I'm a big fan of red wine, what sort of quality is in a kit?

[Onionman]

Sorry to be a one-trick pony but the step up to Selection Original kits from Beaverdale/Kenridge is very definitely worthwhile. Beaverdale lack body once you've made the jump up.

Then the step up to Selection Estate kits is moving onto a new plane (at £120 for 30 bottles it's not cheap, but since when was quality cheap?).

If you're making full-bodied reds (as I generally do) then a year is a better absolute minimum with three probably optimal. The secret is to get a stock rolling by working out how much you might want to drink, adding 50% then working back three years and kicking it off regularly enough to keep up the flow at the other end of the waiting time. Better too much than too little.

 

[Pearlfisher]

Well another thing to think about is.....
sampling, most of them taste ok when you are bottling. So you will get an idea of what you do and dont like.

If you make 20 bottles and you hate it then you have wasted money too.

Let us know what you have chosen and what you think of it too.

I'm fortunate in that I'm really not that fussy. I know when I'm drinking something really special but I'm also very happy drinking a 3 for £10 bottle out of asda

Definitely will do, thanks again :thumb:

I did a 6 bottle kit of Beaverdale Shiraz 3 months ago , definitely better quality than 3 for a tenner wines .

 

[ScottM]

Sorry to be a one-trick pony but the step up to Selection Original kits from Beaverdale/Kenridge is very definitely worthwhile. Beaverdale lack body once you've made the jump up.

Then the step up to Selection Estate kits is moving onto a new plane (at £120 for 30 bottles it's not cheap, but since when was quality cheap?).

If you're making full-bodied reds (as I generally do) then a year is a better absolute minimum with three probably optimal. The secret is to get a stock rolling by working out how much you might want to drink, adding 50% then working back three years and kicking it off regularly enough to keep up the flow at the other end of the waiting time. Better too much than too little.

That's definitely something to keep in mind for the future but for now I think explaining to SHMBO that I'm going to be spending £120 every 6 months for 3 years with nothing to show for it until then is going to be rather difficult

 

[ScottM]

Well another thing to think about is.....
sampling, most of them taste ok when you are bottling. So you will get an idea of what you do and dont like.

If you make 20 bottles and you hate it then you have wasted money too.

Let us know what you have chosen and what you think of it too.

I'm fortunate in that I'm really not that fussy. I know when I'm drinking something really special but I'm also very happy drinking a 3 for £10 bottle out of asda

Definitely will do, thanks again :thumb:

I did a 6 bottle kit of Beaverdale Shiraz 3 months ago , definitely better quality than 3 for a tenner wines .

Ideal then :thumb:

 

[stu9000]

I mucked around for ages trying to make half decent red wine with cheaper kits, but got nowhere.
Beaverdale and Kenridge have got me good results so its worth the £.
6 months is worth the wait but its pretty good after 3 months!