saving wine

[richgnr]

hi i know most ppl like to drink wine straight away but is there a certain wine kit or a certain way to make wine last longer so i can save some for a few years thanks rich

[Horden Hillbilly]

The wine kits which don't require any added sugar, ie Beaverdale, Selection, benefit from being matured over a period of time. I personally won't touch a bottle of wine unless it's been matured for 6 months.

The downside is that those kits cost more, but they're worth every penny imo.

[richgnr]

thanks for your reply and funny you should save beaverdale i've just put a cf white on from beaverdale so will see p.s have u tried the wine kits from wilko's like the 30 bottle merlot for £17.99 are they any good/

[LeeH]

There is a distinct difference between the budget 20 pounds kits to the more expensive 40 pound kits. I normally brew the Beaverdale kits and have just bottled their limited edition Rose.


It's very nice even after 2 weeks but I normally leave them 6 months to mature.

[MarkA]

Red wine should last longer than white as white oxidises quicker. I make a lot of Elderberry wine and, depending on the year and quality of the berries, it benefits from 2 or 3 years of maturation. Saying that, I have got a Rhubarb wine from 2011 that still tastes fine

[Horden Hillbilly]

have u tried the wine kits from wilko's like the 30 bottle merlot for £17.99 are they any good/

Sorry, I havn't. It's about finding a kit which suits your tastes & I prefer the kits that don't need sugar adding to them.

Red wine should last longer than white as white oxidises quicker.

Respectfully, I've got to disagree with that. As long as you use the sachets supplied with the kits, take care as not to let the wine "splash" after fermentation, cork & lay the bottles on their side, they will be air tight.

[richgnr]

thanks for your replys guys do u think cork bottles are better than screwtop bottles for keeping and have u ever heard of ppl sealing the cork with wax if so does it work

[LeeH]

Just cork them, I soak the corks in star san and store them on their side.

[Horden Hillbilly]

You can put corks in screwcap bottles, but do so gently as the glass is thinner where the screwthread is. To seal them, simply stand your bottles upright for at least three days to allow the corks to "swell" again after being squashed while corking, then lay them down. No need to seal them with wax.

[MarkA]

Red wine should last longer than white as white oxidises quicker.

Respectfully, I've got to disagree with that. As long as you use the sachets supplied with the kits, take care as not to let the wine "splash" after fermentation, cork & lay the bottles on their side, they will be air tight.

Sorry, I wasn't meaning ruining wine with oxidation from splashing and careless handling. There will always be a small amount of oxygen dissolved in the wine, no matter how careful you are and, studies have shown, a small amount of oxidation is beneficial to certain types of wine and helps the maturing process. Reds seem to benefit better therefore, a robust red should stand the test of time better than a light bodied white, and will age for longer before going 'over the hill'

[Horden Hillbilly]

No need to say sorry MarkA, the more info the better & I certainly didn't know that a small amount of air can be beneficial to certain types of wine.

[MarkA]

No problem HH, I was just thinking I should have explained my original point better