New here, But Not really

[A1190w]

Hi Everyone,


I thought I'd finally and formally introduce myself. My name is Andy, i've been retired now for 5 years, living the dream, deep in the forests of mid Michigan.I designed overhead and underground power lines for 35 years with the Detroit Edison Company in Southeast Michigan.


You see, I've been hanging around this forum for about a year now. lookin, learnin doing. I never thought i'd get hooked on a new hobby the way thisthinghas sucked me up. Up & Down the river we live on we're known as the wine boat. We take 4-5 bottles of wine on the pontoon boat, go downstream a ways, beach the boat on the sandbar, put out the lawn chairs and watch the world go buy with a bunch of great people, who do the same. Sip wine and enjoy the day.


I'd thought I'd try a kit or two, follow the directions and see what happens, right! , I mean, how tough can it be?? I bought the books, read the magazines, studied and tried it.


Now, 55 kits later, look what you did to me.I guess I'm what you would call an excessive compulsive, much to my Wife, Pat's dismay. The biggest problem I have with any of these wines is tasting them. I read all the descriptions, they say strawberry, cherry, vanilla essences, plum tasting. Personally between you guysand me I ain't never tasted a strawberry or plum or cherry that tastes like any wine I have ever bought or made. They, well, alltaste like wine to me each with their differences.. Any way, I keep on trying and tastingand searching for that plummy taste cause i'm a slow learner. lol


You all are justa wealth of Knowledgeand i want to thank you all for letting me tap your collective knowledge base.


I guess thats all for now but I just wanted to say thanks for all the data and I'll be here somewhere lurkin around or contributing some of my experiences.



Edited by: A1190w

 

[NorthernWinos]

Welcome Andy and Pat....Hope you share all your experiences with us....


Your Wine Boat sounds like a nice dream....share some photos if you have any.

 

[Wade E]

That sounds like an awesome way to spend time, Welcome and jump in when ever you feel like!

 

[Poacher]

I have a Pontoon boat as well, and we do about the same thing. Find a cove anchor out and turn up the radio. "Redneck Yacht Club" is always at the tops of the list of songs played. Its is a very good time and a good way to relax. Oh and welcome to the forums!!

 

[NorthernWinos]

We call it the Booze Cruise at my friends lake home on her pontoon...or the Party Barge....good times.


We don't get over there enough, summers are short up here.Edited by: Northern Winos

 

[PolishWineP]

Welcome to the other side of the forum! Glad you came out of the lurkers corner!

 

[masta]

Welcome and it's about time you joined us for real!

 

[moose]

Good to welcome you. Sounds like a nice way to spend a summer day, evening or anytime.

 

[mississippi mud]

Welcome Andy, glad you spoke up andhow about a few pictures of your wine operation /set up.

 

[pelican]

Hi Andy, welcome and when you put up the pics of your wine operation, how about one of the boat too? It'll be a few months before boating weather comes around up here, but we can dream can't we??

 

[Phyllis]

Hi Andy,


You can really pick up on the flavors like plum etc.when you do a really big red, like the Rojo Intenso Meglioli, or the Renaissance Barolo or Amarone. Plus using the right glass for the wine makes a huge difference. I have some glasses from Schott Zweisell that I sell and use for myself that make such a big difference you wouldn't believe it. If I use a cheap Ikea glass and beside it the proper glass it's almost like tasting 2 different wines.

 

[dcrnbrd]

Welcome. I am sure you can pass on some knowledge yourself after 55 kits. Thats impressive.

 

[A1190w]

Hi everyonje and thanks for the welcome. Phyllis, I had no idea the glass shape meant that much, I know it meant somethimg. we have come nice wine glasses we received for christmas with a relatvley large bowl. Not thebrandy snifter type, but a wine glass. They are by lennox I think and then we have a set by Libbey. I don't know, I sniff, swirl slurp, and all I get is A great wholesome smell of great wine. I guess I just need more practice tatsing.
Will get some boat pics up as soon as I can find them.


