first wine- what kit and conical questions

So I've been brewing for years and the wife hates beer. So, I want to give wine w whirl. I got rid of all my carboys and buckets when I got a mini-brew conical. It is 6.5 gallons. Could I use this for wine and just drain off sentiment like beer?

Also, I was looking at the Vinters Reserve Blush, but the VR reviews I have seen make me a bit skeptical. Being the first run, I wanted to pay a little less, but want to make sure the wife doesn't throw out the equipment when its all said and done. Any recommendations?

Well it depends on what type of wine she likes to drink. We just opened the first bottles on my first batch of wine, which was the Luna Mezza. My wife likes Chardonnay so I thought this would be a good one and she is happy with it. I've got one of the Island Mist kits going right now, a Peach Apricot Chardonnay, which she is looking forward to as a sort of sweet, summer time, by the pool wine. It should be a little lower in alcohol content and sweeter than the standard kits. You might try one of the Island Mist varieties if she likes that sort of fruity sweet wine, they are pretty cheap.

Most of the kits I've looked at actually have you leave the majority of the sediment in the carboy, something about the clarifiers needing it to work properly. On the Luna Mezza you actually stirred up all the sediment with the clarifiers while you were doing the degassing. Came out really clear so I can't argue. I just racked off of the sediment to my bottling bucket to put it in the bottles.

Hope that helps.

Ron

I just did a first wine - RJ Spagnols limited quantity kit, Syrah/Malbec. Seems like it is going to be good. Just bottled it in the last few days. My LHBS ordered for me at a great price so I used a more expensive kit then I would normally have bought.

BUT

as an AG brewer I find the kit wine process to be a complete and total boring experience and if I ever do another wine it's going to be from grape to glass only.

Good luck with whatever you choose.