What are you making and what have you made ???

[StevenD55]

Zinfandel
Valiant
Frontenac
Pinot Grigio
Marquette
Noiret
Blends of the above
Aurore
Apricot
Cherry
Apple
Pear
Mead
Dandelion

 

[Atlas.Ink]

Made​

1. Pinot Grigio
2. Chamblaise
3. Chardonnay
4. Riesling
5. Sauvignon Blanc
6. Gewurztraminer
7. Liebfraumilch
8. Piesporter
9. Shiraz
10. Cabernet Suavignon
11. Merlot
12. Pinot Noir
13. Valpolacella
14. Muscat
15. Chenin Blanc
16. Malbec Syrah
17. Malbec
18. Muller Thurgau
19. Zinfandel (Rose Style)
20. Montepulciano
21. Barolo
22. Luna Rossa
23. Super Tuscan
24. Cabernet Shiraz
25. Viogner
26. Amarone
27. Carmenere
28. Blackberry
29. Strawberry
30. Peach
31. Apricot
32. Pear
33. Apple
34. Plum
35. ... Probably more that I cannot think of.

​

 

[heatherd]

As of 18March2019:

Grapes/juice
-5/10/14 Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon; 12g; pail + frozen must
-9/13/14 California Old Vine Zinfandel; 6g; pail + lug of grapes
-9/11/14 California Cab Franc; 16g; pail + lug of grapes
-9/11/14 California Chenin Blanc; 6g; pail
-9/11/14 California Cab Franc/Zin/Cabernet Sauvignon blend; 7g pail + grapes, cofermented
-10/19/14 Italian Pinot Bianco; 6g pail - DUMPED due to incurable stinkyness
-3/28/15 All grape South African Pinotage; 6g
-5/12/15 Chilean Carmenere; 7g; pail + lug of grapes
-9/12/15 California Chardonnay; 6g; pail
-9/12/15 California Viognier; 6g; pail
-9/12/15 California Old Vine Zinfandel; 7g; pail + lug of grapes
-9/12/15 Maryland Seyval Blanc; 3g; all grapes - WMT AWARD WINNING!
-10/12/15 Italian Barbera; 7g; pail + lug of grapes
-10/12/15 Italian Nebbiolo; 7g; pail + lug of grapes
-9/26/16 California Muscat Canelli; 13 g; juice and grapes
-10/3/16 Maryland Traminette; 12 g; all grapes
-9/30/17 California Chenin Blanc; 6g; pail
-9/30/17 California Sauvignon Blanc; 6g; pail
-9/30/17 Cal. Lodi Gold Zinfandel juice + lug Old Vine Zin. Grapes; 7g
-9/30/17 Cal. Lodi Gold Petit Syrah juice + lug grapes; 7g
-10/14/17 Washington state all-grape Pinot Noir from Rattlesnake Hill; 7g
-8/1/18 Double batch of Australian Chenin Blanc from PI Wine
-8/1/18 Two-continent Cabernet Sauvignon with Astralian juice and California Rattlesnake Hill grapes (from winegrapesdirect).

