The last batch of wine I made was a Cellar Craft Old Vine Zinfandel kit that I started around New Years Day 2017. That July I underwent heart surgery (double bypass) and the Zin bulk aged in the carboy until late 2018, turned out very well, and I still have a couple of bottles left. Anyway, life finally let me have some time and funds to jump back in, so this afternoon I picked up 2 kits: one a Winexpert Private Reserve Nebbiolo, and Winexpert Limited Edition Double Noir (Pinot Noir from California and Gamay Noir from NZ). Anybody have experience with either? I'm planning to bulk age both awhile before bottling.
Getting back into winemaking after a break
- Thread starter Buckhuntr
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Welcome back to the hobby! Both of those varieties are more delicate as far as O2 exposure and they are shorter lived than a zin. Winexpert makes a very good product though. If the Nebbi gets a little oxidized and “dirty” then your Italian grandfather (the one that speaks English but pretends he doesn’t) will probably love it more...lol. Have fun!
Good time to get back in, no telling how long retail stores will stay open with all the viruses popping up coincidentally. The kits are coming from Canada where politics is a bit different. At this point you are doing exactly what a lot of kit makers have been doing and bulk aging at the clearing stage, adding a1/4 tsp of so2 at last racking will help preserve. Difficult to look at a good red in the carboy while sipping a $15 sangovese bought at retail.
I've made 8 or 9 batches of wine altogether, and found that bulk aging almost always improves the flavor, at least to my taste. All have been from kits, except for a couple of 5-gal batches of Cab Franc and Chardonnay from juice obtained from a college run winery here in Oklahoma. I've also made a 5-gal batch of hard cider from pasteurized juice from a local grocery, and a batch of mead from local honey. The mead needs work, as it was my least favorite finished product. Now I have a young apple orchard (12 trees), my own beehives, and young muscadine grapes that may fruit next year. I'm planning for my retirement years, which aren't far off. 
I have started a pasteurized motts apple juice, 3 weeks in it is ready to get off primary, I plan on 2 more rackings then let mature how long did you let cider sit before bottlingI've made 8 or 9 batches of wine altogether, and found that bulk aging almost always improves the flavor, at least to my taste. All have been from kits, except for a couple of 5-gal batches of Cab Franc and Chardonnay from juice obtained from a college run winery here in Oklahoma. I've also made a 5-gal batch of hard cider from pasteurized juice from a local grocery, and a batch of mead from local honey. The mead needs work, as it was my least favorite finished product. Now I have a young apple orchard (12 trees), my own beehives, and young muscadine grapes that may fruit next year. I'm planning for my retirement years, which aren't far off.
