Picture this: You’ve finally gotten to the end of the day after a hectic schedule filled with meetings, errands, and other important responsibilities. Now that the day is over and done with, you want nothing more than to get home, kick your shoes off and unwind with your favorite glass of wine. Aaah.
The only problem? As soon as you get to your kitchen – you notice that you’re all out of wine!
Seeing as it’s too late to go to the trouble of heading back out to your local grocery store to restock on your favorite merlot or chardonnay – you’ll have to make do without, even though you really wanted to curl up with a glass.
If that sounds like an all too familiar situation, then trust us when we say that we’ve all been there at some point or another. Just like our favorite comfort food or snack, nothing is more frustrating than wanting to enjoy a glass of wine and not having any at hand.
So, what if we told you that there was a way you could make it yourself?
Seeing as you’ve already clicked on this article, we’re going to presume that you’re in the market to get your hands on the very best winemaking kit that will allow you to make your very own wine from the comfort of your own home!
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of the top wine kits currently available to buy, as well as a helpful buying guide to make sure you make the right choice. Whenever you’re ready, just read on to find your new go-to wine-making kit!
OUR TOP PICK
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Master Vintner Fresh Harvest Small Batch Fruit Wine Making Kit (Amazon)
EDITORS CHOICE
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Fontana Italian Sangiovese Wine Making Kit (Amazon)
BEST VALUE
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Wild Grapes Premium DIY Italian Pinot Grigio Wine Making Kit (Amazon)
OUR TOP PICK
Master Vintner Fresh Harvest Small Batch Fruit Wine Making Kit (Amazon)
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First up, we have selected the bestselling Master Vintner Fresh Harvest One Gallon Small Batch Fruit Wine Making Kit, which is an awesome choice for beginners just getting started in the world of winemaking!
Containing everything that you need to create your very own wine from scratch, the Master Vintner Fresh Harvest Small Batch Fruit Wine Making Kit will allow you to make your very own wine in under an hour and comes with enough supplies to make 15 1-gallon batches of wine. Pretty impressive, right?
Not only that, but perfect for beginners who might not currently have winemaking experience, this particular winemaking kit comes with a handbook filled with a variety of instructions and recipes to choose from.
Thanks to this, it means that if you happen to get stuck at any point, all you’ll have to do is refer to the handbook for guidance.
All in all, it’s a great choice for beginners looking for a kit that is going to be able to take the hassle out of making wine.
Main features:
- Enough supplies to make 15 1-gallon batches
- Helpful handbook
- 2 gallon plastic fermenter
- Gallon jug
- Tubing
- Airlock
- Straining bag
- Acid blend
- Pectic enzyme
- Yeast
- Stabilizer
- Racking
EDITORS CHOICE
Fontana Italian Sangiovese Wine Making Kit (Amazon)
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If you’re interested in making your very own Italian Sangiovese Wine, then you might want to check out this winemaking kit from Fontana!
Offering enough supplies to make over 30 bottles of wine (yes, you read that correctly) the Fontana Italian Sangiovese Wine Making Kit will allow you to make your very own velvety, Sangiovese wine characterized by a delicious floral aroma and a smokey, dark fruit taste.
Plus, ensuring only the finest quality wine, Fontana has made sure to only include the highest quality ingredients taken from the world’s leading vineyards, while their additional flavor packs (sold separately) will allow you to get creative with your wine recipes.
Main features:
- Ingredients are taken from the finest vineyards
- Award-winning kit
- Enough ingredients to be able to make 30 bottles of wine
- Designed to make Italian Sangiovese wine, which is perfect for accompanying pasta or meat dishes
BEST VALUE
Wild Grapes Premium DIY Italian Pinot Grigio Wine Making Kit (Amazon)
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If you’re in the mood for a good old-fashioned Pinot Grigio, then you’re in luck! Let us introduce you to the bestselling Wild Grapes Premium DIY Italian Pinot Grigio Wine Making Kit.
Containing only the most premium ingredients, the Wild Grapes Premium DIY Italian Pinot Grigio Wine Making Kit uses only the freshest ingredients that will ensure that your Pinot Grigio turns out perfect, regardless of whether you’re a winemaking beginner or not.
Not only that but designed with convenience in mind, this winemaking kit from Wild Grapes also comes with easy-to-follow instructions that will see you making your very own Pinot Grigio wine from scratch in less than an hour.
What’s more, as soon as you’ve finished making it, your wine will be ready to be drunk in just 4 weeks!
Main features:
- Premium, high quality, and fresh ingredients
- Comes with easy-to-follow instructions
- Enough supplies to make 30 bottles of wine
- Wine base, yeast pack, fining agents, and 30 labels included
- Designed to make Pinot Grigio, which is an Italian fine white wine with hints of fruit
5 Best Wine Making Kits: The Ultimate Buying Guide
Before we talk you through some of the best wine-making kits that are currently available to buy on the market, we’re first going to take a few moments to talk you through some important considerations that you should keep in mind prior to making your purchase.
