Trying to make a Bordeaux (I'm new to wines)

[tabni]

Being brewing beer, now due to popular demand, I want to explore into wine making. Some of my friends are french and they love Bordeaux. Pardon my ignorance, but I can't find any Bordeaux kits, but I found yeast. My question is, can I buy a kit like a Cabernet or Merlot, and instead of using the yeast that it brings, can I use one of those smack packs of Bordeaux yeast?

Would that give it the Bordeaux profile or not?

Thanks

 

[trubled]

Bordeaux wine is a blend made up of 3 main grapes and 4 minor grapes.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Merlot
Malbec
Petit Verdot
Gros Verdot
Rousanne (I think)

Many different yeasts are used and more importantly barrels play a big role in the bordeaux flavour profile (generally a combination of new and old french and American Oak).

 

[the_bird]

Well, you aren't going to find a "Bordeaux" kit because Bordeaux is a reference to a specific region in France, not a grape variety (like a Cab or a Merlot). Technically, if you want to make a Bordeaux you've got to move to France!

 

[trubled]

We make pretty good bordeaux's here in BC which beat some of the best St Emilion's Premiere Cru, hands down. I lived in Bordeaux (the city) for 2 years. There is not a region known as Bordeaux.

The term Meritage was concocted in California which is the North American answer to what is known as a bordeaux blend. Makes me laugh every time I hear someone say "Meritaahhge" with some french accent.

 

[philogeek]

There is not a region known as Bordeaux.

I'm pretty sure there is, if not in the local parlance, then certainly in international wine-speak. Even the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine recognizes Bordeaux as a wine producing region.

 

[philogeek]

If you're looking for a Bordeaux-style wine in kit form, there are options.

KenRidge Classic 'Trilogy' is pretty good, although I'd go with half the oak they provide (YMMV). I believe it's a 10L kit, but it's quite good in spite of that.

The St. Emile pail from FC Collection is 23L of must, and is also super good.

There are others, for sure, but I haven't made them so have nothing to say about them. Your local kit shop should be able to point you to a few good choices, though.

GL!

 

[tabni]

If you're looking for a Bordeaux-style wine in kit form, there are options.

KenRidge Classic 'Trilogy' is pretty good, although I'd go with half the oak they provide (YMMV). I believe it's a 10L kit, but it's quite good in spite of that.

The St. Emile pail from FC Collection is 23L of must, and is also super good.

There are others, for sure, but I haven't made them so have nothing to say about them. Your local kit shop should be able to point you to a few good choices, though.

GL!

Can you point me to a link where I can get this? We don't have Wine Making Stores here in Miami, and I just googled it with no luck

 

[philogeek]

Can you point me to a link where I can get this? We don't have Wine Making Stores here in Miami, and I just googled it with no luck

Sorry, man, I'm in Winnipeg ... over 3000 KMs away from you. Your yellow pages (or your local beer brew shop) should be able to point you to a wine kit resource locally.

 

[gregbathurst]

An important part of the bordeaux style is the malolactic fermentation. You can probably get mlf culture mail order. The main variety is cabernet sauvignon, any kit with cab sav should do.

 

[gimmebeer]

I think a kit is a good idea. There are literally dozens of kits you can consider. Anything that's a cab or merlot is a Bordeaux. If you want a Bordeaux blend, there are several, anything called cab-merlot or, as noted, meritage (the California version of a Bordeaux blend.

I've been making kit wine almost exclusively for the past 2 1/2 years. I'd say just use the yeast that comes with the kit and DO NOT try malolactic fermentation on a kit. A guy who knows much more than me says "it will end in tears."

One of the first things you'll notice about kits is the price range. You can get a name brand cab kit for maybe $65-75. And you can find them at $150 and up. The difference is that the cheaper kit will have a smaller bag of concentrate/juice and will be drinkable sooner (maybe 4-6 months), while the more expensive kits won't be drinkable for nearly a year, but will be much better in the end. A pretty good cheapie to try is Winexpert's World Vineyards Trinity Red. It's a blend of cab sauvignon, cab franc and merlot and is pretty darned good at 6 months.

