WINE MAKING WITH CONCENTRATES

March 7, 2022March 8, 2022 / stanholtzleiter6724 / Leave a comment

By Adventures in Homebrewing

If you are just starting out, wine concentrates offer an easy way for you to get rolling. They come with simple, easy-to-follow directions that eliminate all of the guess-work for even the first-time winemaker. In most cases, the wine making concentrates also come with all of the additional home wine making ingredients that are called for, pre-measured and ready for use. By offering concentrated juices in this way all of the variables have been eliminated, so you have to work hard to make a mistake.

In short, wine making concentrates provide you with an easy, consistent way to make impressive grape wines with remarkable flavor, body and character. And what’s more, you can create these bottles of wine for a fraction of what they would cost you at the store, as little as $4.00 a bottle. Tremendous wines that are worthy of recognition by friends and family.

So, go right ahead and dive into the interesting and rewarding hobby of home wine making. By doing so you will be joining the thousands of happy people who make and enjoy their own wines everyday with pride.

WHAT KIND OF WINES CAN I MAKE?

With wine concentrates there is a larger variety available to you than if you were to try to purchase or grow your own grapes. Currently, we offer over 200 different wine making juices from all over the world: France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Canada and California. From Cabernet to Chianti it’s all there for your choosing. It’s an incredible selection that allows one to make a medley of wines that never gets tiring.

And unlike growing your own grapes, these wine concentrates are available all throughout the year. So you can make your wine whether it be April or August. These concentrates will consistently make wines that are comparable to any $10 to $15 bottle of wine you buy at the store, and in the case of our higher-end juices such as Cellar Craft Showcase Collection, they will make wines that equal the $15 to $50 range.

HOW DO YOU USE WINE MAKING CONCENTRATES?

Getting started with a batch of wine from concentrate is very quick and easy. It is simply a matter of pouring the wine concentrate into your wine making fermentation vessel, adding water and then adding the wine yeast and any other home wine making ingredients that are called for by the accompanying directions. After that it’s only matter of siphoning the wine off of the sediment from time to time as directed (“racking”) and adding any additional ingredients that may be called for along the way. The whole process usually takes anywhere from 30 to 45 days, from beginning to bottling, depending on the brand of wine concentrate you purchased. Your primary role in the whole process is to simply watch and wait.

WHAT COMES WITH THE CONCENTRATE?

Of the 14 different brands of wine making concentrate we offer, 11 of them come with all the ingredients you will need. All you need to do is add water. With the other 3 brands, these juices will have directions that call for wine making ingredients that you will need to buy separately.

INGREDIENT KITS:

These brands are considered “ingredient kits” because of their inclusion of everything you will need to make 6 gallons (30 bottles) of wine. They come with: the wine yeast, the nutrients, the clarifiers and such, all pre-measured in little packets. The sugars and fruit acids are already incorporated into the concentrate and have been balanced for superior flavor and character. Depending on the type of wine you are making, you may also receive flavor enhancement items such as oak powder to give a barrel-aged effect, dried elderflowers to develop the wines bouquet and dried elderberries to add body and depth to the wine. Very clear and complete directions are included, making these ingredient kits a powerfully, simple way to make incredible wines starting with your very first batch.

OTHER CONCENTRATES:

The other three brands do not come with any ingredients. They are simply the concentrated juice. These brands are as follows: SunCal Vineyards, Alexander Sun Country and County Fair Premium Fruit Bases. All three of these brands come with directions that explain what other ingredients you will need. You can also find this information on our web site within the description of each concentrate. The items that are called for are basically the following: Yeast Nutrient, Acid Blend, Wine Tannin, Wine Yeast, and sometimes Pectic Enzyme or Bentonite. These concentrates will also need sugar added to them as well.

WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL I NEED?

One of the things that makes wine making so attractive is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started, and if you already are buying wine at the store it can actually save you money. But there are some fundamental pieces of home wine making equipment you will need before making your first batch.

