Wine from grape concentrate?

New here on the forum, but I've been making wine from kits for the past two years and I am ready to start playing with other options. I have a book with two dozen recipes that call for grape concentrate to make wine. Very neat idea, they come in specific varieties to make the certain wines. I looked up prices and it seems you can get the concentrate for a fraction of the kit cost. Of course it calls to add benitite, sulfites, acid blends, tannin, and clarifiers. Anyone have any experience with grape concentrates or tips for me?? Thank you so much!

I routinely make concentrate wines. I just made an cran-apple wine two days ago all from concentrate. Cran grape is one of my most popular brews

<----- Click on my recipes over there and go to the general-concentrate wine.

Ha. Just realized you were talking about nice-grape wine. Not cheapo-walmart grape wine. But it's yummy just the same.

The plain "winemakers' grape concentrate" is great as a booster for other wines, or for helping to give body to a lighter wine. But it's not great on its own- it's one dimensional, with little body and interest.

I use a pint in my chokecherry wine (5 gallons) to give a boost of fermentables and depth but otherwise I don't use it.

A "real" kit is more expensive, but it makes much better wine. The grape concentrate is better considered a "booster" than a base for decent wine.

Thanks for the info! I'm looking into doing a Cabernet sauvignon and a sauvignon blanc. Any ideas as to what I should supplement to boost my flavor and dimension of the wines?

Collikunas said:

Thanks for the info! I'm looking into doing a Cabernet sauvignon and a sauvignon blanc. Any ideas as to what I should supplement to boost my flavor and dimension of the wines?

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It depends on what you're starting with. If you're starting with a kit, a good quality kit (usually $125 and up) needs nothing at all and in fact is better left unassisted with extras. If you're starting with grapes, you may have to adjust the acid and pH. If you're starting with frozen juice, it usually has been acid adjusted along with the brix.

Generally, the only things in quality grape wines are quality grapes, so I'd be very hesitant to add anything for the most part.

I've got 10 gallons from concentrate going right now, 5 Chianti and 5 Merlot. Both are at 90 days and both taste fine, no lack of body or depth. I oaked the Merlot to see how that would affect it and have left the Chianti alone. 90 more days in the carboys until bottling.

Both came with acids and tannins and other stuff for an additional fee.