Making Excellent Wine from Kits

In its origins the art of wine­making was an uncommon activity for the average person. It belonged to the people from the old country who carried the art through the gener­ations. The grapes were only available once a year, and wine­making was a family affair with all contributing to make the year’s supply. Winemaking has evolved greatly from its beginnings. It has been transformed from the simple act of stomping on grapes to a fine art in which the skill of the wine­maker has been executed in every batch. Through time, technology has made many advancements. New methods can now test the grape juice, reducing the chances for mistakes. Winemaking was then simplified so that the average person could be his or her own winemaker.

Kit wines started appearing on the market in tins of varietal grape juice concentrate about 25 years ago. The choices were few, but they were available year-round. The early winemaking enthusiast had to add sugar and had to measure and adjust the wine himself. All additives and yeast were sold as extras.

In the late ’80s complete kits appeared on the market. They contained everything necessary to make the wine. Suppliers started offering more varietals and blends. The convenience of these kits caught on. Anyone could easily make an acceptable wine with minimal equipment and the ability to follow simple directions. And with just a little bravery and patience you can make a superior wine from your average kit.

Wine Kits
Wine kits are available from several manufacturers. The kits themselves share a basic format. The most popular is the concentrate kit. Varietal juice is concentrated, blended, balanced, and then aseptically packaged in bladder bags. This type of kit is your best economic value. Kits blending stabilized juice (70 percent to 80 percent of the kit) with concentrate are more expensive, but they are usually worth the cost in the end. These kits usually make a nicer finished product that tends to keep longer in the bottle.

All kits have the same basic ingredients: grape concentrate and/or juice, potassium sorbate, potassium meta­bisulphite, and fining agents to clarify the wine. Most kinds include dry winemaking yeast and a yeast energizer or nutrient. Potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulphite are used to stabilize the wine and prevent further fermentation. Fining agents aid in clearing the wine and may include one or more of the following: glycerin, kieselsol, isinglass, bentonite, sparkolloyd, or Isoclear. Despite their chemical-sounding names, all of these ingredients are derived from natural sources.

Each kit, regardless of manufac­turer, comes complete with directions for making wine. You can, however, make a far superior wine than the kit produces by going a little beyond the written directions. By simply adding a few extra ingredients (which equals a few extra steps) you will have a wine that is truly your own and far more enjoyable than the results of a basic kit.

Beyond the Basics
The additional ingredients used to enhance the quality of the wine are few but highly effective. You can add more as you acquire experience to enhance specific wines. A basic “tweaking” kit should include:

Oak: Aging in oak barrels is a process used in almost all commercial red wines and many white wines. It adds complexity and structure to the wine. When making wine at home the use of barrels is difficult and cost prohibitive. Through the use of liquid oak or oak chips you can simulate the barrel-aged wines at home. Oak gives wine many flavors, ranging from the light smoky flavor found in a good fumé blanc to the warm vanilla notes in a good gamay. Liquid oak is acquired by extracting the essence of oak from barrels and then holding it in an alcohol base. Liquid oak will instantly add oak flavoring to your wine, but it lacks the complexity of chips. Oak chips are milled from barrels and are available in toasted and untoasted styles, light to dark, and in French or American varieties. They demand more work than liquid oak, but the results are worth it.

Tannins: Tannins occur naturally in wines, particularly red wines, and add complexity and depth. Their natural source is the skin of the grape. Tannins give the wine its astringency and dryness. The sensation of tannins on the palate is often described as that of an aspirin tablet dissolving on the tongue. The same puckering of your mouth is sometimes experienced when drinking wine. Tannin additives for kits are available in liquid and powdered form. The liquid form is easier to use.

Glycerin: Glycerin is used to smooth and refine the roughness of your wine and make it ready for the table sooner. Use it sparingly; as the wine ages, the flavors will soften naturally and excess glycerin will make your wine flabby and tasteless. One rule is to never use more than two teaspoons per batch.

Wine Conditioner: Conditioner is merely liquid invert sugar that is stabilized with potassium sorbate. It adds sweetness to your wine. You can make your own conditioner by bringing to a low boil a solution of two parts sugar to one part water. When the sugar is completely dissolved, let the mixture cool and clear.

