First Wine... Question???

Hey all... New to forum, new to the hobby..... I used the search to see if this had already been addressed - sorry if this has already been answered...

What: Winexpert Sav. Blanc Kit

Numbers: Start SG 1.0871 (Temp Corrected)
Move to secondary SG 1.020 (temp corrected)
Stabilizing & Clearing SC 0.9912 (temp corrected)

I have been following the instruction sheet pretty closely. No deviation.

Today I Stabilized/cleared and before I added the packs I drew some off and checked the SG, looked at it in a glass, and tasted it. It was pretty clear, and the SG was well within the range. My issue is with the tasting... It tasted a little watery but I could tell it was also pretty dry. It wasn't anything to get excited about but it did taste like wine...

So here is my question... Am I being a NOOB worrywart ? will the taste develop over the next few weeks of settling and then more so in the bottles... or should I expect it to be a little weak tasting? Numbers say ABV is 12.6, not worried about that aspect, I just thought I would have more flavor at this point

Any advice for a NOOB and his first batch of wine?

I should include... I did degass with a drill mounted "whip" thoroughly in the stab./clearing process. Ran the 12v battery on my DeWalt down in the process...

It looks like you're doing just fine, learning about winemaking, and what to expect of kit wines. Don't worry, be happy, and don't expect too much.

Sauvignon Blanc at it's best is not exactly big on flavor, which is why some people like it, and that's doubly true of a Sauv Blanc kit wine. People who do less costly kit wines are generally happier with whites than reds, though many of the high end red kits with grape packs can be pretty good when aged 2-3 years.

The sense of dryness is partly the harsh alcohol at this early stage. It will mellow and integrate with the fruit but time is what's needed, like 9 months to a year and more to reach it's peak.

Most people find that to get big flavor from a kit wine means buying the high end kits with 16-18 liters of juice, and reds that contain grape skin packs.

It's easy to be wowed by the slick marketing brochures of kit wine makers lauding their great wines. For best results be patient, make more wine of different types, and have fun doing it without unrealistic expectations.

Thanks for the reply Hummer. I went with the Sav. Blanc kit because it is what my lady likes to drink. I wasn't aware that the kits were less than desirable as described. I had intended to let it age for at least 6 months in the bottle before even opening one to see what we had...

I'm going to assume that your answer is a solid one since there have been no other replies to this thread. I had kind of thought that at least a few more opinions would have weighed in, considering this is a "big" forum... I guess I'll just sit back and wait to see what I have when I pull the first cork.

most wines (kit or otherwise) will mellow out and improve with taste over time

There are alot of variables other besides og / fg and anyone one of those variables could create a watery final product. Don't be down on it no matter if it ages well or not though as this was your first wine. My first beer was a kit also an it came out like sh@! But damned if I didn't give it to everyone i knew I was so darn proud I it and that I made it. Keep with the hobby as the say practice/expierence makes perfect.

Thanks for the additional input... I'm just going to go through the process and see what I get. Maybe shoot for some locally grown grapes next time... S. Carolina isn't exactly known for it's grapes though...

you may want to try making a wine from 100% juice. I have made Apple and Grape from juice I got at Wal-mart. Added about 10 pounds of sugar to to 5 gal. Threw in some yeast and let it roll. Yeast energizers and nutrient can be helpful. The apple I found to be very good in a short time, even better if you add some mulling spice to it after it clears and let that set for about a week. I find that's a good wine around the holidays served warm. The wine I made from grape juice was okay at first but it's been 2 years in the bottle now and is very nice.
Just my .02

klcramer said:

you may want to try making a wine from 100% juice. I have made Apple and Grape from juice I got at Wal-mart. Added about 10 pounds of sugar to to 5 gal. Threw in some yeast and let it roll. Yeast energizers and nutrient can be helpful. The apple I found to be very good in a short time, even better if you add some mulling spice to it after it clears and let that set for about a week. I find that's a good wine around the holidays served warm. The wine I made from grape juice was okay at first but it's been 2 years in the bottle now and is very nice.
Just my .02

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+1 edworts apfelwine and yoopers welch's grape juice are actually awesome. I brew both regularly and there always a hit, I get request from people to make them all the time.