Ideas for additions to merlot

I've made lots of beer, but I'm new to making wine. So I'm looking for ideas to make my wines "exceptional". The homebrew store that I go to sells grape concentrate by the 1/2 gallon jug for a 5 gallon batch. They usually have pulp in the bottom so I assume they crush their own grapes. I just started a merlot with 1/2 gallon of concentrate, 8 lbs. of corn sugar, and EC-1118 yeast. The OG was 1.100.

Do you guys have any suggestions for a good merlot? Should I sweeten it with anything? Should I add oak chips? Are merlots better left "dry"? I figure that I've got a good base. But how do I make it great?

I haven't had many merlots, so I don't know any signatures of a good one vs. an average one. All suggestions are very appreciated.

wow- that's alot of corn sugar. Usually for grape wines, you don't need to add sugar. What was the SG when you added the sugar?

I'm more of a wine "purist" and only add things if necessary. For wines, I might oak it if it would help the wine. Merlots are dry, rich, with some cherry and other fruit flavors. Similar to cabernet sauvignon, but not as "heavy".

By SG, do you mean "starting gravity"? Is that the same as OG, "original gravity"? I'm still trying to get the terminology down.

I'm using the instructions from the LHBS. I have a feeling that the reason for the sugar is to cut down on crushed grape usage. Which would cut down on the cost. They say 1/2 gal. of the crushed grapes they sell is good for a 5 gallon batch. Does that sound weird?

Do you think I should try the next batch with a full gallon (two jugs) of crushed grapes and less sugar?

I don't really know! Without knowing the content of the "crushed grapes", it's hard to tell. What I would probably do is use a hydrometer and check the SG of the original mix of just the grape juice, and then see if you need to add sugar. Usually, you don't get grape juice concentrate in pails, you get the actual grape juice.

Could you maybe show a link to the concentrate you used? Then I could know exactly what you mean.

And yes, I was asking about the specific gravity of the must before you started any fermentation.

The concentrate that I use is made by the store. I'm pretty sure that they buy the grapes in bulk, crush them, and bottle that into the 1/2 gallon jugs. They sell the 1/2 gallon jugs for about $25. The instructions they printed up for me say to add 6-10 lbs. of sugar (depending on how sweet or dry you want the wine) into the bucket with 3 gallons of water. Then add the 1/2 gallon jug of "concentrate". Then pitch the yeast.

So that's not a common way to make wine? The jugs sometimes have thick pulp in the bottom. So I assume they are freshly crushed grapes.

BTW, the SG was 1.100 with the "concentrate", sugar, and water. It was topped off to 5 gallons.