Great advice so far. If you are TRULY a winesnob, you can and will be impressed with what you can make in your own home if you follow some advice.
First as most have said, give George a call and tell him what you like to drink. There will be a kit for what you like. Some kit names are kinda funky so if you haven't been in this hobby a bit, you may not know what a particular kit is (Like the 2005 WE LE kits, funky names there) He can offer you exactly what you are looking for.
Second, obtain the proper equipment to make your wine. You don't need all the stuff many of us have but for those that make a lot, the better the equipment, the easier and faster we can do our tasks. Does it make any better wine? No, not at all, it is basically convenience factors. Get the proper size carboy and bucket, a racking cane, a hydrometer, some hose, a big spoon, some type of corker, some corks,some bottles and some sanitizer. Others might say a few other things are critical as well such as a thermometer but if you let the must sit in the bucket for a day prior to pitching the yeast and your homes temp is 70, it should be close to 70 in the bucket.
Third, after you make your wine and get it bottled, put it away in a decent setting. Protect it from light, vibration and temperature fluctuations. Leave it for a couple years and you will be blown away. I promise. I drank a 2002 Sterling Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon last night that is a $70.00 bottle of wine. I would say most "wine snobs" will appreciate a $70.00 bottle of wine most any day. It was a very good wine but nothing compared to a 2004 Cabernet Savignon that someone brought to Winestock. (Gosh I wish I could remember who brought that wine, I am almost obsessed with it as it was so good) That wine more than likely cost less than $5.00 to make.
I tasted numerous great wines that night. The Cab as mentioned, a great Stags Leap Merlot, as well as many others. The ones that were a couple years in the bottle were knock your socks off. The younger ones were good but I noticed that extra year made all the difference.
Of coursethat doesn't mean they have been in the bottle that long but the average home winemaker will label when theymade and bottled as opposed to the vintage year which is normally all the same though as the kits are extremely fresh materials.
So WineSnob, come, join us, enjoy. You won't be disappointed if you can follow a few simple directions and exhibit some extreme patience in waiting for you "baby" to grow up. As I sit here, I stare at my wine rack that is full of bottles that I won't start enjoying the full potential till next year. I have a few lower end kits that are sooner drinking and actually quite good. They are equivalent and many better than your average grocery store wines such as Yellow Tail or Red Truck. Good for their intentions and shouldn't be looked down upon. I am actually a huge fan of the Vintners Reserve kits.
I hope we have answered your questions and helped move another wine lover from a buyer and drinker to a maker, sharer and drinker. We love to share our experiences, good and bad and help steer the less knowledgeable toward the path toward success and enjoyment!
Smurfe
