Cellar Craft Need advice on next kit

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anodari

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I have done a cheap zinfandel, a Cellar craft Amarone (good), and I have a cellar craft Washington Merolt in bulk age.

I am deciding on my next kit. What would you do?

Selection Estates
Napa Valley Stags leap
Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel

Cellar Craft Showcase
Lodi Old Vines
Rosso Fortissimo
 
All look good. Do you have these already? If not call George and tell him what kind of wine you like or want to make at...
http://www.finevinewines.com/
Here he can stir you in the right direction. He also has the best selections of ALL wine kits.
 
The Stags leap is good but needs lots of time to beome even ok. Didnt lke thw W.E. Zin myself. The 2 CC are on the money and are drinkable much earlier and with age are excellent. Something about the W.E. kits IMO makes them not very good to me for quite some time and then they swing full circle to good or very good.
 
All look good. Do you have these already? If not call George and tell him what kind of wine you like or want to make at...
http://www.finevinewines.com/
Here he can stir you in the right direction. He also has the best selections of ALL wine kits.

his selection is no longer the best now that he's dropped the WE line.
 
Yes true.
However there are better kits around. I and Wade as well as others have used the WE kits. Most of their kits seem to be thin in body unless you go for the high end kits. There is also the "kit" taste. The CC and Mosti have wone more medals than WE
 
The CC and Mosti have wone more medals than WE
CC = Cellar Craft?

I believe that RJS (makers of Cellar Classic) has won more than Cellar Craft & Mosti the last couple of years.

Steve
 
Yes,

I still say he still has the best selection and SERVICE. Here is what he said.. LOOK at what he is guaranteeing

Considering the fact that RAJ Spagnols has won more medals in the Winemaker Magazine competition than anyone else in the last 3 years, I am confident these wine kits will more than adequately replace the Winexpert kits.

RJ Spagnols wins an outstanding 374 medals at 2009 Winemaker International Amateur Wine Competition!

In addition, I have a guarantee from RJ Spagnols that if you try one of their products and are not happy with the results, they will refund the cost of your wine kit. Now that is putting your money where your mouth is!



Mosti Mondiale
Cellar Craft
RJ Spagnols
 
I have tried both CC kits. I think they are great. I was just considering another brand. i'll look into Mosti Mondiale & RJ Spagnols. On a different note, I met someone at a party last week that make wine from grapes. he has a crusher and a winepress. I may go that route next year. He has done both, and said he prefers wine from grapes, naturally. He did say when he did kits, the were all from Canada and not very good. We can all beleive they have improved.
 
The Cellar Craft Rosso Fortissimo is one of the best wines I have ever made.
 
RJS has won more awards then just about all the other manuacturers combined. Like I said W.E. had some good kits but most were not in my opinion. I have made every Winery Series RJS makes and many Cru Select and an E.P. and every one of has been awesome! I have also made quite a few of the Mist kits from both W.E. and RJS Orchard Breezin and the only thing I find different on these is the RJS kits clear much easier They actually taste the same to me.
 
With the first two kits i made, I struggled with letting them age, because of my impatience. I am determined to let this Cellar Craft Washington Merlot age for a year. I think I am leaning on the CC Rosso Fortisimo.

If you had to choose a kit that doesnt require long aging, which would it be?
 
It kinda depends on what you mean by 'long'. Is 6 Months long?

Red - Ken Ridge Classic Merlot. You're probably in the US (please update the location field in the control panel), so this not readily available to you. When I ran the store, many people were enjoying this 5 weeks after starting the kit. Personally I think its much better at three months or more.

White - any good quality Gewurztraminer or Riesling or blend.

Steve
 
I have done a cheap zinfandel, a Cellar craft Amarone (good), and I have a cellar craft Washington Merolt in bulk age.

I am deciding on my next kit. What would you do?

Selection Estates
Napa Valley Stags leap
Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel

Cellar Craft Showcase
Lodi Old Vines
Rosso Fortissimo

I have made all of those wines more than once. I always split my kits, with 6 bottles going to 2 different friends; making 3-4 batches of 6 wines a year. I make the (CC) LOVZ and the Rosso every year, but at different times. I've done it since the Rosso first came out. I mention all of this because when the LOVZ and the Rosso are on my list of wines to make they are ALWAYS the first to go.


I recently had a glass of WE LOVZ and thought it had less character (especially in the mid-palate) than the CC version. Good, but not as good.

kcd
 
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