I'm about ready to bottle the kit I started last fall. I tried it last week and was quite pleased. So I logged onto Wine-Kitz and ordered two of their "fun" wines. One is a Black Cherry Pinot Noir and the other is a Peach Chardonnay.
During the past few years my enthusiasm for wine making has really taken a nose dive. I had an interest in doing it, but was always too busy doing other things. My enthusiasm just didn't match my interest. I've had some less than optimal experiences with North Carolina grapes in the past few years; that may have had a lot to do with it.
But now my enthusiasm is back to where it use to be! Maybe it was the taste of the wine I bottled in late June that did it. But it doesn't matter why; I'm back in the saddle again!
Wine |
Started |
Bottled |
Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
12 Jul 2003 |
04 Nov 2003 |
28 Bottles |
|
02 Aug 2003 |
28 Nov 2003 |
28 bottles |
|
Total Made: |
|
|
56 bottles |
I'm trying something different with this kit -- I'm going to follow the directions, instead of winging it. We'll see how this comes out.
Kit |
Wine-Kitz Black Cherry Pinot Noir Kit Kit |
|---|
Tasks |
Date |
SG |
|---|---|---|
Started wine, following the directions. Added grape juice & concentrate to fermenter; topped up to 6 gallons. Added Packet #1 (tannin & yeast nutrient) and yeast (Lalvin EC-1118). IMO SG was a bit low, but the directions call for a SG of 1.060 to 1.070. Of course, this is a "wine beverage", not a wine. Supposed to let it ferment for 7 days. |
12 Jul 2003 |
1.070 |
Racked the wine after 8 days (didn't have time on Saturday). Now it's supposed to go 10 days to the next racking. I'm planning on doing my wines on Saturdays, so it will go 13 days. More time is OK ... |
20 Jul 2003 |
0.992 |
Racked the wine after 13 days, as planned. Not as much sediment as I expected. Added sorbate, fining agent, & sulfite, plus black cherry concentrate. Interesting aroma. |
02 Aug 2003 |
1.005 |
Instructions said to rack after an additional 2 weeks and bottle, but I got busy and didn't get to it. Racked it, sediment nicely compacted. According to the instructions I can bottle now, but I'm going to let it set a bit. |
03 Sep 2003 |
1.005 |
Let it set a bit longer than I expected. Bottled it. |
04 Nov 2003 |
1.005 |
Yield |
28 bottles |
|---|---|
Afterthoughts |
If I make another "fun" wine I'm going to jack the initial brix up to 22 or 23. The alcohol is low and with the dilution with the juice it's even lower -- not that I expect much shelf life from the wine, but 7% is way too low. |
28 Jan 2004 |
Tried the first bottle -- WOW! It's a bit sweeter than I expected. Not bad, but definitely NOT what I was expecting! |
07 Jun 2004 |
It's mellowed a bit with age, although given the low alcohol content it probably has a low shelf life. But that is *quite* unlikely to be a problem! |
Kit | Wine-Kitz Peach Chardonnay Kit |
|---|
Tasks |
Date |
SG |
|---|---|---|
Started wine, following the directions. Added grape juice & concentrate to fermenter; topped up to 6 gallons. Added Packet #1 (tannin & yeast nutrient) and yeast (Lalvin EC-1118). As with the Black Cherry Pinot, the starting SG is a bit low (IMO). |
02 Aug 2003 |
1.068 |
Racked the wine after 7 days. While the directions say 10 days to next racking, this one is going 14 ... |
09 Aug 2003 |
1.001 |
Racked the wine as per schedule. As with the BCP, not as much sediment as expected. It may be this line of kits. Added sorbate, fining agent, & sulfite, plus peach concentrate. This is going to be an interesting wine ... |
23 Aug 2003 |
1.006 |
Racked the wine 3 weeks later. Good compaction of sediment -- didn't stir a bit when I racked it. |
20 Sep 2003 |
1.006 |
Bottled it. |
28 Nov 2003 |
1.006 |
Yield |
28 bottles |
|---|---|
28 Jan 2004 |
Tried the first bottle -- WOW! Like the BCP it's a bit sweeter than I expected. |
07 Jun 2004 |
Mellowed a bit with some aging, but I like the BCP better. |