First things first, before you even think about buying your chosen winemaking kit, the most important thing that you should do is take the time to consider what it is that you are actually looking for.
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By taking the time to filter out everything that isn’t a priority to you, then you will be able to make a much better buying decision, while also ensuring that you are getting the very best value for your money.
So, to help you do just that, below we are going to be breaking down 6 important questions that you should currently be asking yourself while trying to decide what type of winemaking kit you need.
What You Should Be Asking Yourself When Selecting A Winemaking Kit
As we have already touched upon above, it’s highly important that you are taking the time to think about what type of winemaking kit you’re in need of, otherwise, you’re going to find that you end up either stuck with a kit that isn’t relevant to what you need, or even discover that you’ve spent way more than you actually needed to!
Instead, if you ensure that you are taking the proper time to research the different types of wine kit options out there, you’ll find that you will be in a much better position to narrow down your needs and find a kit that you’re actually going to get plenty of use out of, while also guaranteeing that you’re getting the best value for your money.
So, when deciding what type of winemaking kit you need, we strongly recommend that you take the time to consider the following questions:
What Type Of Wine Do You Most Like To Drink?
Do you like red wine? Or are you more of a white wine drinker? This is one of the most important questions that you should ask yourself when picking out a wine-making kit.
Even though there are a variety of wine-making kits available to you that will allow you to make a variety of wine types, if you have a specific kind in mind that you’d like to make – then we strongly recommend that you make this a priority in your search.
There are many different wine-making kits available that focus on a specific type of wine, and will come with all of the necessary equipment and ingredients required to make that specific type of wine.
How Much Are You Looking To Spend?
If you haven’t already, then we strongly recommend that you take the time to set out a budget prior to shopping around for different wine-making kits.
If you do not do this, you may end up finding that you end up spending way too much money, or at least far more than you initially thought you would.
For this reason, prior to shortlisting your options (or even proceeding further down this guide), we recommend that you take 5 minutes to set out a firm budget that you can stick to while shopping around for a wine-making kit.
By taking the time to do this, you will find that you are able to shortlist your options more easily, while also ensuring that you are able to make a much wiser money decision!
How Long Are You Willing To Wait?
Though it might not seem like such a big deal right now, another hugely important factor that you should take into consideration when selecting a wine-making kit is how long you’re willing to wait for your wine to be ready to drink.
From start to finish, some wines can take just two weeks to undergo fermentation and be ready to drink, while there are other types of wines out there that can take even longer than this.
In addition to the fermentation process, you should also keep in mind that, if you’re going to be making your own homemade wine from the comfort of your very own home, then you will need to allow the bottle to age for a period of around 3-4 months.
Do You Know What Type Of Grape Variety You Want To Use?
This point ties in quite closely with the type of wine that you are most interested in making. Nevertheless, deciding which type of grape variety you intend on using in your homemade wine is an important factor to think about – especially if you’re time conscious!
Even though the average period of creating wine from fresh grapes is often anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks – there are some types of grape varieties that can take longer than this timeframe, which is something to keep in mind.
In addition to this, you should also consider the fact that different types of grape varieties will make your wine taste different depending on how bitter or sweet your chosen grapes are.
For this reason, it might be a good idea to research the different varieties of grapes, so that you can decide upon which type of grape type is right for you, your wine kit, and the wine that you are wanting to create from scratch.
Not only that, but depending on which type of grape you have used (alongside potential other fruits) you may also need to allow for the bottle to age your wine once it has finished fermenting for a period of anywhere from 3 to 12 months.
Are There Any Specific Characteristics You Want Your Wine To Have?
Besides choosing which type of wine you’d like to make and what type of grape variety you wish to include in your wine – you should also take the time to consider whether or not there are any specific characteristics that you would like your wine to have.
Even though this factor is certainly more of a personal preference, by taking the time to think about this question and come to an answer, you’ll be in a much better position to choose a winemaking kit that is best suited for you and what type of wine it is that you’re looking to create.
The Different Types Of Wine Juices
Alongside asking yourself all of the important questions above, another important part that will go into your wine-making process is the type of juice that you opt to use.
It’s important to think about which type of juice you’d like to use, as winemaking kits tend to offer a variety of different juices, with the three most common types of juices used being the following:
- 100% grape juice
- Partially concentrated grape juice
- Fully concentrated grape juice
So, what difference do all of these juices make when it comes to winemaking?
Well, generally speaking, winemaking kits that come with a partially concentrated grape juice will mean that you will need to add a certain amount of water to the juice in order to make a standard 5 or 6 gallon batch of wine.
Even though wine-making kits that come with partially concentrated grape juice require a little more work, it does mean that they often come at a much more affordable price – so they’re a great choice to consider for those who are looking for the best value for their money.
The exact same goes for winemaking kits that come with totally concentrated grape juice, although the amount of water required to make either a 5 or 6 gallon batch of wine will be less than partially concentrated grape juice.
