Shiraz Wine Kit - Master Vintner Weekday Wine

Good Basic Wine Kit

An overall good quality wine kit as long as you follow the directions, and a kit that can be even better with a few tweaks. For example, the included yeast (Lalvin EC-1118) is reliable and fast, but not specialized for red wine--I substitute Lalvin RC-212 which brings out more of a red wine's attributes. Also, even if you follow the kit directions to the letter, the original specific gravity is lower than what the directions specify (1.055-1.070 instead of 1.075 or higher), so you will need to capitalize the must with sugar. Lastly, the directions have you doing things in an order that speed up production but might not be beneficial to the finished quality of the wine. For example, adding the oak during the secondary fermentation can cause the aromatics of the oak to be boiled/vented off during fermentation and then further removed during clarification with the included Kieselsol/Chitosan. I find it more beneficial to add the oak after fermentation is complete and after the wine has settled and thoroughly degassed. This, however, adds more time to the production, but results in a better finished wine. Yes, the wine could be done in as little as 28 days, but it will be much better if you take your time and settle on a timeframe of 8 to 10 months. Ultimately, the kit doesn't provide the truly key ingredient: patience.