Thanks for reading between the lines and realizing I was not coming down on
you. If you like the Island Mist kits, try the Peach Apricot Chardonnay.
It is white and is very pleasant. I have made it several times.

Ray

"Joel Sprague" > wrote in message
newsDyFe.6207$Zt.4305@okepread05...
> 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
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>