On Aug 13, 7:08*pm, "JB" > wrote:
> I happened to have a 2nd Winexpert Selection Limited Edition Brunello wine
> kit. I made the first batch according to the directions. Rather than make a
> second batch the same way, I thought about "tweaking" it a little to change
> it up and make it a little different. Any suggestions on what to do to alter
> the wine in a positive way? Addition of more oak? Experiment with a
> different yeast than is in the kit? Or, just add some more sulphites and age
> it for a year longer before bottling and that would be OK/
>
> Just curious and looking for ideas.
>
> TIA.
>
> JB


A different yeast would be a good experiment. I remember a while back
when I took a winemaking class at a local college, the instructor made
2 Zin's using different yeasts from the same batch of grapes, same
ageing vessels and time, and same environment, and they were
astoundingly different.

Certainly you could vary the amount of oak, but you have to be careful
not to make it unbalanced--if you think the wine can handle a long
ageing period (i.e. loads of fruit, high alcohol, aromas and flavours
are still closed) then sure go with more oak, but if the fruit is
going to fall away in a year or two, there's no point in making it
overly tannic. You might use NO oak as a trial, to see how it stands
up on it's own (I've done this with Cab. Sauvignon, and after 2 to 3
years it was fantastic, despite it seeming like it really needed the
oak at first) ?

Other things to try:

- Don't filter if you normally do (or vice versa)
- Try fining (or if you do already, try with a different agent), to
see if the flavour profile is affected

And of course, the most common and usually interesting "tweaking" of
all--try blending it with something else and see if you can create a
wine that is better than either of its components !