Scott Lindner wrote "I made my first wine not long ago and after three
months in the bottle I
don't like it very much.....I've been brewing beer for 14 years....We love
cabernets....To us, the wine tastes
cheap, a pinch fruity, and thin.....I used a Vintner's Reserve juice kit."

Scott - I'm no fan of red wine kits (white wine kits make pretty good wine).
It will be hard to produce a proper tasting Cabernet without using whole
grapes and a fermentation scheme that includes primary fermentation in
contact with the skins. With your experience brewing you know a lot of
what you need to make good wine. You already know about the influence of
yeast on the taste and mouthfeel of finished beer. Rather than use yeast
that comes with the kit select a yeast that builds body (I like BM45 for
Cabernet). Also, read up on enological tannins such as Tan'Cor Grand Cru
and Grap'Tan S. Addition of small amounts of these tannins during bulk
aging can add body to thin wines. Plan on buying some Cabernet Sauvignon
grapes for your next attempt. Include a 3 or 4 day cold soak (at 40F)
before starting fermentation. That step will extract a lot of what the
grapes have to offer before fermentation. Good luck.

Bill Frazier
Olathe, Kansas USA