I understand that everyone here seems to believe that you can produce the equivalent of a $20-30 bottle of wine with the kits. Believe me I'm hoping they do, but I keep getting back to one question: HOW THE HECK CAN THEY DO IT? Here's the source of my skepticism:
Commercial winery picks grapes at optimum ripeness, crushes and ferments while still fresh, ages in oak barrels for usually two or more years before bottling and aging further before releasing for sale.
Wine kit maker gets someone to sell them grapes for crushing [I have to wonder about the quality of grapes sold for this purpose?]and thenEVAPORATES the juice beforepackaging itin little boxes for somepossibly extendedperiod of time. Shipped around under who knows what kind of temperature changes, then fermented with oak chips, before bottling after a few weeks, and then drinking after 6-12 months supposedly as well as thecommercial wine does after several years. How could this possibly be as goodas wine produced under the process above?
If this process really does produce such good wine, why don't the commercial wineries do it? Just eliminating the barrels, and the extended aging would save them a tremendous amount of money.
Commercial winery picks grapes at optimum ripeness, crushes and ferments while still fresh, ages in oak barrels for usually two or more years before bottling and aging further before releasing for sale.
Wine kit maker gets someone to sell them grapes for crushing [I have to wonder about the quality of grapes sold for this purpose?]and thenEVAPORATES the juice beforepackaging itin little boxes for somepossibly extendedperiod of time. Shipped around under who knows what kind of temperature changes, then fermented with oak chips, before bottling after a few weeks, and then drinking after 6-12 months supposedly as well as thecommercial wine does after several years. How could this possibly be as goodas wine produced under the process above?
If this process really does produce such good wine, why don't the commercial wineries do it? Just eliminating the barrels, and the extended aging would save them a tremendous amount of money.