Winemaking Gear
The equipment needed to make wine from kits is inexpensive and familiar to homebrewers:

• 30-liter or larger fermenter for primary fermentation (a food-grade plastic pail will do)
• 23-liter carboy (glass is preferred)
• Siphon setup (stiff rod with anti-sediment tip and flexible hose with shut-off)
• Hydrometer
• Thermometer
• Stir spoon or paddle

Before starting any batch of wine make sure your equipment is clean. Without proper cleanliness you are unable to regulate the final product. There are several ways to sanitize your equipment. Your local retailer can help you choose the best method.

Making Wine
Wine instructions are structured based on the age of your must/wine. Tweaking the kit wine will only require a couple of alterations.

Day one: Follow the directions in your kit for day one, but hold aside four to eight ounces of concentrate. Put this concentrate in a sanitized container (food grade) and place it in the refrigerator or freezer until day 20. (If you are making a 15-liter kit, hold back two to 2.5 times as much and freeze). Add one cup of table sugar to the mixture (called must) to keep the specific gravity at the proper level (to compensate for the removed concentrate). The specific gravity measured with your hydrometer should be 1.080 plus or minus 0.005. If it is higher, your wine will be higher in alcohol. Pitch your yeast by warming the must to 80° F and sprinkling the yeast on the surface. There is no need to stir.

Day six to eight: Rack your wine from the primary fermenter to the carboy using your siphon. Your specific gravity should be around 1.020 or lower. Do not be afraid of transferring some sediment, but try to keep the amount low. Most kit instructions will have you top up your wine with water. While this will reduce the risk of oxidation, it will water down your wine. It is preferable to top up with a similar wine. At this point, however, many wine makers believe that oxidation is of little concern because CO2 is still being released, so topping up is optional.

Day 20 or 21: This is the time to make the wine your own; let the winemaker’s art show! Pull out your tweaking kit and get your palate ready. Rack the wine from your carboy into your primary fermenter. Do not use any of the additives yet. Remove two six-ounce glasses of wine. Use one to tweak your wine and one as a comparison.

Have a small sip of the wine. It may be a little yeasty now, but this taste will dissipate as the wine clears over the next week. Get ready to use your additives, making adjustments to the wine in your glass. Do not add anything to your fermenter until you achieve the taste you are looking for in the glass. Except in the case of the oak chips, you will add the ingredients to the sample glass by dipping a toothpick into the additive (about one-half inch deep) and then mixing it with your wine. Keep track of the number of times you dip your toothpick — you will use that number to approximate how much of the additive to use in your fermenter.

Let your reserved concentrate return to room temperature. Add a small amount (using the toothpick) to your glass and taste again. This should smooth out the wine and add some fruit flavors. Add the concentrate bit by bit until you are happy with the taste.

Add glycerin sparingly to soften your wine. Remember, excess glycerin can ruin the wine.

For most white wines these two steps should be sufficient to perk up the taste. If you want a sweeter wine, such as a piesporter, and the wine is fruity enough for your tastes, add the wine conditioner with a toothpick.

Tannin should be added only to red wines. Notice how this gives the wine a velvety smoothness. Continue until you achieve the taste you enjoy.

Oak can be added to reds or whites. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and many noble varieties of whites can benefit from oak. Almost all reds will benefit from oak. Oak can be added in two ways. Liquid oak can be added to the wine by using the toothpick method. The addition of oak chips is more difficult. Start by stirring the wine in the primary fermenter to remove the C02 (stir for five minutes three times, letting the wine rest five minutes between stirs). Add the potassium sorbate and potassium sulfite, and move the wine into a clean carboy. Rinse about 25 grams of oak chips and add them to the carboy. Taste the wine every two days until the oak flavor appears. Next, taste every day until the desired level is reached. Rack the wine off the oak chips into a clean carboy. If you have not yet tweaked the wine with the additives, do so now. If you have, add the finings per kit instructions.

When you have achieved the desired taste in your sample glass, add the concentrate and conditioner at approximately one ounce to the toothpick. Oak, tannin, and glycerin are added at approximately one teaspoon per toothpick. Stir the wine and compare the taste to the glass you have tuned up. Add more of the ingredients to the primary as needed to achieve the same taste that’s in your glass.

Continue with the day-20 instructions for adding the additives included in the kit.

As you become more experienced, you can add other things to further enhance the flavors in your wine. By reading winemaking articles and talking to your supplier, you can determine what to use to make your wine exemplary. The basic rule is anything goes. Experimenting is fun and allows the art of the winemaker to blossom. Home winemaking is no longer relegated to the Old World masters. You, too, can make exquisite wine.

Written by Geoff Downton