Coming soon
-Chilean fresh Rapel Valley Casa Rosa juice from Annapolis Homebrew

Kits 6g
-12/28/12 Island Mist Cranberry Malbec
-2/2/13 Grand Cru International California Muscat
-3/15/13 Mosti Mondiale Montepulciano
-3/21/13 Mosti Mondiale Chardasia
-5/22/13 Meglioni Moscato Italiano
-6/16/2013 RJS Grand Cru California Moscato
-7/18/13 Tangerine Lemon Sauvignon Blanc
-9/11/13 RJS Cru Select Chilean Malbec
-10/11/13 Meglioli Marzemino
-1/2/14 Winexpert Eclipse Italian Barolo
-1/4/14 RJS Cellar Classic Winery Series Italian Super Tuscan
-2/16/14 Mezza Luna White
-2/23/14 Grand Cru International British Columbian Pinot Noir
-3/23/14 Kenridge LE2014 Italy Primitivo Showcase Collection - WMT AWARD WINNING!
-4/13/14 Winexpert Selection International South African Chenin Blanc
-7/4/14 Winexpert LE2013 Willmette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir
-7/4/14 Orchard Breezin Seville Orange Sangria
-8/13/14 Vineco Cellar Craft Sterling California Sauvignon Blanc
-8/13/14 Winexpert LE2014 Selection International Grenache Rose
-1/6/15 RQ14 Spanish Monastrell Petit Verdot
-1/16/15 Selection California Chardonnay
-1/16/15 RQ14 Italian Nero D'Avola
-6/7/15 Mosti Meglioli Masters Edition Amarone w/grapes and raisins
-7/25/15 RJS RQ2015 Italian Aglianico
-7/25/15 Selection Italian Pinot Grigio
-2/7/16 WE LE2014 Washington Triumph
-3/6/16 Selection Australian Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre
-3/6/16 En Primeur Astralian Sauvignon Blanc
-8/21/16 LE2015 Gewurztraminer Verdelho Muscat
-8/21/16 VDV White Zinfandel
-3/19/17 Eclipse Italian Forza
-3/19/17 LE2015 Fourtitude
-3/19/17 Eclipse Bravado
-3/25/18 Selection Australia Traminer-Reisling
-3/25/18 World Vineyard California Pink Moscato
-4/1/18 France Philosophie Chardonnay
-8/1/18 Mosti Modiali Shiraz
-3/18/19 WE Eclipse Nocturnal

Kits 3g
-9/18/13 RJS Coffee port
-11/19/13 RJS Black Forest port
-9/1/14 RJS Toasted Caramel port
-9/1/14 RJS Coffee port
-10/11/15 RJS Coffee port
-10/11/15 RJS Raspberry Mocha dessert wine

Cider
-12/1/14; 6 gallons
-3/8/15; 6 gallons

 

[crushday]

This is what I started today - took four hours from start to finish:

1. 12 gallons, Hawke’s Bay Merlot (WE17), started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, heavy toast chips (120gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.102
2. 12 gallons, Master Sommelier Merlot, started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, heavy toast chips (120gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.105
3. 12 gallons, Petite Cab (WE17), started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.092
4. RJS 2019 RQ1 Joaquin Murrieta (Chilean Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah), two packs dried skins, started 3/20/2019, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.099
5. RJS 2019 RQ3 Enrico Alfano (Italian Nebbiolo), two packs dried skins, started 3/20/2019, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.083,
6. RJS Hightail Merlot, started 3/20/2019, two packs dried skins, heavy toast chips (60gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.101

 

[sour_grapes]

This is what I started today - took four hours from start to finish:

1. 12 gallons, Hawke’s Bay Merlot (WE17), started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, heavy toast chips (120gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.102
2. 12 gallons, Master Sommelier Merlot, started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, heavy toast chips (120gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.105
3. 12 gallons, Petite Cab (WE17), started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.092
4. RJS 2019 RQ1 Joaquin Murrieta (Chilean Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah), two packs dried skins, started 3/20/2019, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.099
5. RJS 2019 RQ3 Enrico Alfano (Italian Nebbiolo), two packs dried skins, started 3/20/2019, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.083,
6. RJS Hightail Merlot, started 3/20/2019, two packs dried skins, heavy toast chips (60gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.101

Umm, wow! That is a heavy haul!

 

[DIYer]

I just started my first kit! Vinter's Reserve Gewurztraminer, but with Cotes des Blancs yeast instead of the EC-1118 that came with the kit. So excited!

 

[Countrygent]

My winemaking path should make anybody who makes wine at home feel good that they are guaranteed to have at least one more hapless winemaker then themselves out there! Me.

Have made Eclipse Pinot Noir through the local u-vin store. Probably drank a lot of it too soon, but felt it hadn’t been degassed well enough. About a half dozen bottles left that perhaps have improved with age - about 15 months now. Would be beaten out by a bottom shelf $10 Pinot IMO. Grade C. Maybe the last few aged bottles will surprise to the upside.

