RJ Spagnols Norton

[ws7293]

I am new to kits and wine making in general and am fond of the StoneHill Winery's Norton (This is a robust, deeply colored, dry red wine with distinctive Norton varietal character. Aged for one year in French, Hungarian & American oak barrels, this wine shows a complex mix of fruit, spice and oak. Comparable to a Shiraz.")
Looking for a kit that would compare to this Norton. Any help would be graet.

 

[countrygirl]

i've never seen a norton's kit, but i'm new to all of this...
is the stonehill norton's you like from missouri?
there is a southern illinois winery who also makes a cynthiana/norton...cache river basin winery. if you find a comparable kit, be sure and let us know. i sure would be interested

 

[deboard]

I haven't seen a kit or even a concentrate using Norton, I'd say it's just not popular enough (yet). There are a lot of people growing these grapes though, and it seems to be growing, so maybe we'll see some in the future.
It seems like every winery here in central ky is either making wine using it, or recently planted and is waiting on it to produce so they can make wine from it.
Missouri has been the ones who really embraced it though, all the info I get about it is from there, and I bought my vines from there.

 

[Wade E]

To my knowledge there are no Norton kits but you can probably find a winery willing to sell some grapes or juice ready to make wine from.

 

[countrygirl]

hoping to plant my own one day
i checked that one link, deboard, and that place in missouri that sells norton vines is very close to me i could have them in the ground this coming spring if hubby puts me up enough trellises. he farms and he sees the increased interest in wines and wineries and i think he's willing!

 

[winemaker_3352]

Yeah - just contact wineries in your area - i did that this year and found that most of them had grape varieties that they sold to individuals.

I was able to find:

Seyval
Chardonel
Norton
Concord

 

[deboard]

My experience with them was great, they didn't seem to mind that I was only ordering 10 vines. Good luck!

 

[Midwest Vintner]

i live ~8 miles from stone hill winery. the nortons are ok, but IMO, they oak them too much.

they'll have more competition next year

 

[countrygirl]

mw, you're only about a 3-4 hr. drive from me ya' know! may have to beg a bottle of norton when we go trout fishing next year

 

[winemaker_3352]

Yeah pretty close to my headquarters as well!!

 

[deboard]

There's a local winery that makes a Norton that to me tastes like I'm sucking on a piece of charcoal soaked in grape juice. Everyone has different tastes I know, and I appreciate a subtle oaking, but if it tastes like I'm drinking smoke, that turns me off real quick. Just my personal preference, no offense to anyone that loves the oak.

 

[countrygirl]

i tried a cab. sauv. in myrtle beach and i couldn't quite describe it, but i think your description may have been spot on, lol. i'm trying to develop my tastes, so i am trying new things. my only recommendation was that it was very balanced.