Vino Italiano 4 Week Wine Kit, Pinot Bianco, 15.5-Pound Box

I've been thinking about doing this for some time now, so here goes.I have bought many of the vino italiano kits and this is a general review of all with some tips that may help others.First if you haven't signed up for Amazon Prime do it I save over 100 dollars shipping above the 79$ fee per year.Now lets start with white wines since Verdicchio is a white. Follow the instructions and make sure all equipment is clean and sterile. I use Star-San sanitizer it works well and fast but I do rinse with clean boiled water after sanitizing to eliminate any after taste from the sanitizer. If you want to add sugar or honey to the primary fermentation phase mix it with water and boil it first. I know some don't but sooner or later it will give them a wine vinegar instead of wine. Always take a beginning secondary and ending hydrometer reading. I use Super-Kleer KC Finings to clear before bottling it is faster then the stuff that comes with the kit. Amazon also sells american oak chips. I put about a half cup in my primary fermentation phase. Now when you are ready to bottle taste your wine, if it is too tart for you add a sweetener Wine Conditioner by RJ Spagnols will do and Amazon sells it prime eligible. If you want a higher alcohol content you can fortify white wine with vodka or gin or any other white alcohol, white lightening would do if you know a moon shiner.Red wines all the above tips apply. I really liked the Barolo by Vino Italiano that I made with 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of oak chips added to primary fermentation. I think the next time I will play with it and make an Italian Port by adding a sweetener and some brandy to fortify it after it is finished. It should work out because it has a great taste to start with.Oh, BTW I alway make the full 6 gallons and boost my ABV by adding either sugar or honey in the primary stage. I know this is a long review and I hope Amazon lets it go through because it might help someone.

The media could not be loaded.  I have been using these kits for quite a while now, and I'm very happy with them. You can see in the video everything that is included: Concentrated juice, yeast, bentonite, kieselsol, chitosan, and stabilizer, along with labels and corks, bottle cap covers, and instructions of course.So far all these kits have been the same, except for the type of grape the juice was derived from.Overall I'm very happy with the kit because it has everything I need, and I don't need to measure anything. It is also much easier to make wine from juice than it is from grapes. However, no way will your wine taste good after only four weeks. I find the more I have aged my wine made from these kits, the better it tastes. Six months minimum if you ask me, and better if longer.You can also substitute your own ingredients such as a different yeast or fining agents if you don't like the kind they chose for you, but the juice is still fairly inexpensive in comparison to other options of making your own wine. I did have to add dextrose with the white wine kit, because the instructions said the specific gravity should be between 1.080 and 1.090, and it only measured at 1.068. But I think checking S.G. and adjusting is part of wine making. So I don't think that's too big of a deal, however, the dextrose is not included.I use a five gallon bucket to start, so my alcohol content is a little higher as I can't add as much water to dilute, and I average 22 to 24 bottles of wine from this kit (I could get the full 30 bottles if I started with 6 gallons instead of 5). I have yet to have a failure.Only four stars because I think "4 weeks" is misleading, and also because I would like to have better disclosure on the ingredients rather than a generic label that says "may contain..."If you have never made wine before, this is a good way to get started, but note that you need additional (sometimes expensive) equipment.Update 11/09/14 - Someone finally explained to me that the bottle cover caps need heat to shrink to fit the bottle! Such as a hair dryer, and to think, this whole time I have been giving bottles of wine out without making them look pretty. Anyway, 6 months is the minimum before I would even attempt to try the wine, but the choice is yours.

I have had several of these kits, and mostly they come out pretty thin. It has been suggested to cut back to 5 gallons. This still leaves a wine that is thin and lacks any acceptable mouth-feel. Here's how I do it with a red wine kit.White wines are treated the same only I make them to the 5 gallons, not 4; still reserving some juice concentrate.1. Pour off 1 1/2 cups of concentrate into a sterile Ball jar. Place this in the freezer.2. Make the remainder up to 4 gallons. Do primary fermentation.3. From primary, rack to secondary (for me that is a 3 gallon carboy and a one gallon jug) Top up with simple syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water OR up to 1/2 of your retained juice) This is where I would also add in the oak chips if I am using them.4. This will not finish fermenting in the 4-6 week time frame. More like 8 to 16. I rack again at about 4 to 5 weeks.Clear, stablize and de-gas.5. At bottling time (here is were I filter w my mini Boun-Vino)6. Add 1/4 teaspoon Potassium Sorbate.7. Pour the retained juice that has been thawed to room temp into the filtered wine before bottling.Yes, I know. 4 gallons from a 6 gallon kit. But believe me, it is worth the loss.This 4 gallon volume is still a great bargain, especially if you have an Amazon Prime membership to cut the shipping costs. It comes out so well that I have put this item on subscription to save even more.Considering the fact that you get both corks and shrink cap (and labels, I suppose, I like to design my own) Even 4 is gallons cheaper (bottle for bottle) than a premium kit.All that being said, it is still a kit with kit quality. Don't expect a great wine to come from this. But follow my method and you'll have a wine you would be proud to serve your friends.(An additional note: I've also done this with Amazon's Reserve du Chateau kits, but adjusting the primary fermentation to 5 gallons because of the extra 3 pounds of juice in the kit. This comes out very well).