16 replies to this topic

[Seb]

Hi to all of you. I just receive my Vinexpert Info and they talked a lot about the new Selection Limited Edition for this year. They now have 5 kits. Two in January and then one per month until april. I never tried any of this kits. This year maybe I could give them a try and I don't know wich one to select. I hesitate between the Cabernet-Merlot from Okanagan ( near you Pat is it ? ) and the Primitivo-Syrah from Sicile ( Primitivo is a Zinfandel ).

Give me your feedback.

Thanks, Séb

[P Cuthbert]

Hi All;

I have been making the BK Limited Editions for a couple of years now. The kits are well made, and the wine produced is well balanced. I have drunk them as early as 2 months after bottling, but they do age well.

The Symphony is an interesting hybrid of a muscat ( white) and a Grenache (red). Very aromatic, just off dry when fully fermented. This is a winner for those who like a lot of nose in their whites. BK did this one 2 years ago, and are doing it again. I think it may become part of their regular lineup if this years sales are good.

The weather has been very good this year in the Okanagan Valley and I think the Cab/Merlot will be well worth the trial.

If the Primativo/Syrah is anything like last years Super Tuscan, then it too is a winner.

I am not to familiar with the Chilean production, but a Chardonay (a Spagnols kit) I did a few years back was not as good as I had hoped.

If the Pinot Blanc comes close to the Napa Valley Chard of last year, it too will be another must have.

Check with your local suppliers of the BK kits. In the west, there are tastings put on by many of them. BK themselves choose the samples that they feel will be closest to the results from the kits. There is usually a charge fo these tastings, but most dealers will give you a coupon for that amount redeemable in their establishment.

Take care all, and enjoy the upcoming holiday seasons.

Pat

[Hippie]

Wanna try a good cheaper kit? I just racked my Grand Cru Select Bergamais for the fourth time and I am really impressed with the results. I did not use the bentonite at start nor the isinglass after stabilizing. It has cleared very well on it's on and tastes wonderful already. It is just a little off-dry, which is what I like. Probably a 1 on the sweetness scale. I bottled a Grand Cru Select Gewurtztraminer last week in 12oz. beer bottles with caps. It is not my type of wine, but my wife loves it. I don't make alot of kit wines, as I have alot of friends who want wine made from their fruit, so I do it on halves.

[Seb]

[/QUOTE] Check with your local suppliers of the BK kits. In the west, there are tastings put on by many of them. BK themselves choose the samples that they feel will be closest to the results from the kits. There is usually a charge fo these tastings, but most dealers will give you a coupon for that amount redeemable in their establishment


Here in Québec Pat, they don't have the right to do that since the SAQ ( Société des Alcools du Québec ) restrict this practice as they don't whant any competition at all Stupid thing !!!

[John Hogg]

Seb,
I tried just last weekend another winemaker's (homebrew shop owner) finished 2002 BK Limited Riesling/Gewurtztraminer.
It was absolutely fantastic
He also let me try a Limited Edition red - Cabernet/Something-or-another - and it was quite good, too, albeit still a bit tannic.

He still had in stock the Riesling/Gewurtz kit, so I bought that.
And based on comments from him and Pat Cuthbert, I signed up for the 2003 Symphony and out of intrigue the Primitivo/Syrah.

[Seb]

Ok thanks, I think i will try the Primitivo Syrah too. The Syrah is still one of my favorite so it will be fun to compare it to my Syrah made with california grape.

Séb

[Mikewine]

Has anyone made any reisling type kits I am looking for a really nice kit to make for my wife? she loves riesling she prefers sweeter, low alcohol and very smooth I call it Koolaid wine because it goes down way to easy

[P Cuthbert]

Hello Mikewine;
I think you would have to look at the "wine cooler" type kits. Most of them are lower in alcohol (6-7%) and are designed to be sweet. They would need to be drunk within a year though.

If you are looking for a nice white, you might try the Selection Reisling, or the Gewertzraminer. Both finish off dry and are quite nice in flavour.

Pat

[Mikewine]

Hi Pat
I was actually thinking about trying either the selection reisling or Gewertsraminer. One of these will probably be next on my list. have you heard anything on the selections chilian merlot? Do you Prefer Brew King Products?
thanks, mike

[P Cuthbert]

HI Mike;

I do prefer the BK Selection kits. They are the best that I have found so far.
As to the Chilean Merlot, I have not yet tried it, but I can tell you from experience that the French Merlot is well worth the effort. I have tried Merlots from the wineries around here, and they seem to prefer a very heavy Oak component. The tannins are also quite high, and there fore they are not suitable for early drinking. 5 years would be the minimum I think for them.

BK produces their wine kits for earlier consumption, and so the tannins are a bit lower and do not need as much time to mellow as the commercial wines.

I should also have mentioned the Selection Leibfraumilch as another wine your wife may enjoy.

You might consider making purchases of the higher concentrated kits as well for the time being. The "4 week" kits are ready to drink substantially sooner and will allow you to build up a bit of a cellar with the "6-8 week" kits which take longer to mature and will age in your cellar longer as well.

BTW, Welcome to the wonderful world of winemaking. It won't be long before you are passing along little tidbits of information to others in the forum. Keep us all updated with your efforts and results.

Pat

[Hippie]

I just finished and bottled a Grand Cru Gewurtztraminer. Although I really like the flavor, it finished at barely 10% abv. I would recommend it to anyone for an early drinking 'refresher' type wine. I bottled it in St.Pauli Girl beer bottles with caps.

[jackie]

I tried the BK limited edition Oregon pinot noir from a couple years ago and it was wonderful. It's my husband's favorite wine. I'm bottle-aging last year's syrah-mouvedre, super tuscan and chardonnay but I believe they will be very good based on an early taste. This year I'm trying the cabernet-merlot and pinot blanc for sure. I'm debating about the primitivo-syrah or the symphony. I'm not that sure about sicilian wines since I've never had one. I can't figure out if I'd like the symphony--normally I go for chardonnay or sauv blanc on whites. I'm also trying Spagnol's limited edition pinot noir.

[Tim Vandergrift]

I'm glad everyone has had good experiences with our Limited Edition kits.

Just to clarify, we conduct wine education seminars both in Western Canada and in the USA every year for Limited Edition. During the seminars we show how our kits go from the Vineyard to the Glass, talk about the wines being offered for the year, and give a short course on tasting techniques.

We can't taste kit wine in Canada, due to excise tax limitations, so we use commercial equivalent wines, under permit from federal/provincial liquor control authorities.

They're plenty of fun, and usually pretty informative (I understand the speaker is very dynamic, hah-hah).

Happy winemaking, and good luck with all your kits this year.

[Seb]

Hi Tim, very happy that you came to this board. You will probably help a lot of peoples there. I read some articles from you and it was always very informative. Thanks a lot to be there.

Séb

[JDM]

tim

i sent you an email through this site but it errored out and since i did not hear from you i suspect you didn't get it....do you have a number i can call you at or a direct email address

joe