Obviously you will need a fermentation container for fermenting the juice. You will also need to be able to fit the container with an air-lock. This is to allow gases to escape without letting stuff back into the wine during fermentation. And, you will need some hose for siphoning your wine off of the sediment. All very simple items.

Beyond this you will also want to get a wine hydrometer. The hydrometer will allow you to determine the alcohol level of your wine, and it will help you to track the progress of your wine’s fermentation. An invaluable tool!

You may also want a second fermentation container to make it easier when you are transferring the wine off the sediment. Otherwise, you can temporarily move the wine into a couple of large cooking pots, just long enough to rinse out the fermentation container and then transfer the wine back to it.

There may be other items that may pique your interest like stirring paddles, testing jars and bottle brushes, but this is the basics of what you will need to get started.

ADDITIONAL WINE MAKING INFO

Here are a few articles on our website that may be of interest to you. They are more specific articles about making wine. https://www.homebrewing.org/Wine-Making-Articles_ep_123-1.html?AffId=785

Fermentation 101

Corking Your Wine Bottles

Wine Bottle Storage And Temperature

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

Making Wine From Grapes

Making Wine From Fruits

Making Wine From Kits

Be sure to check out our selection of wine making equipment and wine making supplies available online.

The Benefits Of Wine Kits vs Fresh Grapes

September 2, 2021September 8, 2021 / stanholtzleiter6724 / Leave a comment

What is the going opinion of making wine with fresh grapes and crushing them, as opposed to using a wine kit? Is one better than the other by default, or would you say either method can produce excellent or horrible results?

Phil B. – TN
_____

Hello Phil,

Thanks for bringing up this great question about wine kits vs fresh grapes. It’s a question we get from time to time, so I’ll be more than happy to answer it here…

Whether you are making wine from grape s or making wine from kit s the quality of the wine starts with the quality of the grapes. There is an adage in the wine making industry that says:

“You can never make a wine that is
better than the grapes used to make it.”

What this means is that you’ll never make great wine out of poor wine grapes. The quality of the wine always starts with the quality of the grapes.

When making wine from fresh grapes the individual winemaker usually has a limited selection of grapes to choose fro m. Quality can suffer when dealing in the take-it-or-leave-it type of market that often arises for the home winemaker.

The quality of grapes that you will find in wine kits varies from good to outstanding. It is not in the interest of these kit producers to spend their time preparing and packaging poor wine grapes. It doesn’t make economic sense, so great care is taken to locate and acquire grapes that are above average quality.

This is one of the major advantages to using a wine kit vs fresh grapes. You are able to rely on the wine kit producer’s expertise in selecting quality grapes. So on the whole you’ll be starting with a better quality grape when using a wine kit than when obtaining grapes on your own. Of coarse, there are always exceptions. Living near a grape growing mecca such as Napa can turn this point on its head, but for most home winemakers, this is a consideration that should be given some weight.

We offer an array of different brands of wine kits. As you go up the ladder in price, the finer your selection of grape. How much you spend depends on the level of taste. Some people are completely happy with the On The House wine kit s and could not tell a difference even if they did choose a more expensive kit. For others, the On The House simply would not do. How far up the ladder one goes is very much a personal choice.

Unfortunately, quality grapes do not guarantee a stellar wine, it’s just the first requirement necessary to get there. Between the grapes and the wine bottle is a whole host of other factors such as: acidity, alcohol, sweetness, etc.

Making wine from a wine kit alleviates you from these variables. This is because all these factors have already been taken care of for you by the wine kit producers. They balance the acidity, sugar content and many other features such as clarification and oak treatment to match the typical character of the wine you are making. By eliminating as many variables as possible they are helping to insure that you will make a remarkable wine every time. This is a very valuable benefit of using wine kits vs fresh grapes – especially for the beginner.

Now having said this, I understand completely that we are talking about a hobby, and for some, part of the hobby is the passion that goes into the picking, the crushing, the pressing, and so forth. I get that. And if this is you, I completely support your efforts to make wine from the dirt to the wine bottle. I’m just trying to bring total objectivity to the consideration of using wine kits vs fresh grapes.

