On 6/10/2006 2:07 PM, Jim wrote:
Can anyone tell me what is the optimum aging period for a 4 week wine
kit after it is made. (Red & White)


Jim,

Kits vary, by style and by manufacturer. Winexpert doesn't have a
recommendation for their 4 week kit (that I could find), but their
product guide for one of the 8 week Selection Estate Series includes the
following advice regarding aging:

"Ageing: While tempting to drink young immediately on bottling, this
wine will
only truly begin to display its astonishingly powerful fi nish after one
year. Those
with the willpower to tuck a few bottles away will be rewarded by a
decade of liquid velvet and lush fruit."

And the generic instruction set for all of the 4 week wine kits (and the
8 week kits, the instructions are very generic) reads:

"Your wine will benefit greatly from extended ageing in the bottle. Try
to wait at least six months before you try your first sample—but a year
is better."

My experience with these kits suggests that, marketing hyperbole aside,
aging the kits nine or more months does yield a better finished product.
In fact, I believe that slowing the entire process down will result in
a better wine. I'd rather wait a few more weeks or months for the lees
to settle than rush to use a fining agent which may strip out more than
just the lees. Your mileage may vary. Do pay heed to the warning in
the instructions regarding extended aging, however:

"Winexpert kits contain very low levels of sulphite compared to
commercial wine. If you want to age your wine more than 6 months, you
must add extra metabisulfite to prevent oxidation."

The same shop which sold you your wine kit should carry potassium
metabisulfite priced at a few dollars.


Cheers,
Ken