I have a 25 vine Pinot Precoce (early ripening burgundy clone) vineyard that is an experiment in everything from growing grapes through to winemaking. Last year was the first crop year after planting, year three. Wet weather in September set in bunch rot, I had probably overcropped and failed to trim leaves aggressively enough as well. Went ahead and made 6 gallons of wine from low (20?) Brix juice, that also had a pretty high acidity. Supplemented with sugar, all seemed to be going pretty well, but I must have failed to give enough nutrient to my primary ferment and started to have Sulfur problems. Tried all the recommended treatments but in the end it was so foul poured away all but some sample gallon jugs that have been left to age - I’m almost afraid to open or taste! Grade F with a possible conditional pass if the reserved samples turn out swallowable! This year we will debunch and remove a lot more foliage, to try and get less but riper fruit.

Dragon’s Blood. Unqualified success. Followed the online instructions pretty closely, used less lemon than the original recipe as it seemed pretty acidic to me, and more raspberry than mixed berry, could not stop it from disappearing, the girls over Christmas liked it on ice with seltzer water and I couldn’t even save a bottle to see how well it might mature over a few months. Did a second batch, also a success, this one had more mixed berries and I think I prefer the more raspberry heavy approach. Last batch has been in the bottle about three months but only have a handful left, so just brewed up another batch for late summer consumption. B+ still tweaking how sweet, what fruit, but it is clear, tasty and has a kick to say the least. An unfortunate young person came home to my son’s girlfriend’s (I had given her a few bottles) and on top of a night out had a few glasses that got them way too inebriated. A gong show apparently.

Two buckets of frozen Willamette Pinot Noir that I have high hopes for, except for a true bonehead move - I had two car boys and was doing a secondary racking when the wine was on oak chips. Somehow managed to put all the oak in one carboy for three months - when bottling as luck would have it bottled the no-oak first, then only after getting to the bottom of the second carboy did the chips reveal themselves down in the fine lees. So two levels of oak bottled, corked and capped in a mystery mixture. The wine is really young still (9 months from pitching yeast) so maybe in a year or so the heavier oak will be good - not so great now! Heaven only knows what other mistakes I have made with sulfite management, additions ... no grade yet, just crossed fingers.

An Eclipse Stag’s Leap Merlot. Tried to fortify it with the grape must from the Oregon Pinot noir ... then had a second Sulfur problem ... might have been able to drive it off as in this case as I was onto it much sooner and have learnt my problem was probably stressing the yeast. Treated it with some copper salts (?) recommended by my local Rescue 911 new wine making store (and they have a loyal customer base so that is encouraging) and yeast nutrient, the smell cleared, but once bitten twice shy. Hoping for a Lazarus bottling ... put down a few months ago, will wait until year end to see if it was saved to drinkability. Darn Merlot.

Eclipse Marlborough Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Seemed very yellow, almost brown in the carboy, the wine was drinkable at bottling but pretty acid and rough. Made this in hopes my wife would enjoy it in the summer, as yet got the definite thumbs-down. I have bravely choked down the extra half bottle left at bottling by mixing it 50/50 with seltzer water, so far it is bottom shelf awful. C-.

Made a batch of Super Tuscan through my new U-Vin friends. Figured they can probably do a much better job than me so far. Will bottle in a week or two with hopes this will be nice in the late winter with heavier food. We shall see.

So ... definitely my dreams of quaffing excellence at a low price have not yet been realized. The Dragon’s Blood a pleasant surprise but nothing to compare to a great Pinot which is what I love to drink the most. Maybe my frozen Pinot bucket wine will turn out great oak variations notwithstanding - I suppose I could empty and mix and rebottle it all down the road if it starts to shine - they had a great vintage last year in Northern Oregon.

Never say die. Eventually I hope I can make that ethereal bottle that will cause some wine loving friends to ask incredulously ... “YOU made that?!!” Obviously a work in progress, but I have learned a lot so far.