So while both wine kits and fresh grapes holds their own rewards, by starting with a wine you are virtually eliminating any chance of producing a bad wine. Add to that the incredible selection that is now available to the home winemaker and it starts to become apparent that a wine kit is the way to go for the beginner.

I hope this covers all your questions and curiosities about wine kits vs fresh grapes. Please realize that regardless of which path you decide to take, we will be more than happy to help you in any way you need.

Best Wishes,
Ed Kraus
—–
Ed Kraus is a 3rd generation home brewer/winemaker and has been an owner of E. C. Kraus since 1999. He has been helping individuals make better wine and beer for over 25 years.

From ADVENTURES IN HOMEBREWING

Below you will find listings for Small Batch Wine Kits and One Gallon Wine Kits, there are several wines listed. What is your favorite wine? If you see it or one similar make note, Read the article How to Make Wine at Home, watch the videos read the article, and see how easy a wine kit can be. Try one, enjoy the results of your efforts. Start your new hobby and share it with family and friends. You never know your wine could be in great demand.

Beginner’s Winemaking

What Is In A Bottle Of Wine?

Things to know about making wine

How To Brew Wine At Home

HOW TO MAKE WINE AT HOME From ADVENTURES IN HOMEBREWING

The Benefits Of Wine Kits vs Fresh Grapes From ADVENTURES IN HOMEBREWING

5 Myths About Homemade Wine

Try something new

How to make wine at home. A Great lesson. CLICK HERE

Small Batch wine Kits to try. Learning is Fun. CLICK HERE

ONE GALLON WINE KITS

The Total Wine System

Home Winemaking: The Simple Way to Make Delicious Wine

HOW TO MAKE WINE AT HOME

August 17, 2021December 26, 2025 / stanholtzleiter6724 / Leave a comment

Adventures in Homebrewing has many options for the home winemaker. Even if you are new to winemaking, we can answer all of your questions.

How long does it take to make a wine?
Depending on the wine you choose, it will take between 4 and 8 weeks to complete the winemaking process.
Can I make wine that is as good as store bought brands?
Yes! Adventures in Homebrewing offers many wine recipe kits to choose from. We feature Winexpert, and Winexpert sources juices and concentrates from all over the world and follows the same process as a winery, but on a much smaller scale. For the best wine, allow your wine to age in the bottle – the longer you wait the better it will become.
Is making wine at home expensive?
Not at all. Adventures in Homebrewing offers options to make wine for every budget. Because you are making the wine yourself, you save the high tax rates associated with beverage alcohol. In fact, our wines can be made for as little as $5 per bottle, making it very affordable compared to store-bought wine.
How do I make my own wine?
To get started, you will need your

. If you need everything, that is no problem. Adventures in Homebrewing has some complete Equipment Kits for the homebrewer ready to get started in winemaking. Don’t worry about extra costs…we are shipping Wine Beginner Kits Free.

With the right equipment, you just need to know the process. Making a wine kit from one of our Winexpert kits is simple and easy because the kit has all the ingredients, in pre-measured amounts, that one needs to make 6 gallons of wine (30 bottles).
Here is an example of some of the ingredients included in a Winexpert Kit.

Juice Bag: The grape juice has all the fermentable sugars that the yeast feed on to make alcohol. The vast majority of the wine’s flavor and complexity is also derived from the grape juice.
Wine Yeast: 1-2 Yeast packets depending on the kit. Yeast is what eats and converts the sugars to alcohol.
Oak: In select kits, you will find packets of oak. Oak will impart beneficial flavors and colors into the wine. Oak also helps to balance some of the rich flavors found in wines like chardonnays.
Bentonite: This is a fine clay in powder form that helps clarify the wine during fermentation
Metabisulfite: Stops yeast action and is used in stabilizing the wine before clarifying. Metabisulfite can also be used as a sanitizer for winemaking equipment in higher concentrations. Your kit will not include enough for use as a sanitizer but can be purchased from AHS if desired.
Potassium Sorbate: Stops all remaining fermentation action and fully stabilizes the wine. Sorbate is used in conjunction with metabisulfite for wine stabilization.
Finishing Fining Agent: Depending on the kit this will be either an isinglass pack or chitosan pack. Like bentonite, these agents help clarify the wine into the sparkling beauty you sip from your glass.

