wine kits....

We've made 14 kits, all brew king cause thats what our wine shops sell. We love all the kits and we've tried most of the "California" varietals, both red and white. We've done both the cheaper VINTNER"S RESERVE kits and the more expensive SELECTION kits. SELECTION kits are worth the extra money if you can afford them. We tweak them a little by adding more or less oak, more or less water, and fermenting part of the "f" pack you find in some of the kits. As I dont have the extra time required to make wine from grapes, the kits are great for me. You can expect to get your money's worth no matter which kit you get.

Good luck with your first selection,

Karl B STL, MO

Hi, For red wines in kits I use exclusively Selection International and Selection Limited edition kits ( retailing at about £50). I find the Vintners Reserve kits are just too thin. For Whites I use UK kit series called Beaverdale ( retailing at about £31 ). This is because I find, generally, white wine kits produce a "truer"/"better" end product although I prefer red wines. It's been said many times -- but you gets what you pays for!

I have made wine from frozen grapes purchased from Brehm Vineyards:

Exquisitely good stuff. It is simply crushed & destemmed grapes which have been frozen (reds), or fresh-pressed unclarified juice (whites.)

A bit pricey, though. The stuff is shipped by air to an airport near you, still frozen. You let it that and go to work.

All the best to one and all.

Wow, the stuff is pricey to begin with and you are getting direct air shipment added on top of that?

So, where do you live and how much does air shipping add per pail for you? I expect even if you live in Alaska, it's probably still cheaper for you than it would be for me, given that I have the misfortune to be on the Canadian side of the border. Not even sure IF Brehm will air ship to Canada.

Right now, if I want Brehm I have to order from Vancouver and get it truck shipped for about $300 a pallet. Needless to say, not worth it unless ordering in considerable quantity.

Brian

I've been making wine from kits for a couple of years now and can recommend the Brew King Selection and International Selection wholeheartedly. I've not tried the Vineco but have tried the CellarCraft and the Spagnols. I tend to stick to the Brew King line because it's easier to find and I am familiar with it. I have also made wine from Mosti Mondiale pure juice. All of these are good choices if you stick to the premium lines, but remember... they won't stand up as well to your whole grape wines, particularly with the red varietals. They make good wines, but you will lose some of the nuances you get from fresh grapes.