 

[bstnh1]

I know some people guzzle down their wine before the cork has a chance to get wet, but I don't even think about sampling anything until it's at least a year old. Whites are drinkable and fairly decent at a year to 18 months. Most of my reds have taken a few years to reach their peak. I sample it at bottling, but what it's like at that time usually is not a good prognosticator of what the end result will be. I don't know, maybe I'm just too fussy. But if I can't make wine that's equal to or better than what you can buy in a grocery store for $12-$15 a bottle, then I'd give it up tomorrow. And I think the only way you get there is by having a lot of patience and letting it age until it's reached its full potential.

 

[bstnh1]

This is what I started today - took four hours from start to finish:

1. 12 gallons, Hawke’s Bay Merlot (WE17), started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, heavy toast chips (120gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.102
2. 12 gallons, Master Sommelier Merlot, started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, heavy toast chips (120gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.105
3. 12 gallons, Petite Cab (WE17), started 3/20/2019, grape skin pack, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.092
4. RJS 2019 RQ1 Joaquin Murrieta (Chilean Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah), two packs dried skins, started 3/20/2019, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.099
5. RJS 2019 RQ3 Enrico Alfano (Italian Nebbiolo), two packs dried skins, started 3/20/2019, RC 212 yeast, OG 1.083,
6. RJS Hightail Merlot, started 3/20/2019, two packs dried skins, heavy toast chips (60gm), Avante yeast, OG 1.101

4 hours????? It takes me almost that long to get one kit started!! I started two the other day and it was pretty much an all day affair with that tedious, boring cleaning job at the end. If there's anything I hate about this, it's the cleaning!! I absolutely hate that part of it. lol

 

[bstnh1]

I just started my first kit! Vinter's Reserve Gewurztraminer, but with Cotes des Blancs yeast instead of the EC-1118 that came with the kit. So excited!

Congratulations! You're on your way to a great and rewarding hobby!

 

[sour_grapes]

My winemaking path should make anybody who makes wine at home feel good that they are guaranteed to have at least one more hapless winemaker then themselves out there! Me.

...

Never say die. Eventually I hope I can make that ethereal bottle that will cause some wine loving friends to ask incredulously ... “YOU made that?!!” Obviously a work in progress, but I have learned a lot so far.

Loved the stories! Thanks for sharing.

 

[DIYer]

Dragon’s Blood. Unqualified success. Followed the online instructions pretty closely, used less lemon than the original recipe as it seemed pretty acidic to me, and more raspberry than mixed berry, could not stop it from disappearing, the girls over Christmas liked it on ice with seltzer water and I couldn’t even save a bottle to see how well it might mature over a few months. Did a second batch, also a success, this one had more mixed berries and I think I prefer the more raspberry heavy approach. Last batch has been in the bottle about three months but only have a handful left, so just brewed up another batch for late summer consumption. B+ still tweaking how sweet, what fruit, but it is clear, tasty and has a kick to say the least. An unfortunate young person came home to my son’s girlfriend’s (I had given her a few bottles) and on top of a night out had a few glasses that got them way too inebriated. A gong show apparently.

Thanks for sharing your results! I am new, trying a wine kit for the first time. I did some cider, Welch's grape (Concorde & white), ginger beer & dragon's blood last year. I had a totally different experience with DB. I have 10 bottles that I am about to pour down the drain to free up bottles for the wine kit. I followed the recipe exactly, but it was harsh when fresh and after a year, it is still not good. My suspicion is the use of "Real Lemon", aka artificially preserved, shelf-stable lemon (which is what was called for). It just has a bad, artificial tastes can't get past. I might retry it someday with fresh lemon juice (at maybe half the amount), but so far, this well-loved recipe has been my biggest failure... I have high hopes for the wine kit, and hope I will not be similarly disappointed with it.