Check out Amazon for Wine Making Supplies

Wine kits do not take a long time to get into the bottle. It is possible to have a wine in bottle at 4-6 weeks from start. However, the catch that you’re looking for comes in the form of aging the wine. There are benefits to aging and following the recommended guidelines ensure your wine will always be delectable and desired by your friends. But, a remarkable amount of the improvement can be obtained within the first 1-2 months of bottling and as such it is possible for you to have a delicious wine within 3 months of starting. Packaged wine making juices tend to make wines faster than making wine using fresh fruit juices because there is generally no pulp or skins involved (with some very specific exceptions).
Winexpert has some very specific aging recommendations from which you can get the best possible flavor.
Island Mist: Island mist kits are fermented from a grape base and sweetened with a fruit juice. These wines are ready within just a few weeks of bottling.
Specialty Dessert Wine Kits: These kits can vary depending on the type of wine being made. A standard dessert wine could be ready with as little as 2-3 months age time, whereas a chocolate raspberry port may take 4-6 months.
Winexpert Classic: It is recommended that these wines age from 2-5 months after bottling. The aging process allows tannins and other flavors to mellow meld into one another so as to be pleasing to the pallet.
One Gallon Winexpert Classic kits: Have all the same requirements for fermentation and aging as a 6 gallon Winexpert Classic kit.
Winexpert Reserve: Winexpert strongly recommend that these wines be aged up to a year in order to enjoy the best possible flavors. While they will be ready to drink in as little as 3-4 months, they will be best at 12 months or more. This has to do with the quality of the juices in the juice bag. Reserve kits are a step above the rest in that they rely on purer grape juices that are sourced and/or blended from very specific locales within a given region. The quantity of juice is also more than what will be found in a Classic Kit, meaning less water will be used, which results in a longer age time.
Winexpert Private Reserve: These kits are the highest quality wine kits produced on the market, bar none. They will take 16-18 months age time to achieve the best results. Private Reserve kits include the most pure juice of any level kit and the highest quality ingredients. The grapes used in these kits are often sourced from specific vineyards.
It can be hard to age a wine for this long, especially when you’ve put the time and effort and money into making a Reserve or Private Reserve Kit. I’m not saying you can’t start to drink the fruits of your labor at 3-4 months, it will be a very good wine, but at 12-18 months it will be a phenomenal wine. Adventures in Homebrewing recommends saving 1/4 to 1/2 your batch bottles and then start a new batch. This way you can enjoy your wine at its best, but you can start to enjoy it as it’s maturing.
In addition to a wine making recipe kit and being prepared to age it, you will need a wine making equipment kit and wine bottles in order to make your nectar of the gods. We offer several levels of kits to get you started. Or if you’re a brewer of beer already, all you need to do is get an additional 7.9 gallon fermenter, corker, corks and a 6 gallon carboy.

Shop Now for Wine Making Supplies

Let’s Go Through The Whole Process

How To Make Wine At Home 1: Welcome to Winemaking
Tim Vandergrift walks you through some of the basics of making wine at home. Winemaking is a natural process, that you can do at home, and produce a good product. The process is completely safe, and with our equipment and wine kits, you can create store quality wine at home. All of our equipment and wine kits come with great instructions and are easy to follow. Watch this video, and you will learn about the basic equipment needed.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vcfs0DRtkAU

How To Make Wine At Home 2: Before You Begin
Now it is time to dive right in, right? Wrong. If you want a quality, good tasting wine, there is some prep work involved. But don’t worry, it is easy to do. This next video will walk you through the cleaning process and as well as an in-depth look at the instructions.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/8SJbjNlp75M

How To Make Wine At Home 3: Primary Fermentation
With all your equipment clean and sanitized, it is time to make the wine. This next video will walk you through filling the fermenter and taking a Gravity Reading and all the way to pitching your yeast.

