FWIW, I wish I'd skipped the potassium sorbate addition in my first wine (a
kit). Out of the gate and 12+ months afterward, this wine was horrific and I
actually instructed people to dump it. Consider that this was after I'd
given it as Christmas gifts (I guess the personalized labels worked because
nobody was too PO'd).

About two years ago I dug into the cellar for "older" wines and found the
last remaining (hopefully so) bottle of this plonk. I doubtfully opened it
and found, to my delight, a wine that had aged quite well and shrug its pot.
sorbate characteristic.

To make a long story short, if I would do it all over again, I'd bulk age
longer, skip the pot. sorbate pack and bottle 6 months after they told me
to. The taste of the pot. sorbate was just too [prevalent for me to enjoy
the wine whatsoever.


Patrick

"Duck Redbeard" > wrote in message
. ..
>I am a home brewer (all grain beer) and I am venturing into wine making. I
>doubt I'll go beyond extract kits, but I want to give it a try. What is
>the quality I should expect from a "Vintner's Reserve - Chianti"
>concentrate kit?
>
> I am not new to the fermentation sciences, I have been brewing since '95,
> including 3 years pro. And with my wife's help, I have learned to
> appreciate wine. Is there anything I should do in addition to what the
> kit might direct me to do? Is there a preferred yeast for this wine?
> Should there be oak additions? Extended fermentation periods? Multiple
> rackings (how many should I do for a clean wine?)? Would it be a bad idea
> to reconstitute it to only 5.5 gallons instead of the 6 gallons?
>
> --
> Buy a man a beer and he wastes an hour.
> Teach a man to brew and he wastes the rest of his life.
>