I made this Riesling wine kit from Vino Italiano and am very happy with the results. Keep in mind that this is a value priced wine kit and can't be compared to a primium 16 liter wine kit. But I am very happy with the results. This is a refreshing, fruity, dry, white wine. I made it a 5 gallon kit instead of the 6 gallons per the instructions and have found this kit to have surprisingly great flavor. These Vino Italiano kits are better than two buck chuck and they are fun to make. I used to drink Trader Joes wines in the $5-$7 range for everyday enjoyment. I think the Vino Italiano wines are better than what I had been drinking. Adjust your expectations and you will be very happy with the results.
Vino Italiano 4 Week Wine Kit, Riesling, 15.5-Pound Box
I'm a value shopper at heart so in all honesty I bought this wine kit primarily based on price. I figured $41.35 shipped for a kit that includes everything I needed except bottles was worth trying out. I've made some of the premium kits from other companies in the past, and I wasn't expecting anything great from this kit, but hoping for a drinkable wine. However, I've been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the finished product. My wine has been bottled and aged for 3 months now and the flavor is very good and getting better. Crisp with hints of apples and peaches, no unpleasant or bitter aftertaste. I'll let it age a few more months before sampling again. Granted the kits that cost 2 to 3 times more do make a better wine, but the difference isn't what the price would indicate. This kit will make a decent wine, comparable to a bottle you could buy in a store for about $8.
Previous reviewers have indicated that if you make it to 6 gallons the wine will be a little weak and thin in flavor. I believe this would be correct. I was aiming for a specific gravity of 1.090 to start, and I got that with a little over 5 gallons volume. What I did was add 2 cans of frozen concentrate white grape juice and brought the total volume to 6 gallons, which gave me a starting gravity of 1.092. Fermentation took longer than indicated in the kit instructions, probably because the juice concentrate I added isn't intended for fermentation purposes and contained sorbate as a preservative. To help counteract any problems from this I made a yeast starter 24 hours in advance to pitching the yeast and had it bubbling good when I pitched it.
The finished wine was fairly dry; my wife and I prefer just a hint of sweetness in a riesling so I added some additional sorbate and sweetened a bit just before bottling. It was a little harsh when bottled but that's normal. and has improved significantly after 3 months. I expect it to be even better after 6 months. Adding some metabisulphite when bottling provides increased protection for longer aging, I did that and will let half the batch age at least a year. We're very pleased with the results. The next time I make this kit I will consider adding some golden raisins to the primary fermtation, I think this would increase body and result in an even better wine. Mostly what I make are fruit or floral wines from scratch, but I will purchase additional Vino Italiano kits in the future of various types for my grape wines. I've rated this kit 5 stars because it yields a good wine for an excellent value.
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Let me start by saying I'm reviewing this based on what it is...a bargain priced kit. It's not really fair to compare it to a $120 premium kit. With that said, I found it to be a solid product with nice flavor.
Based on other reviews on Amazon and forums I knew that I shouldn't make this kit to the full 6 gallons or it would be weak and lack body. I only made it to 5 gallons, but I would recommend you make it based on specific gravity rather than volume, because mine came out a little strong. Mine came out to about 13% ABV. On a Cabernet or a more full-bodied wine that would be okay, but it's a little strong for a Riesling. They give you the recommended starting SG, so I would shoot for the middle of that, rather than filling to volume, but probably about 5 1/2 gallons is where you want to be. That will allow you to leave the sediment behind and still fill up a 5 gallon carboy. If you have left over, then keep it in a one gallon jug/carboy and use to top up later in the process.
The flavor is still excellent and very drinkable. It was a dry kit, so I sweetened with 1 1/4 cups of wine conditioner. I added a little sorbate after clarifying and before adding the sweetner to avoid fermentation kicking off again. Give it a few days between adding the sorbate and sweetening to make sure fermentation is completely killed off. It's still not very sweet, so I would recommend 1 1/2 cups conditioner/sweetner to get closer to a Washington style Riesling.
Overall I think the kit is a true bargain, especially with free super saver shipping. I've since ordered the Shiraz and so far it is exceeding expectations as well.
Read Best Reviews of Vino Italiano 4 Week Wine Kit, Riesling, 15.5-Pound Box Here
I still have this batch "in the works" but so far it looks to be one of the best batches I have ever made. I did two modifications: I added one Granny Smith apple plus two pears (minus the peels) to the batch when I started it, and then I also stopped the fermentation when the SG was at 1.02 as the alcohol was at 14% and this left a residual sugar in it which is leaving it sweeter (used crushed Campden tablets to stop the fermentation)(I also made it about 5 1/2 gallons as opposed to 6). I am about 1 week from bottling but so far the flavor is awesome distinct fruit flavors, cross between semi-sweet and semi-dry; very tasty. I also made a Chardonnay which also came out well, and am getting ready to order two more Vino Italiano kits. These are the best deals on the market when the free shipping is included. Highly recommend!
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I've made several of the Vino Italiano kits and have been happy with all of them.
I even shared a bottle with my wine-snob sister and she was quite impressed. (gosh, I hope she never reads this!) Impressed enough to consider wine making as a hobby!
The instructions for the kit are nearly identical to those of the the more expensive kits you'll find at your local home brewing / wine making store.
That said, I must say that the instructions would probably not be adequate for a first-timer (neither are those of the $100+ kits!). Beginners simply won't understand the sanitation requirements or how to use the tools... that's when the advise of a local merchant would probably come in handy, though there are certainly enough videos and websites out there to cover the basics. I still can't help but feel the kit manufacturers should have links to their own material.
If you've ever successfully made wine from a kit, then you'll have no trouble with this one. It's just less expensive!
The fact that these low-priced kits come complete with corks, labels and heat-shrink capsules, just adds more value.
I've made both kit wines and country wines and have enough experience under my belt to "play around" with the kits now. The Riesling was made according to instructions with the only variation being the length of time for each stage. Not for any reason other than my own convenience (I waited longer between racking and bottling). Comparing the results to a Vintners Reserve kit that a friend made at the same time... The Vino Italiano kit was BETTER. Just my opinion, of course... I did a blind taste test, so it was impartial. But then taste is a matter of personal preference, I'm not a wine judge.
I've got two different VI reds fermenting right now, slightly different variations to the instructions. Will post reviews on those when they're properly done.
I had been looking in my local grocery stores for a sherry vinegar, and could not find one anywhere. This is a great product, however, I did just find a sherry vinegar at Whole Foods for less money and no shipping.
![[FFP] Mia's Kitchen Balsamic Vinegar, 2 Count](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31yTQCjFxOL._AA200_.jpg)
