UNDERSTANDING VOLUME VARIATION IN WINE KITS
TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
Whether you’re making wine in-store or at home, the best wine kit is the one that expresses the most aroma, flavour and character. The very best kit with the most flavor, aroma, tannin, bouquet, and body are the ones with the most total dissolved solids or TDS.
What really separates different volume wine kits is the level of total dissolved solids (TDS) they have. TDS is what is left over after every bit of the water is removed from the grape. Simply put, the more total dissolved solids, the more aroma and flavour compounds a wine will have. 23 litres of all grape juice have more TDS then concentrate kits that require water to be added.
Full-size kits (no water added, Vintner’s Cellar specialty)
The full 23 litres (6 gallons) in volume. 100% juice is essentially the juice that is extracted from wine grapes, before any major processing like concentration. It retains a varietal’s main organoleptic qualities and characteristics and transfers them into the wine. It breathes life into the wine and transforms it from “just another wine” into a wine-crafting experience. Another important fact is an all grape juice wine kit has no added sugar or artificial flavours, only the natural sugars the grape produces, resulting in a wine with more complex aromas and richer mouthfeel and undeniable balance.
Super-premium kits
Weighing in at 16 litres (4.2 gallons) super-premium kits have very high levels of TDS. They contain grape pack kits, and the finest (and most expensive) juices available, usually from single, delimited vineyards. They require patient aging to show their charms, and will develop over an even longer period than the premium kits. White wines will show well by 6 months, and red wines can take up to 18 months before they show their true nature. But again, they do have wonderful power and strength when they’re younger — many people drink them much younger with great pleasure.
These kits are easily distinguishable from the premium by their price. High-end juices cost more, especially if they’re from prestigious areas like Italy and Chile. But when you’re offering a single-vineyard, single varietal kit, you need one whole tank that does nothing but house your Super-Premium kit — and tanks take up space and cost more money. Hence, premium prices.
Grape skin kits
The 16 and 23 litre, with an added package of grape solids, are made with high-quality grape juices. Grape skin kits have the highest levels of dissolved solids, but this makes the drink ability trade-off an issue. The skins add phenomenal levels of dissolved solids and quite a bit of harshness in youth. As they age, they drop their rough edges and come into smooth maturity, and really replicate the finest commercial wines from grapes. With this extra level of solids and grape material, these kits aren’t for early drinking. As with all wine kits you can drink them much younger, but they do get better and better as time passes. Hang onto them for a year to catch the beginning of what they offer, and another year to savor their peak.
Mid-volume kits
Around 7.5 litres (2 gallons) in volume, and require the additional of water. Anytime water is required Vintner’s cellar uses only pure reverse osmosis water. Although they drink quite well after only a month in the bottle, they show their best after approximately 3–6 months for white wines, and 6–12 months for red wines. These times depend on a series of factors: which kit, what vintage, size of the bottles they are stored in, the corks used, and, most important of all, the storage conditions. There can be no guarantee of a date for maturity as it’s up to individual conditions, and individual wines.
Vintner’s Cellar kits
Our Kits are exclusive to us, and are only available at Vintner’s Cellar locations. You can use them to make wine at home or right here in our store. If you’re making your wine at home, you can find instructions here.
ENJOY!