Currently fermenting are an 18L CC Carmenere ( the Big kit): Winexpert Pinot Noir 15L; and another Cc Amerone a 12L I think. Both of the Cc Kits were with the grape packs. On Deck (or sitting here next to me is) Winexpert Italian Pino Grigio 15L and Winexpert Piesporter 15L

 

[A1190w]

Not impressive, a sickness

 

[grapeman]

So how many years did it take to make the 55 kits. Tell me it wasn't all in this last year you have been lurking in the shadows here! That truly would be a sickness- especially since you didn't post during that time.

 

[Okie1]

Hi Andy,


I have made around 60 kits in the last 12 months of beginning in wine making (I went a little overboard)

.


Started off with WE estate reds but wanted something to drink and share with friends much sooner, so I've made literlly every Island mist and Breezin kit available and some 2 or 3 times.


Have too many currently ferminting and bulk aging ATM to list now, but I am proud of the 3 CC Rosso Super Tuscan's I havegoing for 3 weeks now.


Anyway, back to my point, Whichis that amoung all of the wines that are either ready to drink as soon as bottled or ones that need 3 or so months aging theWE Piesporter with elderflower pak has to be theBEST of themall afteronly a few months in the bottle. (aside from the high end reds that require 1-2 yrs aging and the jurys still out on them)


I dont make too many WE kits anymore, But in my opinion the WE Piesporter is deserving of its gold medals. I hope you enjoy yours as I have mine.


Tom


NE Okla

 

[mississippi mud]

5 KIT AMONTH

you guys are hard core!!!! I bet it smells wonderful with 5 fermenting at a time!! Edited by: mississippi mud

 

[grapeman]

Okie, I think you misstyped about the amount of kits you have done in 12 months. In the US there is a 200 gallon limit per household to make with 2 or more adults per year for personnal use. That is 33.33 - 6 gallon kits. Be careful about that limit. We don't want you or anyone else in trouble. That is still 1000 bottles of wine per year!


It does sound like you have some great ones going and in the bottle aging.

 

[A1190w]

Hi Tom,


The kits I've made have been in the last 2 years, I really went through a lot of wine summer before last when it was new and a novelty for me.We were just so fasinated that we couldmake it that anybody that wanted a glass down on the rivergot one.


Today as I mature in my wine endeavors, I kinda find myself leaning to go for the High ended winekits. I tried one of the Grape Pack Kits a few months ago, the Cellar craft Old Vines Zinfandel, and was immediatley sold. The immature wine in those kits I feel is better than some of the lower ended kits wines that have aged a while.


While I don't as of yet have a real refined set of taste buds going yet,I do believe that practice makes perfect.


Getting to that piesporter, I'm on my second Winexpert Originale kit now. The first one didn't impress me that much originally, but lately, after 9 months under the cork, It's really getting nice. I can actually get the taste of Fresh Ice Cold pineapple along with fresh grapefruit. Really refreshing and i like it Ice Cold. I will as time goes by try some other Piesporter kits to see the differences.


I just Opened a Ken Ridge Classic Barolo yesterday after 4 months under the cork and was kinda impressed with it. I have to go out and find a bottle of barolo in the store some place and see how they compare. Thats one of my problems too, I made a lot of wines I never heard of, to build a wine cellar and then I have to go out and buy a commercial wine to see if their close to what I made. It just never ends...Kinda like being on rocketship to you know where.... yee ha

 

[peterCooper]

Hi Andy,


You can really pick up on the flavors like plum etc. when you do a really big red, like the Rojo Intenso Meglioli, or the Renaissance Barolo or Amarone.  Plus using the right glass for the wine makes a huge difference.

 

Phyllis, you are doing it WRONG!. You know you are just supposed to put the siphon tubing in the neck of the carboy and then lie on the floor of the pontoon with the other end in your mouth.

Welcome Andy</font></font>Edited by: peterCooper