By standard kit I was merely referring to it being a 7.5L kit, packets of
yeast, pot meta, etc. I know it's a light picnic type "wine", or wine based
beverage, if you prefer. That's what I was looking for. I tend to prefer a
nice light, slightly sweet, white at times(of course, my favorites are
actually big tannic reds, but it varies by mood and by what I'm eating).
Definitely understand your concern about me not getting something I
expected, and glad I reread what you said. At first, I must admit I was a
little insulted, felt like you were saying I didn't know what I was talking
about, but now that I reread what you said, can see that it was out of
concern that I might not get what I expected, so thank you for your concern.
This is what I wanted this time though. Doing about one kti a month for
now until I get a goodly supply of wine, and next will be another red, but
after that looking to do a full white wine kit, probably one of the
Selection kits from Brew King(went with the cheaper kits on the first two,
Vintner's Reserve and this Island Mist now, but think I want to step up in
potential quality of final product on the next two).

I was aware of the fact that most red wines gain the color from the skins,
both from one book I've read and John Cleese's Wine for the Confused(which I
highly suggest for those trying to learn about wines in general).

I will follow your suggestion on the Welch's, but primarily because I
already have it in process, is in secondary right now under airlock. Thanks
for the tip though. I've started 7 1 gallon batches of various wines
from juices using Jack Keller's recipes(or 6 from juices and one from canned
blueberries, which I just pitched the yeast in this morning).

I was mainly just curious as to whether this color was normal, as I haven't
done enough kits yet, of either full wine kits, or the Island mist Wine
based beverage kits, to know if this was normal color for a zinfandel juice.
Thank you for your response though.

Have learned a lot already reading back messages in this group, sure I'll
continue to learn more.

Joel

"Ray Calvert" > wrote in message
. ..
> First, you are really wrong when you assume that Island Mist makes
standard
> kits. They are not. They make low alcohol (6-7%) fruit flavored wines
that
> I call picnic wines. They are very nice on warm days when you want to
drink
> more volume. They are not traditional wines. Some wine purists do not
like
> them. People who do not like wine, tend to love them. I have made
several
> of the Island Mist kits and keep some on hand for certain guests and I am
> not above enjoying some myself. Hope you are not disappointed if you are
> expecting a standard white.
>
> Also, for grapes and some other fruit, color comes mainly from the skin.
> Some red wine grapes can be used to make white wine. Other grapes and
fruit
> will get some of their color from the juice with no skin contact and will
> produce blush wines from just the juice.
>
> If you want to make a real white wine you might try a Riesling or
> Gewürztraminer kit. Some of them are quite good. Or if you want to go on
> the cheap, try making white wine from Welch's frozen Niagara Concentrate.
> It comes out better than you would think.
>
> Ray
> "Joel Sprague" > wrote in message
> news:4isFe.6203$Zt.4805@okepread05...
> > Ok, this will probalby be the first(well, second, I guess) of many
> > questions
> > from me in here.
> >
> > Anyway, this saturday I started an Island Mist Exotic Fruits White
> > Zinfandel
> > kit. For those who don't know, this is a pretty standard 7.5L/6 gallon
> > kit,
> > which has two juice packets, the main packet is just supposed to be
white
> > zinfandel, and the second packet is, I guess, the "exotic fruits" part.
> > Anyway, I've noticed that the juice from the White zinfandel packet is
> > noticably red/dark. It's nothing like the Merlot kit I will be bottling

> > this, but it's definiteiliy not near what a finished White Zinfandel kit
> > looks like.
> >
> > This is the first white kit I've done(only second in general, just
started
> > all this the first of this month, though as usual, ahve gone overboard,
> > and
> > have 19 gallons in 9 different batches going right now), and I was
curious
> > as to whether the darkness of this juice is just due to the grapes being
> > used(as obviously Zinfandel is normally used as a red), and if it'll
clear
> > up to the light pink color I'm used to in White Zinfandels, or whether
the
> > darker color is a peculiarity of this particular kit,a nd it'll jsut be
a
> > darker "white".
> >
> > And yes, I'm aware of the fact that red's gain their color not from the
> > juice, but from bering fermented with the skin. Rather fond of White
> > merlots.
> >
> > The color of course will not keep me from getting this kit again, I just
> > had
> > a lot of curiosity as to why the color presented this way,a nd if it
would
> > stay this color or lighten up.
> >
> > Thanks much
> > Joel
> >
> >
>
>