Marital Harmony Kit Needed

[mark500]

I like fruity dry reds. My wife likes sweet wine.
We had an unusual fruity Merlot the other day, and both liked it.


What is a good fruity red, dry or off dry kit?
What about Vintners Beaujolais?
I had good luck with arecent Cellar Craft kit . Do they have any very fruity,dry or off dryreds?


Mark

 

[Tom]

Why dont you make a blended wine?
Merlot - Blueberry
Make the Merlot as per directions and after you fined the wine add a Blueberry f-pac.

 

[Big Ike]

Mark,


The first kit I made was a Mosti Mondial Renaissance Caberlot. I made per directions. It is both dry and fruity.


It came with oak chips and I left them in the mix for a couple of weeks, but the oak is not perceptible.


Ike

 

[vcasey]

Cellar Crafts White Shiraz would would well.
VC

 

[PeterZ]

Why make just one kit. I make the IM and OB kits for my wife and daughter, and drys for myself.

 

[AlFulchino]

...oh (shocked)...this is about wine......i saw the title and thought it was about credit cards

 

[Fly*guy]

Mark,


The first kit I made was a Mosti Mondial Renaissance Caberlot. I made per directions. It is both dry and fruity.


It came with oak chips and I left them in the mix for a couple of weeks, but the oak is not perceptible.


Ike

What is it that oaking does to the wine exactly?

I'm making this very kit right now, it is almost done in the secondary but it has only been about a week, (started in 2ndary w/ oak on 9/11).
Directions say to take it off the oak when fermentation stops, which I suspect will be the weekend. should I..... can I leave the oak in the wine for a longer period of time?
What will I taste differently if I allow wine(s), any wines, to stand on oak for longer time?

 

[Big Ike]

Oak does a couple of things. First it imparts flavor. The flavor that it imparts is dependent on the origins of the oak and how it was toasted. Take a look at the different oaks that George sells and you can get an idea of what you could/should anticipate from the different types.

Oak also imparts tannins to the wine. The tannins help with the wine's structure, mouth feel and aging. You can leave wine on oak too long, so make sure you taste regularly. I've read on this forum that you want to over oak just slightly as the oak will dissipate with time.

You can certainly leave the wine on the oak longer. I don't remember how much oak came with that kit, but I don't think it was much and I don't think it was heavily toasted either.

Hope this helped.