How To Make Wine At Home 4: Secondary Fermentation
Ferment again? You bet! After 5-7 days your Primary Fermentation should be complete. In this video, you will learn to how to take your Gravity to ensure fermentation has taken place. Typically, we will transfer into a Glass Carboy. Transferring your wine is made much easier with Auto-Siphon. They are available in a 1/2″ and 3/8″ diameter sizes.

How To Make Wine At Home 5: Stabilising and Clearing
At this point, the wine is just about finished with its fermentation. Now it is time to stabilize and clear the wine. Follow the instructions and to take a sample. A Wine Thief is a perfect tool for this. You will also learn how to calculate the Alcohol Content. There will be some additives that will need to be added at this point, refer to your instructions for your particular wine kit. Time to de-gas? Yes, a Wine Whip will make all the difference.

How To Make Wine At Home 6: Bottling
Finally, time to drink…I mean to bottle. The wine should now be clear. Use that Wine Thief again to get a close look, you want to bottle clear wine. You will need about 30 standard wine bottles. Adventures in Homebrewing has multiple sizes, colors, and styles of wine bottles to choose from. Check out our full selection here =>Wine Bottles.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/80o0k-Eb4SI

That’s it, you are a winemaker. Now it is time to pick out a wine!

What Is In A Bottle Of Wine?

Things to know about making wine

How To Brew Wine At Home

HOW TO MAKE WINE AT HOME From ADVENTURES IN HOMEBREWING

The Benefits Of Wine Kits vs Fresh Grapes From ADVENTURES IN HOMEBREWING

5 Myths About Homemade Wine

BOOKS

WINE MAKING BOOKS

ADVENTURES in HOMEBREWING BLOG

WINE MAKING KITS

What Is In A Bottle Of Wine?

July 24, 2021October 10, 2021 / stanholtzleiter6724 / Leave a comment

Wine is composed of unmodified grape juice which was fermented to create an alcoholic drink that many people enjoy the world over. In many countries, dinner or even lunch is not complete without a bottle of wine. Celebrations often require a bottle of wine and this is accompanied by cheers and saluts.

Generally, there are two types of wines; the red wine and the white wine. Both wines are made from grapes, although, different varieties of grapes and both are also fermented to create the wine. The two types of wines also have several kinds of wines. As such, they are usually named after the region they come from in the world or the type of grape used to make the bottle of wine. There are also several other kinds of wines other than the red and the white but these two are the more common.

Composition of a Bottle of Wine

A bottle of wine is primarily composed of grape juice. The grapes made into wine are the key factors to the taste of the beverage. These grapes are usually from the European grapes species. The location of the vineyard and the climate in the specific location has a lot to do with the taste of the wine. This is what is called the terroir and it plays a big role on the quality of the wine.

Yeast is also added to the wine composition to ferment the grape juice. The fermentation may take a few months to achieve the right flavor f the wine. Water is also one of the main components of a bottle of wine and definitely the most abundant component in it. Alcohol also comprises wine and the alcohol content depends on what kind of wine we are talking about.

The Uses of Wine

A bottle of wine is commonly used for drinking, of course. It is also used in liturgical events or other religious based events. Many use wine to celebrate victories and to drown out defeats. A bottle of wine can also be used in cooking, baking and to create cuisine around the world. It is usually used to flavor stocks (beef, chicken etc) or braising the food.

A bottle of wine can also be used to relax the body; as such it has gained a reputation of being medicinal and an aphrodisiac. Some researchers have stated that re wine may be more beneficial for preventing cancer compared to white because red wine contains more poyphenols.