In vino, santo — in wine, life. Enjoying a fine glass of wine with good friends is one of life’s great pleasures. If you have always wanted to try making your own, you’ll need a winemaking kit.
The Master Vintner Fresh Harvest One Gallon Small Batch Fruit Winemaking Kit is an easy beginner’s winemaking kit that walks you through the process to ensure a delicious bottle of wine every time.
The first consideration when looking for the best winemaking kit is how much wine you want to make. Some beginning kits only allow you to make 1 gallon of wine at a time. This is equal to five 750 ml bottles.
If you have the desire and space to store more than that, look for a winemaking kit with a 3-gallon capacity or more.
There are two main styles of winemaking kit. The first is a single-use kit, with everything you need for one batch of wine. Many of these kits make great gifts and require very little experience, if any. Simply mix what’s included in the kit with your own fruit or wine grapes and wait for fermentation.
The second style of winemaking kit features reusable materials and containers. This type of kit is meant for people who plan to continue to make wine on a regular basis.
With both kits, you’ll generally have to supply your own wine bottles, corks and grapes.
Although you can make wine out of any type of fruit, if you want to be traditional in your winemaking you’ll need a source of wine grapes. Wine grapes are smaller than table grapes, with tons of seeds and an extra-thick skin. They also have a higher juice content than table grapes and more sugar per grape. These are not always available in the local supermarket, but you’ll need plenty of them for making wine at home.
Some winemaking kits allow you to not only brew wine but to also make a beer or hard cider. This type of kit is great for those who like to experiment or have a food project to dive into.
The beauty of a winemaking kit is that you can just open the box and get started. Make sure your winemaking kit has yeast included as well as all of the tools and testers you’ll need to check fermentation and sugar levels.
The price for a winemaking kit varies depending on whether it is a one-off kit or a kit that is meant to be reused. Expect to spend between $40 for a single-use kit and over $100 for one that you can use again and again.
A. In general, the taste of wine will improve as it ages. The flavors will become more complex, and the body of the wine will be much fuller and richer.
Full-bodied red wines like cabernets should sit for at least six months before you drink them. You can generally drink white wines in a month or two after bottling, although they benefit from longer aging as well.
Avoid a delay in your homemade wine by keeping two kits going at a time, so while you are drinking one finished bottle, another is aging.
A. The size of your winemaking kit will dictate how many bottles and corks you need. One gallon of wine is equal to five 750 ml bottles. So if you make 3 gallons of wine, you’ll need 15 bottles and corks.
The corks should be unused, and the bottles should all be carefully sterilized before bottling your wine. Make sure you are also working with sterilized equipment as you bottle to prevent spoilage.
Master Vintner Fresh Harvest One Gallon Small Batch Fruit Winemaking Kit
What you need to know: This kit is great for first-time vintners who need clear, easy-to-follow directions.
What you’ll love: This kit makes 15 gallons of wine and includes a hydrometer, test jar and enzymes and yeast needed for fermentation. It also includes a recipe handbook.
What you should consider: This kit does not come with corks or bottles.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Midwest Winemaking and Homebrewing Supplies 1 Gallon Wine Kit
What you need to know: This kit is the perfect size for people who want to brew a gallon of wine at a time.
What you’ll love: The included recipe book offers clear and detailed instructions. The kit includes a 2-gallon plastic fermenter, 1-gallon jug, tubing, airlock, screw cap, straining bag, sanitizer, campden tablets, pectic enzyme, acid blend, grape tannin, yeast nutrient, stabilizer and all-purpose dry yeast. In short, everything you need except the bottles, corks and fruit of your choice.
What you should consider: You want to make more wine at a time, this is not a kit for you.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Craft a Brew Home Chardonnay Making Kit
What you need to know: This kit focuses on the specific chemistry of making the perfect Chardonnay.
What you’ll love: Even the grapes are included in this winemaking kit, which is built around an Australian chardonnay. This kit also includes yeast, enzymes, stopper, fermenter and funnel.
What you should consider: This kit only makes 1 gallon at a time.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Suzannah Kolbeck writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
