I made my first batch of Cabernet just before the begining of the year. I am at the point of bottling now and want to know if the smell is normal. Everything seems to have gone fine. I drew up a sample and it was nice and clear. The smell was almost like a bottle of wine that sat open for a day or two. Not like vinegar, just not what I am used to. I was guessing that it was just not aged and complete yet. Anyone have any good answers or opinions?
What is normal scent
- Thread starter liqrmixer
- Start date
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As long as it smells pretty good, not like vinegar or sour, and not stinky, it'll be fine. If the wine is only a month old, you can't expect too much out of it! I assume it was a "30 day kit", if you're ready to bottle already?
If it was, you sound like you're right on track.
summersolstice
Well-Known Member
Is this a kit wine? A huge debate has been raging for as long as I've been making kit wines and it revolves around "kit taste" and "kit aroma". Many people swear there is a certain aroma and flavor in a kit wine, mostly reds, that isn't present in a commercial wine (I'm one of them). This "kit taste and aroma" dissipates with time. The "bigger" and more expensive kits have less kit taste and aroma, with some premium kits having none of the kit taste attributed to most kit wines. Others swear this is not the case. Those of us who detect this kit taste and aroma liken it to sort of a "Jolly Roger" candy taste and flavor. Does this mean that kit wines aren't any good? No, it just means that, when tasted side by side, one can usually detect the kit wine.
Are there any validity to these claims? The debate rages on...
Are there any validity to these claims? The debate rages on...
