as the commercial, and MUCH better if the price factor was considered.

Steve

Aah! The Inniskilin Ice Wines are amongst the best I've ever tasted. Even though not my favorite, I did enjoy the white, especially served very chilled with fresh pears and asiago cheese! If the Vineco Ken Ridge kit comes even remotely close, I don't think I'd have any trouble trying that one at all. Thanks, Jerry