My local supplier only sells Vintners Reserve kits. While I have had good results with them, I want to try something different. I found a site with kits from a company called Cellar Classic. Anybody heard of them? They are kind of pricey, almost twice as much as the Vintners Reserve. I am looking at making a cabernet, and their kit is $104.99. Or is there another kit that will produce a decent cabernet?
Thanks, Craig
Craig
My price list from Delta BC lists this wine at $84.99. Where are you buying?
Both Vintners Reserve and Cellar Classic are made by R.J.Spagnols, see their website:
I tried a couple of Cellar Classic and they are great kits. Personnaly, I prefer their Cru Select kits, which are a bit more expensive. The more you pay, the more it tastes like the real thing. I think you won't be dissapointed.
Willie - I think you're a brick shy of a load. Cellar Classic kits are produced by RJ Spagnols, as indicated on their website. These are upscale, 15L ("6-week") kits from RJ Spagnols. The Vintners Reserve series are the lower-priced ("4-week") kits made by WinExpert, formerly Brew King.
Craig - If your supplier carries the Vintners Reserve kits, they already have some sort of relationship (direct or indirect) with WinExpert. If you are looking for a better kit, see if they can order one of the better WinExpert kits (the Selection series, or even better, the Selection Estate series). Where I live (Minnesota) you can buy most of the VR kits for $45 to $50 US, while the Selection Original series tend to run about $70 to $80 US, and the Selection Estate kits are $100 or more (but worth it!). So your Cellar Classic kit price is probably in line with comparable WinExpert kits.
I have not made it, but I have heard a lot of very positive reports about the Selection Estate Woodbridge Ranch 11 Cab. Sauv. kit. Also, FWIW, bear in mind that even the inexpensive kits will improve quite a bit with time. I opened a 2 1/2 year-old VR Chianti just yesterday, and was amazed at how much it had improved from when it was 6 or 12 months old. I usually don't age the VR kits that long, but somehow I overlooked that bottle.
Doug
snipped-for-privacy@pris.ca (Kevin) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:
So far I just found one website (I think it was beer-wine.com, but I may be wrong, the URL is on my PC at work) that was selling that kit, I have yet to look deeper for other kits or even checking out other brewshops that are in some of the farther suburbs around here.
Craig
snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (Willie) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:
If my local supplier cannot get these kits, do you know of a good online source in the US? I looked at the Cru Select kits, and they do look rather interesting.
Craig
"Doug" wrote in news:1112908783.790033.71150 @l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:
Thanks Doug, I have seen some of the Estate kits on an online supplier (midwestsupplies.com) that I sometimes buy beer ingredients from that I cannot get at my local supplier. If my local cannot get these, then I'll research that kit, as cab. sauvs. are my most requested wine from family and friends.
Craig
Craig - I buy most of my kits from Midwest Supplies, since they are nearby. They carry pretty much all of the WinExpert kits (or will order them for you). They are listed as a local retailer on the RJ Spagnols web site, but I've never seen any RJ Spagnols kits there. Maybe they would order one for you, though.
I have seen a number of posts from folks who have ordered from Austin Homebrew Supply (Austin TX) and have been quite satisfied -- they do carry the RJ Spagnols kits, as well as WinExpert, Cellar Craft and Advintage. If you are in or around Minneapolis, I believe that Wind River Brewing (in Eden Prairie) carries at least some of the RJ Spagnols products.
Doug
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