I don't have much of a supplier around here either, so I get most of my stuff online. Try northernbrewer.com, austinhomebrew.com or highgravity.com.

Last but not least, this is a great forum for beer, but if you want a good winemaking forum, try winepress.us.
http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?/index

Jim

 

[pkeeler]

I'm new to winemaking, but from what I've learned, the yeast strain does not have the same impact as in beer making. If you buy a cab-merlot kit (the French don't allow kit sellers to use their region names), just use the yeast that comes with it.

 

[DoctorCAD]

I think a kit is a good idea. There are literally dozens of kits you can consider. Anything that's a cab or merlot is a Bordeaux. If you want a Bordeaux blend, there are several, anything called cab-merlot or, as noted, meritage (the California version of a Bordeaux blend.

I've been making kit wine almost exclusively for the past 2 1/2 years. I'd say just use the yeast that comes with the kit and DO NOT try malolactic fermentation on a kit. A guy who knows much more than me says "it will end in tears."

One of the first things you'll notice about kits is the price range. You can get a name brand cab kit for maybe $65-75. And you can find them at $150 and up. The difference is that the cheaper kit will have a smaller bag of concentrate/juice and will be drinkable sooner (maybe 4-6 months), while the more expensive kits won't be drinkable for nearly a year, but will be much better in the end. A pretty good cheapie to try is Winexpert's World Vineyards Trinity Red. It's a blend of cab sauvignon, cab franc and merlot and is pretty darned good at 6 months.

I don't have much of a supplier around here either, so I get most of my stuff online. Try northernbrewer.com, austinhomebrew.com or highgravity.com.

Last but not least, this is a great forum for beer, but if you want a good winemaking forum, try winepress.us.
http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?/index

Jim

Sorry, dude, but this is a GREAT wine forum. I've learned way more here than at the address you linked to.

 

[gimmebeer]

Sorry, dude, but this is a GREAT wine forum. I've learned way more here than at the address you linked to.

Wow. I'm guessing you've never spent any time on winepress.us. No one who had checked it out would say that a forum with one wine category is better than one with more than a dozen (kits, grape growing, barrels, equipment, bottling, recipes, etc.) and 10 times the traffic. Sorry if this is offensive, but your post just boggles the mind.

Jim

 

[DoctorCAD]

Wow. I'm guessing you've never spent any time on winepress.us. No one who had checked it out would say that a forum with one wine category is better than one with more than a dozen (kits, grape growing, barrels, equipment, bottling, recipes, etc.) and 10 times the traffic. Sorry if this is offensive, but your post just boggles the mind.

Jim

Yes, I have spent time on that site and my opinion still stands. If you want professionals that look down on us kit wine makers, go there. If you want quick, honest help, stay here.

 

[pkeeler]

An important part of the bordeaux style is the malolactic fermentation. You can probably get mlf culture mail order. The main variety is cabernet sauvignon, any kit with cab sav should do.

Don't induce MLF on a kit wine. It is only for wines made from fresh (or frozen crushed) grapes.

 

[gregbathurst]

Don't induce MLF on a kit wine. It is only for wines made from fresh (or frozen crushed) grapes.

Hmmm...
MLF converts malic acid to lactic. Any red wine will have malic acid, and red pigments which bind so2, so possibility of a wild MLF. There must be something about kit wines I am unaware of, perhaps they are not made from grapes? If you don't do a MLF there is no chance your red wine will taste like bordeaux.

 

[pkeeler]

MLF converts malic acid to lactic. Any red wine will have malic acid, and red pigments which bind so2, so possibility of a wild MLF. There must be something about kit wines I am unaware of, perhaps they are not made from grapes? If you don't do a MLF there is no chance your red wine will taste like bordeaux.

I have heard several things, they might all be true. "Kit wines have sorbates, so MLF will make the wine smell like geraniums". "Kit wines are already balanced for malic acid." "Kit wines have very little tartaric acid and need the malic acid not to taste flabby".

Look, you are not going to buy a kit and make a Rothschild. Could you make something approaching Mouton-Cadet? Possibly. I think your chances are better with frozen must or fresh grapes. I think that is what Greg is getting at.