RJ Spagnols What Should I top Up With?

[Coldbrew]

I am currently brewing Cellar Classic Winery Series Valpolicella and Rosso Bravissimo. I going to need to top up my carboy when I rack this week and am wondering what wines I should use. Currently in my cellar I have:

Cellar Classic Winery Series:
- Chilean Malbec
- Australian Meritage
- Italian Amarone
- California Old Vine Zinfindal
- Washington Merlot
- Rosso Grande Excellente
En Primeur Signature Series
- Old Mundullo Australian Shiraz
- Chilean Carmenere
Cellar Craft 2010 Limited Release
- Tannat
- Trio Tinto
Cellar Craft 2011 Limited Release
- Barbera
- Chateau Du Pays
- Rosso Fortissimo
Would any of these wines be appropriate for topping up my current wines or should I buy some other specific types? Thanks in advance for you help and advice.

 

[Rocky]

Coldbrew, I am not a proponent of topping up. I reduce the volume of the carboys used instead. But, if you plan to top up, you have several excellent choices in your cellar. From the list that you showed, I would use the Rosso Fortissimo for the Rosso Bravissimo and the Washington Merlot for the Valpolicella.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Maddog 20/20 (check title)works for everything but ????

 

[dmulligan]

I've always topped up with whatever red I have handy. How important is it really that it be similar.

Having said that I want to got to get me a couple of slightly smaller carboys. Any idea what the size is in liters?

David

 

[Rocky]

David, over the past year or so, I have collected a number of sizes. I have 6 6.5-liter, 3 6-liter, 15 5-liter, 3 3-liter, 4 1-gallon and 2 1/2-gallon carboys. In addition, there are always 1500 ml and 750 ml bottles around to take up the smaller amounts.

 

[Bacci]

Merlot for Rosso, Amarone for Valpolicella

 

[dmulligan]

Rocky: ah! So you use much smaller bottles. I was picturing a carboy slightly smaller than the 23L standard. Interesting. I have a pair of 11.5L carboys and a one gallon jug. I will have to think about that...

 

[Rocky]

David, I had a very senior moment there. I should have said I have 6 6.5-gallon, 3 6-gallon, 15 5-gallon, 3 3-gallon, 4 1-gallon and 2 1/2-gallon carboys. Sorry about that.

Usually start a kit with grape skins and get enough to fill the 6.5's. I then rack to a 6, then a 5 plus a gallon, etc. It takes some extra bungs and airlocks, but it keeps me off the street.

 

[rjb222]

I am currently brewing Cellar Classic Winery Series Valpolicella and Rosso Bravissimo. I going to need to top up my carboy when I rack this week and am wondering what wines I should use. Currently in my cellar I have:

Cellar Classic Winery Series:
- Chilean Malbec
- Australian Meritage
- Italian Amarone
- California Old Vine Zinfindal
- Washington Merlot
- Rosso Grande Excellente
En Primeur Signature Series
- Old Mundullo Australian Shiraz
- Chilean Carmenere
Cellar Craft 2010 Limited Release
- Tannat
- Trio Tinto
Cellar Craft 2011 Limited Release
- Barbera
- Chateau Du Pays
- Rosso Fortissimo
Would any of these wines be appropriate for topping up my current wines or should I buy some other specific types? Thanks in advance for you help and advice.

With the quality of the wines you have in stock and on the go there are a couple of different ways to go here depending how much space you have in your carboy. You could simply reduce the size of carboy and bottle the left over as previously suggested but not all of us have the right selection of carboys for that. To top up I would use the same company's kits to keep the kit profile as the manufacturer intended. You could use your Rosso Grande for both of the kits as this blend has these grapes in its makeup. The one that is not going to fit as well would be the Rosso Bravissimo for this kit I think the Australian Meritage would serve better. Meritage is a Bordeaux blend and it will carry many of the same flavor profiles as the Bravissimo both being nice hearty blends. I believe the Amerone would be wasted using it as a top up although it is made from Valpolicella grapes.

 

[cpfan]

Having said that I want to got to get me a couple of slightly smaller carboys. Any idea what the size is in liters?

David

Common carboy sizes are 23 litres (actually the Italian ones are larger), 19 litres, and 11 litres.

Jugs can be 4.5 litres (probably Canada only and not that easy to find), 4 litres (I haven't noticed any of these in a while, but I haven't really been looking), 3.78 litres, and 1.89 litres. Note the last two are 1 US gallon and 1/2 US gallon respectively.

Steve

 

[dmulligan]

Common carboy sizes are 23 litres (actually the Italian ones are larger), 19 litres, and 11 litres.

So it's my Mexican carboy that is slightly smaller? I've not been able to figure out which one is slightly smaller. I should just rack water between them until I figure it out but I usually have some filled with wine.

It also might be my better bottle that is smaller.

Too bad they don't make 22L carboys available.

Thanks,
David

Life is too short to make cheap kits.

 

[Coldbrew]

Thanks! Your suggestions and advice are greatly appreciated. I do have an 18.9L carboy that I was going to use to rack off my Valpolicella. Would I be able to use the excess Valpolicella to top up the Rosso Bravissimo? Do these winr have the same flavor profile? Again, thanks in advance for all of your great advice.