Looking for a decent early drinking red wine

[kdubler]

So I'm new to wine making and have to ask what is a decent early drinking red kit wine. So far I have made wine from Apples, peaches, blueberries, welch's and I have a skeeter pee going. I also have made a WE Cab Franc Ice Wine which is in secondary right now and a WE Gerwurtz that is bottled. I tracked down a Red Mountain Cab which I am going to get going for a few years from now, but I'd also like to start a everyday drinking red which would hopefully be ready to drink within about 5-8 months. I've heard good things about the WE Lunna Rossa, but am also open to suggestions by anybody out there. Thank you in advance

 

[robie]

So I'm new to wine making and have to ask what is a decent early drinking red kit wine. So far I have made wine from Apples, peaches, blueberries, welch's and I have a skeeter pee going. I also have made a WE Cab Franc Ice Wine which is in secondary right now and a WE Gerwurtz that is bottled. I tracked down a Red Mountain Cab which I am going to get going for a few years from now, but I'd also like to start a everyday drinking red which would hopefully be ready to drink within about 5-8 months. I've heard good things about the WE Lunna Rossa, but am also open to suggestions by anybody out there. Thank you in advance

I made both the MM Renaissance Amarone and the Cellar Craft Cab/Shiraz blend because both were touted as being early drinkers. At six months, both were still very tart (green). I put them back in bulk storage and haven't tried them in many months. I just don't see them being drinkable in 6 months, myself.

I haven't personally made the Lunna Rossa, but in my experience in a local wine club, the W.E kits, which do not have the Crushendo grape packs, tend to be earlier drinkers than any big grape pack wine kits. I have heard nothing but good about the Lunna Rossa.

Of course all the Orchard Breezin (O.B.) kits, including similar mist-style kits by other providers are always early drinkers. Once they are ready to bottle, the are drinkable. They are all, in my opinion, best drank poured over a full glass of ice, which is not something one would typically do with a non-mist wine. A really good O.B. kit, which I made and devoured in only 4 months, is the Sangria with Seville oranges.

Good luck with your selection.

 

[jdeere5220]

I've heard good things about the WE Lunna Rossa, but am also open to suggestions by anybody out there. Thank you in advance

Your probably going to get some "no such thing as an early drinker" and "all red wines have to age" responses, don't worry about it. I have a hard time getting a year ahead of the game as well.

I think the Luna Rosa is an excellent choice, maybe the best. I also like the Original series Merlot. It's got very good Merlot flavor but it's maybe a little bit thin. I added an extra 1 1/2 cups of oak chips to the batch I just started to make it a little bolder. But it's very drinkable even at 3 months, my wife and I already demolished my first two batches so I have another fermenting now

 

[Dugger]

Another early drinker would be any Bergamais kit and I have made a VCDR (Vieux Chateau de Roi) that was good early.
I haven't tried the Luna Rosa but have heard good things about it.
Also, many have said that a premium kit drunk early and way below its potential is still better than a cheaper "early" kit, but it would be a shame to waste that potential.

 

[robie]

Also, many have said that a premium kit drunk early and way below its potential is still better than a cheaper "early" kit, but it would be a shame to waste that potential.

Yep, I have heard that, too, but the premium kits tend to have lots more total dissolved solid (TDS), which is what gives them that tart taste - the more TDS, the longer a wine can age and the longer it takes for it to get past the tartness. The less TDS, the less initial tartness. That's one reason why whites are typically earlier drinking than reds.

 

[21234rick]

I second the suggestion for Bergamais.
We started drinking it at 3 1/2 months and really enjoyed it.

 

[grapeman]

I think this is where individual tastes come into play. Some people like that bit of a tartness, including myself. I have made the Mosti Rennaissance Amarone a few times. To me it is really good even at 4-6 months and continues to mellow with age. After all, an amarone is supposed to be a bit bitter or tart -that is where the name comes from. A few others also must have similar tastes as I entered a bottle in the Winemaker contest two years ago that was around 6 months old and it took the only gold Mosti kits got that year.

Keep an open mind and palate. A lot depends on your taste buds.

 

[diggerdan17]

So I'm new to wine making and have to ask what is a decent early drinking red kit wine. So far I have made wine from Apples, peaches, blueberries, welch's and I have a skeeter pee going. I also have made a WE Cab Franc Ice Wine which is in secondary right now and a WE Gerwurtz that is bottled. I tracked down a Red Mountain Cab which I am going to get going for a few years from now, but I'd also like to start a everyday drinking red which would hopefully be ready to drink within about 5-8 months. I've heard good things about the WE Lunna Rossa, but am also open to suggestions by anybody out there. Thank you in advance

RJS Cellar Classic Grande Shiraz, at 6 months this was my go to wine and i'm almost all out now that i have hit a year

 

[FlavorSeeker]

+1 on the Orchard Breezin Seville Orange Sangria. While I favor Cabs and Merlots, my wife likes sweet wiines, specifically Sangria. I got started in home brewing a few months ago and she had been giving me jabs about what I spending on my new hobby, so I thought maybe a little payoff for her would bring her around. The owner of my LHBS recommended this kit and it turned out fantastic. I liked it soe much, I have a Winexpert French Cabernet Sauvignon fermenting happily away in my basement.

Since this is only my second posting, I can't include a link to my album. It's simply called "FlavorSeeker's Album".

 

[Tom]

Welcome FlavorSeeker,
there are a "few" others from PA. Tellus about your winemaking experiences

 

[Wade E]

Welcome Flavorseeker, I dont really advocate early red wine drinking so cant help you there. To be honest I dont even bottle reds til they have about 1 year under them but Im sure someone here will stear you the right way.