As for winemaking kits that come with 100% grape juice, you will not need to mix in any water to your juice, although do keep in mind that wine-making kits that come with 100% grape juice will likely come at an additional cost.
What Are The Main Differences Between The Three Juices?
If you’re currently wondering about the differences between these three types of juice – then this section is for you!
Totally concentrated grape juice is the most common out of all types of grape juice used to make wine and is usually the type of juice that is included in wine kits.
Not only that, but fully concentrated grape juice is a great all-around choice for winemaking of all kinds because of the higher sugar levels present within this juice.
Thanks to the sugar, full concentrated juice will be able to offer your wine a much longer shelf life than if you were to use partially concentrated juice, which means that you’ll be able to enjoy your wine for many months without worrying about it becoming spoiled.
Nevertheless, due to the high sugar content, it does mean that you may find that your wine is very sweet, which may be an issue for some.
As for partially concentrated juice? If you’re interested in trying this juice, then it’s worth noting that due to the moderate levels of sugar, you will likely find that your wine will last you for a few months before becoming spoiled.
In addition to this, you will also find that the flavor of the wine is more prominent, due to the fact that there are lower sugar levels.
The final option available to you to choose from is 100% grape juice, which is by far the most difficult juice option to find, especially if you are planning on using a winemaking kit.
If you are interested in making your wine with 100% grape juice, then you will be able to enjoy a delicious, flavorful wine due to the prominence of the grapes, however, the main downside to making wine with 100% grape juice is that it is often unable to last very long.
What Comes Inside A Wine-Making Kit?
Even though it’s very important to keep in mind that the contents of a winemaking kit will vary from brand to brand, as a general rule of thumb, you can expect all standard/basic winemaking kits to include the following:
- Yeast
- Tannins
- Acids
- Nutrients
- Juice
However, even though your winemaking kit will come with all of the basic ingredients you’ll need to begin making your own wine, there is a variety of additional equipment that you might need to purchase separately, including the following (all links Amazon):
If you don’t have all of the items listed above, then there’s no need to panic or feel as though you need to purchase everything at once.
So long as you have your winemaking kit, you’ll be able to purchase any additional items that you may be in need of as you go along.
The Different Types Of Wine
As we have already touched upon above, there are a variety of different wines available for you to choose from and, seeing as you’re going to be drinking a good amount of the wine that you make – it only makes sense that you should opt for a wine choice that you like.
The good news is that you can find wine-making kits intended for just about every type of wine out there.
From red wines to whites, rose wine to dessert wine, there are a variety of different wine kits out there to choose from, and you should ensure that you are taking the time to properly outline what type of wine you want to make (as well as any additional characteristics that you want your wine to have) so that you can pick the right winemaking kit for you and your preferences.
The Wine Aging Process
Besides the different types of wine available for you to choose from, it’s also important to think about the aging process, as it can differ from kit to kit.
If the aging process is particularly important to you, then you should make sure to check out the product description of the winemaking kit that you’re considering before you actually go ahead and make the purchase.
Needless to say, as a general rule of thumb, most winemaking kits will have an overall aging process that will take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to ferment and complete, although do keep in mind that this time scale is heavily dependent on a variety of different factors, including what type of juice you have used.
If you are time conscious and need a kit that is going to be able to make your wine in the shortest amount of time possible, then we recommend that you go for a smaller winemaking kit, as these types of kits often tend to have the quickest turnaround time.
Regardless of that, you should keep in mind that the wine aging process is not something that can happen overnight, so you’re going to need to anticipate for a duration of time falling anywhere from 4 weeks to 12 months.
Resources For Winemaking
Alongside making sure that you have all of the necessary equipment needed to make your wine, you should also consider checking out the various books and other types of instructional materials available to you.
Much like a food recipe, there’s an art to winemaking that will require plenty of experience alongside know-how, so we recommend that you consider some of the helpful resources below if you are serious about making your own wine (all links Amazon):
- Master Winemaking: Discover the Secrets to Making Premium Homemade Wine in Just 5 Simple Steps, Even if You’re An Absolute Beginner
- Wild Winemaking: Easy & Adventurous Recipes Going Beyond Grapes
- Wine Making Made Easy: How to Make Easy Homemade Wine from Grapes, Fruit, & More
These three books are considered to be some of the best winemaking books currently available! If you’re a beginner, then we recommend checking out Master Winemaking and Wine Making Made Easy.
However, if you’re already familiar with making wine and would like to take your finished results to the next level, then we recommend that you check out the Wild Winemaking book, as it is filled with cool and interesting recipes that will make for a memorable tasting experience!
Wrapping Up
So, they have it. Thank you for sticking with us, and we hope that you have enjoyed reading this winemaking buying guide just as much as we enjoyed writing it.
After reading through this guide, we’re hoping that you’re feeling a great deal more knowledgeable about what it takes to make your own wine, and have even set your sights on a kit from our list above!
While you’re here, why not give this page a bookmark? That way, if you ever need to come back and refresh your knowledge on winemaking kits – you’ll know exactly where to find us. Thanks for reading, and happy winemaking!