 

[winemaker81]

I have 5 kits currently in production:

• Winexpert Limited Edition Chilean Corazon
• Winexpert Limited Edition Symphony/Gewurztraminer
• R J Spagnols Merlot
• Winexpert Selection Merlot
• R J Spagnols Grand Cru Vieux Chateau du Roi

I'm unsure of the Symphony/Gewurztraminer -- the preliminary taste post-fermentation was not good. The wine is fine, but the grape combination had no gewurztraminer character. Yeah, it's totally green but I can get a hint of what the result will be after aging. I tasted again last night and I'm still getting no gewurztraminer character. From that POV it's disappointing, but I expect the final result will be a decent table wine.

The RJS Merlot is for my niece. She pays for all materials (kit, corks, capsules) and I make it. She wanted a merlot and the kit was on clearance -- the date on the box says 12/2018, so it was a great deal.

The Vieux Chateau du Roi was an impulse buy. I always ask about clearance kits -- the price is reduced and I've yet to get a bad kit. Prior to this the oldest one I made was 1-1/2 years old.

The date on the box is 03/03/2016. Yup, 3 years old. The owner was honest surprised -- he thought the 16 was 18, and was shocked the kit was that old. [I had to take off my glasses and look carefully to realize the "8" was actually a "6".] I figured "what the heck" and purchased at a steep discount.

The juice was bright purple, and smelled & tasted good. It fermented cleanly and is currently clearing. The preliminary tasting is good so I made a great buy on this one.

 

[winemaker81]

As of 18March2019:
Kits 3g
-9/18/13 RJS Coffee port
-11/19/13 RJS Black Forest port
-9/1/14 RJS Toasted Caramel port
-9/1/14 RJS Coffee port
-10/11/15 RJS Coffee port
-10/11/15 RJS Raspberry Mocha dessert wine

How did your coffee ports age? I made one recently (bottled in early March) and the taste at bottling time was great. My guess is that it will be greater at the 1 year mark and get better each year after that.

 

[JulieHammer]

Wow you are all impressive! I have been making wine and mead since 2017. My list of accomplishments are a raspberry mead, blueberry mead, earl grey mead, lemon wine, rhubarb wine and a strawberry rhubarb wine. I am going to try the Dave's Dragon Blood wine next. My husband is a beekeeper so this fall I will begin to make mead again. Beetroot wine is also on my list as well as more lemon wine. I would appreciate any suggestions of wine to make for a beginner. Thanks.

 

[cassandrafallon]

bagged/bottled my grapefruit passion island mist yesterday, blueberry island mist moving into a carboy today.


Just ordered mango mai tai island mist and cherry sangria Niagara mist and excited to start those ASAP

 

[winemaker81]

I would appreciate any suggestions of wine to make for a beginner. Thanks.

I recommend three things:

• Hygiene
• Don't try to listen to everyone
• Relax

Hygiene: Keep your wine making area clean and keep your wine making hardware clean.

Don't try to listen to everyone: You will hear conflicting advice. It can be difficult to figure out who is right and wrong, or if "right or wrong" even applies. Read/listen to lots of people and form your own logical conclusions.

Relax: Some folks make wine making into a high intensity activity. That is unnecessary. Enjoy the ride.

Plus, read the beginner's forum: https://www.winemakingtalk.com/forums/beginners-wine-making-forum.5/

Look for threads that interest you, read the OP's post, then breeze through looking for things of interest.

 

[Steve Wargo]

Recently I began making wine. Glad to have access to forums like winemakingtalk.com. I feel I will learn quicker.

So far my oldest wine (pure apple juice) is 3 weeks old. Yes, I have sampled it. It's dry and starting to clear ABV 15 %. After degassing about 5 oz, it tastes good. Maybe Like a cross between a non-oaked chardonnay and a saviougn blanc. I will put a couple of bottles away to taste later months.

 

[Jal5]

Started another 6 g batch of triple berry dragon blood. This one smells really good so far.

 

[heatherd]

How did your coffee ports age? I made one recently (bottled in early March) and the taste at bottling time was great. My guess is that it will be greater at the 1 year mark and get better each year after that.

I aged mine a bit, but they were ready and tasted good at the 3-6 month range.